Guest Post: Learning Eb Clarinet as an Advanced Player
This month, EFCP is sharing a guest post by Marissa Stanfill. Learning an auxiliary instrument can be a challenge, and for those of you in school, you often have to learn it quickly - maybe just a few weeks. Keep reading for Marissa's experience and advice on picking up E-flat clarinet for the first time as a graduate student.
Hello! My name is Marissa Stanfill, and I just recently completed my Master’s in Clarinet Performance from Baylor University. While I was there, I received so many opportunities to try new things! One opportunity that presented itself was a chance to audition for the 2nd/E-flat position in the Waco Symphony. I also was able to play E-flat in the graduate woodwind quintet.
I had never spent any time playing E-flat prior to my Master’s in my entire life. I was so excited to finally sit down and play it- I thought I would be able to sound like the B-flat player I was. Of course, that is not what happened. Instead, my first practice session consisted of biting my lip nearly off, playing through pain, and sounding like a laser beam. I left the practice room so frustrated, and I knew that I needed to make many changes both mentally and physically. Learning a secondary as an advanced player can be really frustrating for a lot of us, I think. As a Master’s student, I’ve been fine tuning my B-flat playing for years. So to start playing E-flat with the same expectations that I had when practicing B-flat, I only set myself up for frustration. Here are some tips that I learned from the process: 1. Be patient with yourself:
Although you’re an advanced clarinetist, you’re learning a completely different instrument. Sure, it’s in the clarinet family, but you should keep in mind that there are embouchure, oral cavity, articulation, and finger position adjustments that you have to make, and you can’t expect to get it all 100% perfect in the first practice session. 2. Set specific, achievable goals:
I found it more efficient and less frustrating when I went into a practice session with one specific goal in mind, like getting more relaxed fingers by practicing scales only, or a lighter tongue by playing articulation exercises, etc. When I started out by trying to work on a little bit of everything in every practice session, I always left feeling overwhelmed.
3. Take breaks:
As a Master’s student in clarinet, I had lots of things to practice for, and multiple upcoming performances, so I had to make sure I was leaving time and energy to practice other things. It’s easy to overdo it, so allow your mind and body to take breaks between working on E-flat.
4. If it feels wrong, it probably is:
I found myself working much harder than I needed to in order to achieve the sound and intonation I wanted. I started biting to an extreme extent, and I thought that was just how E-flat worked. Newsflash to myself: it’s not. If you’re in pain, there is something wrong. It’s time to take a break and come back relaxed and refreshed!
I hope this helps anyone out there who might be learning E-flat as a more advanced clarinetist! Happy practicing, Marissa
Marissa Stanfill is currently serving as Adjunct Instructor of Clarinet at Troy University and teaches privately in the Florida panhandle. She received a Master of Music in Clarinet Performance from Baylor University, and a Bachelor of Music Education from Troy University. Marissa has also performed with the Waco Symphony Orchestra, and will join the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra for the 2019-2020 season.