My dd's clarinet teacher seems a bit unreasonable but i am totally ignorant and may have it all wrong so would appreciate some wise advice. Dd is 8 and has just started clarinet lessons. She already has piano lessons and is doing fine but has wanted to do clarinet for quite some time. Her lessons are through school and after her first lesson the school emailed to say her teacher was concerned she lacked coordination and didn't have enough puff. This seemed odd to us as our dd is perfectly coordinated for piano and it seemed odd to be making these judgements after just one lesson. We then found out that dd kept asking to sit down. Her clarinet is a wooden one and another music teacher told us it would have been heavy as children often start with lighter plastic instruments so we got a nice neck strap. Now she has just had her third lesson and the teacher has said her hands are not yet big enough and she should do recorder. Dd is at least as big as the average 9 year old and her hands are by no means small... She has also been desperate to learn clarinet for some time.
This same other music teacher told us the clarinet teacher comes from a pushy London prep school and we wonder if she just doesn't want to be bothered with a total beginner.
I know it can be a problem having small hands but I'm really not convinced. I don't want to be so ignorant as to ignore the guidance of an expert though. Can one really say after 3 lessons that my dd is not suitable and how can one check about reach with hands? Thanks!
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Beginning Clarinet - advice needed
25 replies
beezmum · 18/10/2012 22:17
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