Hi,

I've just started learning the clarinet. I've had four lessons so far.

I have no previous experience, except for a lot of recorder playing when I was a teenager. I find that helps me with reading the music (although I wouldn't even get my Grade 1 for music theory!) but I'm surprised at how hard the embouchure and tonguing are. It's a different feel than tonguing with a recorder and I either lose the note or dribble. Or both!

I thought maybe I was daft taking up an instrument at 55 so I'm really encouraged to see that there are other adult learners in here. I've only set myself a target of 15 minutes practice a day because I have CFS/ME so I don't want to tire myself out. It was enough for me to see progress every week so that's encouraging. As I manage to play tunes I find I'm spending more time, because I do the practice my teacher has set and then I fiddle around for a while.

It's given me a whole new interest that I can do at home. Maybe if I get good enough I can play with my husband, who plays guitar.

Anyway, I thought I'd say hi to you all. It looks like a really friendly place in here.

I love your username fairyhedgehog!

Hope you'll enjoy it here

Hello and !

I also play the clarinet - I started 2 years ago - though I'm a teenager, not an adult! I hope you'll enjoy being a member of the forums, and I wish you good luck in your clarinet playing. 15 minutes a day is a suitable amount of practice for a beginner, I think, and it seems like that time will increase naturally.

Nick

Hope you continue to enjoy your playing!

Thanks, skylark, madbassoonist and Jacobi for the warm welcome!

Hello,

The Clarinet is such a beautiful instrument, well, I suppose I would say that huh,

55 is really not that old, just ENJOY, and again, welcome to the forum.

Regards, Peter.

and I wish you much enjoyment with your

Re your username: are you a Pratchett fan by any chance?

welcome

Good luck with the Clarinet playing - and welcome

both to the forums and to the wonderful world of the clarinet.

Tounging on the clarinet will soon seem as natural as it does on a recorder the biggest difference I percieve is where in my mouth my toungue is - for clarinet it is further back. Remember all you are doing is touching the reed with your tongue, it really doesn't need a lot of pressure.

At 1st the embouchure feels really odd and hard work - within no time at all it will feel utterly natural.

Taking it up at 55 isn't daft at all. Your 15 min target practice time is plenty for making steady progress, as you improve you will find it less tiring.

Welcome, I've just joined too. I'm an adult-violin-learner as of March of this year. Also unfortunately I have CFS/ME which has made my life very isolated. The best thing with learning music is you get such a sense of achievement when you accomplish something (which has been sorely missing from my life in recent years!)

Welcome, and I hope you enjoy your new hobby / passion / obsession

Thank you, all of you, for your kind replies and encouragement!

Peter, thank you for saying that 55 isn't too old. I thought only youngsters took up instruments, how wrong I was.

Jazzycat - Well spotted! Yes, it's from Witches Abroad. I love his books.

CJB -Thanks for the hints on tonguing. My tongue is sore today from practising! The embouchure is not natural to me yet so I get some nasty sounds and some squeaks but it's getting better.

MollyB - so you're another CFS sufferer. I'm glad I'm not the only one turning to music as something I can do. I wondered if it would be too hard but so far it isn't. I'm having B12 injections at the moment and I think that has helped too.

55? - is that all? I shall be 72 on Monday, and I started with the clarinet about 4 months ago. I took grade 2 on 10th July and scraped a distinction. I took grade 3 yesterday and will be happy to scrape a pass.

Although I am ok with reading the music (I am a piano teacher) I too am finding difficulty with my embrouchure. I am disappointed it is not better after 4 months, but I shall consult my teacher for further advice soon!

Oldromola: you're up to Grade 3 after 4 months? And you got a distinction at Grade 2? I'm impressed! I've started working towards Grade 1 but I've no idea how long that will take me.

At least you have a head start with reading the music. That hasn't been a problem for me yet because we're still in the realms that I covered in Recorder Books 1 & 2 back in the day but once we get beyond that I'm going to have my work cut out.

I'm glad there are other people my age and above learning too. Oh, and Happy Birthday for Monday!

to the forums fairyhedgehog! It sounds like you're doing really well - hope you enjoy your time here.

Thanks, barry-clari!

Welcome Fairyhedgehog.
55 is nothing, I am 99 ( not really, but there are loads of adults here learning from scratch)
Beverley.

Thanks for the welcome, Beverley

I started 5 years ago at 50, Just got my grade 5 recently. Enjoy the journey.

That's encouraging, tooty. Oh, and well done! I hope I get on that well.

Well done for following your dreams and taking up the clarinet - it's never too late. I'm a clarinet teacher (with a few other instruments, but clarinet is my favourite) - I'm 32, but years ago, I taught a 72-year old beginner. He had never played anything before, but really enjoyed it. It took him 2 years to achieve his Grade 1 but neither of us minded in the slightest. I used to hold him up to my other pupils as a shining example of commitment and determination! I'm not sure what he's doing now, but he once told me he planned to play until his 80s!

I'm glad I'm not the oldest! I thought it might be strange for my teacher having someone my age to teach but it sounds like it's not as unusual as I thought.

Thanks for the encouragement.

*waves* I didn't realise there were two other ME sufferers on the Adult Learners board!

You too, sarah? It's good to meet you. I thought I was mad learning an instrument when I've got ME but it seems I'm in good company.

And you


You realise that I am no proof that you're not mad??

That said, music keeps me sane(r)... I had a couple of years when I could barely practise and it is SO GOOD to be playing again, even though not as much as I'd like