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This starts with a small story so bear with me or skip to the bottom. when i was three years old my sister was thirteen and she played the clarinet and saxaphone in band her best friend jamie played the saxaphone, and everybody she knew were all band geeks. One day me, my sister, and jamie were on the deck and Jamie asked me if when i was a big kid if i was going to be in bad like my sister, and i said yes. Then she asked if i was going to play the clarinet like my sister and i said "no I want to play the flute!" so she replied by saying "oh so your going to be a pretty girl? because only pretty girl play the flute!" So i carried that thought with me the rest of my life up to the fifth grade when band started, i begged my mom to buy me a flute. and she said " no to much money you can play saxaphone or clarinet, YOU are going to play the Clarinet. (i didint get a choice. I was forced to play the clarinet, i would have picked saxaphone) So because my elder sister played the clarinet and was a genius i was forced, i quit band around march. The next year the band teacher asked me if i was going to be in band again that year. and i said " the only way im joining band again is if im not forced into astels foot steps, i want to play the flute!

so he told me i could take fifth grade band over again starting from the flute. Seventh grade i took art thinking the next symester i would be in band, not knowing it was a year class. so they wouldent let me in second symester and i was forced into drama. For one reason or another eighth grade i was put in Avid. ( im not organized so avid doesnt help me much it was stupid i wasent interviewed at all) so because i suck at organization i was kicked out mid november. and guess what i couldent go into band because it was all full! lucky me! so instead i was put in drama. AGAIN(not drama two, drama one AGAIN) SAME EXACT CLASS!
second symester i planned on making a big deal about getting into band, but i was failing math so instead i needed a second math class. Now this year i was a freshman and i started from scratch at the flute. not remembering much from sixth grade. I started fresh and ended up with a D at the end of the year, my report card said i need a tutor. So i asked Mr. B "In the fifth grade i played the clarinet, my sister was a master mind, and played through highschool, and then in the husky band and then again as an alumini in the husky band. she could tutor me i'd have to switch. He said "okay awesome!"

and now i've come to learn that my sister faked her way through the husky band and all she did was finger without playing AT ALL.

Lovely aye?

so heres the main deal, i need to learn the clarinet AND FAST summers coming to an end soon, im going to have one month, I need tips, and i'd love it if i could get help from all you clarinet players. PLEASE IM BEGGING YOU

i love band and i dont want to quit.
i come from a musical family with generations of instrument players and i dont want to break the chain, and im desperate. The person that helps me the most can have three k. its all i have currently sad
PLEASE HELP ME CLARINET PLAYERS!

I had a private flute instructor. but it got really expensive and couldent do it any more. im not asking for you guys to help me get up to a high school level im saying seventh grade level, because it would be better than what i can do. if your just going to be negative and say i have no hope you really arent working for the better cause of this thread, im looking for TIPS and helpful advice not to be told im an idiot for not getting a private instructor and that i have no hope now because I still have my sister she's just not as fabulous as i thought she was.

well i'm sorry, but you seem to be the one taking things negatively. i gave you a perfectly legitimate suggestion, one that would take you farther than probably any other you could get from people on the internet. getting a private instructor is the best way to improve. they know how to play their instrument, they can watch you and know what to fix. people on the internet can't.

catha: thanks, i have an essential elaments book... somewhere.


taco:
I replied to your suggestion with a comment, and telling you that your suggestion doesnt really help me.
I had a private tutor for the flute, i cant afford private lessons which is WHY im switching to clarinet -_-

All im saying is that tip doesnt help me, if by saying i cant get a private instructor to help me means im an epic failure and i should just quit i think thats alot more negative than asking for small tidbits of help online, because i obviously do give a s**t and because i denied your suggestion i automaticly dont give a rats a**?!

In any case for half of my freshman year i didint have a private instructor and i still thought band was fun. I was failing, but it was fun.

thank you cath, that is exactly what i was trying to say. i personally think i have an awesome instructor, but i still don't like going to lessons every single week. but it's worth it, because i'm able to play things like Molly on the Shore and March of the Cute Little Wood Sprites biggrin . if i couldn't have played either of those songs this year, my band director wouldn't have even bothered trying to help everyone else learn their parts. he only dragged everyone else through it because he had a few people that could play the songs very well.

and yes, it's negative to shoot down everyone's advice, except the advice you want to hear (i.e. get a beginners book and play scales) sure, you'll get better at scales and playing notes, but what good is that if you can't play up to tempo and in odd meters. also, if you can't skip intervals very well, or sight read, your band experience will be frustrating to you and the people who have to listen to you try.

Like other people have been saying, get private lessons and use books. I play clarinet, so you could PM me anytime if you need help with it, too.

biggrin glad you know this.