I started playing clarinet 6 yrs ago and I have done grades:2,3,4,5,6 and will be doing grade 7 soon hopefully.

Just thought we needed a new topic

I've been playing for 5 years but never had lessons or exams. I play in a school band and thats it. I would like to doo some exams but have too many other things to concentrate on

I've been teaching myself for about 18 months I think. Haven't taken any exams so far - not sure whether to go straight to Grade 2, but I don't like missing any out!

6 years and I'm doing grade 7 at christmas. I haven't done all the grades, just 3 and 4.

Ooo ye bands:
I live in Birmingham so i'm in the birmingham schools concert band. I don't know if other places have them. They're bands for school aged people and you audition to get in them.
I'm in the school orchestra as well

I've been playing the clarinet for about one year now, but I haven't taken any lessons in it. I've played it once in the school orchestra, but that's about it. I would like to play the bass clarinet, as I'm playing the tuba as my main instrument, but my school doesn't have any that's in any good condition...

I have been playing for about a year and have just done my grade 5, I only got 117 though so I'll probably do it again.

QUOTE (its so rock n roll @ Aug 11 2004, 05:35 PM)

I have been playing for about a year and have just done my grade 5, I only got 117 though so I'll probably do it again.

But that's nearly a merit?? That's a good mark!!
Jazz man: I play in a youth concert band, is that the same thing as a schools concert band. You don't have to audition, just say which grade your at and turn up every week for an evening to practice.

I've been playing for 20 minutes

I borrowed my friend's clarinet today because I want to learn and she doesn't play it. I have a friend's girlfriend who has a degree in music based on clarinet coming over on Saturday to give me some help and instruction. If I enjoy it then I will get some lessons.

The hardest thing for me is going to be learning to read music, but I'm hoping that the clarinet will help because I can build an association between the written note and the fingering from the start...or at least I hope I can!

exactly NEARLY a merit that's the lowest mark I've ever got in an ABRSM exam (I've done a lot!)
Good Luck with playing the Clarinet Komakino!!!

QUOTE (carys @ Aug 11 2004, 12:16 PM)

I've been teaching myself for about 18 months I think. Haven't taken any exams so far - not sure whether to go straight to Grade 2, but I don't like missing any out!

Grades 1 and 4 aren't worth doing on any instrument just a waste o time and money!

I'll have been playing for three years at the end of this month. I absolutely love playing the clarinet! Got my Grade 8 last term, and I'm now looking at the Diploma syllabus - though I certainly won't be doing that for at least a year, as I know I've got lots of technical things to improve before I do take it!

QUOTE (its so rock n roll @ Aug 11 2004, 07:23 PM)

exactly NEARLY a merit that's the lowest mark I've ever got in an ABRSM exam (I've done a lot!) Good Luck with playing the Clarinet Komakino!!!

Thanks!! I'm really looking forward to learning. So far I love it!

I've been playing for about 12 years but had a gap of 3 years whilst at Uni which I really regret now. However it has given me more of a passion to play and develop my clarinet technique. I've just done the Dip ABRSM and I'm waiting for the results.

I have been playing for nearly 2 years. I got the Grade 2 exam last year and will probably have Grade 4 next year.

Anyone suggest I should take Grade 4 or Grade 5?

I have been playing 8 years, done grades 2 and 5 and now im working through grades 6 and 7. Some may ask why i havent got further since i have been playing a long time - there was about 18 - 20 months where i didnt actually have a clarinet teacher due to lack of them in my area. But im back on track now and ready to go!

Grade 4: List C: Tumbledown blues from 40 modern studies for clarinet by James Rae

(not sure which list this is on) Donkey Ride from Summer sketchs though personally I think grade 4 is a waste of time and you'd be much better off going straight onto 5.

Grade 5:list A:Fast Zu Keck Max Reger (cant remember the book but it's
orange!)
list B:either summer from Victorian kitchen Garden suite by Paul Reade of (my fave) Street scene from 3 clarinet pictures by Michael Jaques

list C:Exclusive from 40 modern studies (see above)^^^
Hope this helps you

Grade 4: List C: Tumbledown blues from 40 modern studies for clarinet by James Rae

(not sure which list this is on) Donkey Ride from Summer sketchs though personally I think grade 4 is a waste of time and you'd be much better off going straight onto 5.

Grade 5:list A:Fast Zu Keck Max Reger (cant remember the book but it's
orange!)
list B:either summer from Victorian kitchen Garden suite by Paul Reade of (my fave) Street scene from 3 clarinet pictures by Michael Jaques

list C:Exclusive from 40 modern studies (see above)^^^
Hope this helps you
Alex
xxxx

I've been doing the clarinet for 2 years now. I'm not taking a exam for clarinet this year but maybe I will next year (Grade 4 or 5).

~tremolololo~

I've been playing the clarinet for 10 years, but only seriously for 5. I took my grade 5 first, then theory 6, grade 6, this year got a merit for grade 7 and next year grade 8 - slowly but surely, it's hard working full time, having a family and still trying to find the time to practise !!

QUOTE (its so rock n roll @ Aug 12 2004, 03:30 PM)

(not sure which list this is on) Donkey Ride from Summer Sketches

Donkey Ride is on List B


Alex- did you play Summer for your grade 5 exam?! i did and i love it!


ive been playing for just about 4 years and have done grade 5, and working through the higher grade stuff. yet to decide which grade to do next.

yes i did do summer and i loved it to!!!
i'll probs do my grade 6 but not till nxt year coz im doin grade 7 flute in dec so will be busy with that!
Prelude and Spring are kewl aswell from Victorian Kitchen Garden suite have you played them???
Alex
xxxx

yeah ive played all of them!

QUOTE (its so rock n roll @ Aug 16 2004, 12:09 PM)

i'll probs do my grade 6 but not till nxt year coz im doin grade 7 flute in dec so will be busy with that!

well i need grade 8 for uni so i might attempt that and hope for a scrape pass. but im not sure for definite yet

go 4 it!!!

QUOTE (clarinetlover @ Aug 16 2004, 01:13 PM)

well i need grade 8 for uni so i might attempt that and hope for a scrape pass. but im not sure for definite yet

Where are you hoping to go?

QUOTE (elmo @ Aug 16 2004, 03:46 PM)

Where are you hoping to go?

no idea yet, im still researching places! but i know i need grade 8 from what some people tell me

I played for three years and then quit since I quit band I don't think I'm going to pick it up again.. it's very dusty and my mouth will go through a ton of soreness to get back to where I was

QUOTE (Oo esty oO @ Aug 19 2004, 03:10 AM)

and my mouth will go through a ton of soreness to get back to where I was

We did a wind festival/ workshop in April, where you turn up, learn the pieces from scratch, and then perform them in the evening in a cathedral. I thought I had quite a tough mouth, but when you do 10 hours playing not including breaks, we all felt like we were eating razor bades!

Hi I have played for nine years now and I am post-grade eight but not really diploma standard

I used to be in Wirral Schools Orchestra, i think that is the same type as the birmingham one, Jazz Man. I played bass in it, if you can get hold of a bass do as they are brill for your ordinary clarinet playing - they give you much more puff but are not worth buying unless you're professional i don't think!

Cat

ive been playing for about 1/2 a day lol! literally!

so you told me lol!!
like i say KEEP PLAYING!

QUOTE (LittleAnna @ Aug 21 2004, 10:36 AM)

ive been playing for about 1/2 a day lol! literally!

How are you finding it? I only started just over a week ago and I love it, but I find things like tonguing and music reading pretty hard. What about you? I'm just curious to see how another beginner's experience compares to my own.

Hey Komakino!
Well, I'm finding it not too bad, but then again, I already play the soprano sax, so the embouchure is okay, and I think I'm getting the hang of the fingering, and reading music is fine cos i do that already. The tricky part is going over the break! I think I'm getting the hang of it but I'm not there yet, the embouchure is quite different (I find), and now and again I make the most giants squeaks you have ever heard. But hopefully I'll get there....

QUOTE (LittleAnna @ Aug 24 2004, 08:06 AM)

Hey Komakino! Well, I'm finding it not too bad, but then again, I already play the soprano sax, so the embouchure is okay, and I think I'm getting the hang of the fingering, and reading music is fine cos i do that already. The tricky part is going over the break! I think I'm getting the hang of it but I'm not there yet, the embouchure is quite different (I find), and now and again I make the most giants squeaks you have ever heard. But hopefully I'll get there....

Hey,

I have no experience of any other instruments, but because I'm trying to take it all quite slowly I'm finding the reading music OK (well, for the notes - I struggle a little with timing) and the fingering isn't too hard so far but I've not got much beyond the chalameau register and I'm also finding crossing the break hard! Plus they don't help much with that fingering for B!!

Oh, I also squeak sometimes, but like you I hope I'll get there! I'm certainly practicing a lot!

I didn't realise how different the embouchure is for clarinet compared to sax and the fingering bears little resemblence at all from what I have learnt so far. It's harder than I first thought, but anyhow, I'm really enjoying the challenge. Good luck with your playing!

well ive been playing for roughly 5 years, taking it slow i think, slow compared 2 my mates. im taking grade 6 at xmas, but i can play up to performers certificate standard so i think im quite good lol. i find it hard to play fast pieces so if anyone has ne good slow pieces i cud always do with em! lol
respect

I have been playing the clarinet for 11 yrs - and still enjoying it!

I've been playing for about 3 years and 4 months! It was my first instrument too (excluding the recorder of course but that doesn't really count!) I have a brilliant teacher, which helps loads. And I'm in 3 bands/orchestras too!

By right I haven't started it . I love the clarinet and joined in a band in SGI in order to had a chance to learn it. Doing percussions now and will start with clarinet soon..wish me luck!!

Far too long! The first pages of my remains of "A Tune A Day" are dated September 1981. Back in those days, Grades 1 and 2 didn't exist for woodwind exams.

Good heavens, that must mean that I did Grade 8 (in 1990) before some of you were born.

<wanders off feeling old, hoping that one of the youngsters will help her across the road, then take her to the park later, because she'll like that>

I've been playing clarinet for 6 years. However I'm self taught and always have been so my playing isnt that great but I get by.

Hehe. If it's any consolation, I was born in 1990.


I've been playing for around 6 months, and I'm taking grade 3 in the summer.

Your only a year older than me Oddball! I was born in 1991.

QUOTE

<wanders off feeling old, hoping that one of the youngsters will help her across the road, then take her to the park later, because she'll like that>

I'll do that! Do you want to bring some bread so we can feed the ducks too? Now, hasn't the weather been bad recently

QUOTE (nicki_flute @ Feb 18 2005, 11:41 AM)

QUOTE <wanders off feeling old, hoping that one of the youngsters will help her across the road, then take her to the park later, because she'll like that> I'll do that! Do you want to bring some bread so we can feed the ducks too? Now, hasn't the weather been bad recently

Oh, the youngsters today aren't all bad. Now dear, have this Werther's original whilst I tell you about the (Falklands) war.

Oh, that must have been such an experience, yes, in your day it must have been awful.

I know, I better wrap up warmer next time, I'll catch my death otherwise!

ok, tell me I'm on my high horse again if will, BUT THERES MORE THAN LIFE TO BLOOMING GRADES!!!!!!!!!!!! THEY DON'T MAKE YOU A GOOD CLARINET PLAYER!!!

off now to have a qiet sit down!

breath in....out...in...out

im new with a clarinet ive always played a guitar and a piano but never a clarinet and i now i like clarinets. they are so cool

do u have a teacher?