Clarinet playing is really fun, really physical and you can make beautiful sounds and songs with the clarinet. You can join with others in a band, orchestra, or smaller groups to have a wonderful experience of unity of mind and spirit and the fun of being part of a team creating something wonderful – MUSIC!!!! There’s nothing better. Being a soloist, on your own, if you don’t have a band available or are not interested, is tremendous, too.

Clarinet Practice

Well, this is tough isn’t it?! I know you are busy with school demands and maybe other extracurricular activities, too. But… practice is very important. You won’t progress if you don’t practice AND you won’t have the true experience of playing and learning an instrument and how good you can really be if you don’t practice. Music is in all of us. Doing the work of practice gives us the road to expressing what is already there in us, and the satisfaction of knowing we can learn and play the clarinet better and better, which leads to more and more pleasure and joy.

I will be asking you to practice 5 times a week (at least :-)). How long will depend on your level and your other activities and commitments. Beginners 15-20 mins. and intermediate and advance players 30-60 mins (approximately). I will give you a record sheet where you can keep track of what you do. Regular practice is much better than all in one day, as you build slowly and patiently over the days.

I’ll ask your parents to remind you to practice. Be nice to them, they are just trying to help and protect their investment. Lessons are not cheap, as teachers have many years of study and practice under their belts to become teachers and performers.

Practice habits

• Be patient and slow. Play the study or song at a tempo you CAN play it or else you are practicing bad habits. Increase the speed as you get better.
• Practice in chunks. After reading the piece through in total, play the parts that are hard to get them working and then put it all together. Repeat, correct and repeat those small chunks until your body mind, and fingers get what they have to do. They will remember but it takes LOTS of repetition sometimes, other times it is easier. I still do this — learning music never stops no matter how good you get. That’s part of the fun. Something new, fun and beautiful to know, learn and play. What a pleasure!!!
• Look ahead in the music as you play so you mind can prepare for what it has to do next — just a few beats, as far as you can.
• More advanced students can use a metronome and tuner to perfect their playing and the music at more refined levels. Refining is fun too, seeing how well you can do it and how much your body and mind can handle.