Dd’s Clarinet teacher has a flute

[whiteknuckleride2]

Dd, year 5, has been taking clarinet lessons for a couple of terms at school. The lessons are provided by the local authority music service. It emerged last week that Dd’s teacher has a flute not a clarinet. I just wondered if this was usual? I get that they are both woodwind instruments but as I understand it the breathing/Embouchure is different. Dd struggles with this side of things and I wonder now if it is because she has never seen anyone play the clarinet.

My first clarinet teacher was a flautist. He took me to grade 5, but then handed me over to an actual clarinetist as there were things, such as those you mention, that he couldn't reach.

*teach

It's quite common for woodwind teachers to cover several instruments. I wouldn't worry unduly - unless there are other things you are unhappy about, like rate of progress...??

that's really helpful - thanks. I was just really surprised and didn't want to ring and ask and come across as a twit (I am not much help with music lessons clearly). I'm not expecting rate of progress to be fast, so haven't been worried to date and she is enjoying it.

We were at a school orchestra concert at our eldest's (independent) school the other week. Teachers as well as students filling out the orchestra for a fairly ambitious programme. One oboist, one oboe teacher who was also playing cor anglais - in solos where we noticed he wasn't completely fluent. When I realised he was additionally playing piccolo it all made sense, that oboe /cor are probably well down his list of instruments played!

I'm going to go against the grain here. The teacher should be playing on the same instrument as the student, how else can they demonstrate.
The only thing that a flute and clarinet have in common is you blow down one end (in very different ways) and they belong to the woodwind family.
I wouldn't be expecting the teacher to be using anything but a clarinet.

Yes, that was my initial thought - I could understand the teacher being a flautist but assumed they would at least bring a clarinet for demo purposes. I do think it's a bit odd. I can understand resource constraints etc, but it just does seem a bit strange!

I suppose the teacher may have to teach more flute than clarinet and might not own one.
I can't think for the life of me why they'd use another instrument.
I'm not being precious, but have honestly never come across this at all.
I know music teachers at all levels and various types of school/ county provision.
Maybe just call and ask the LA.
If it is just that the area is poor for instruments and your dd enjoys it and progresses, a private teacher might be the way to go.

That's really odd. I teach in a primary, and the wind instrument teacher come in fully loaded up with clarinet, saxophone, flute and a suite of recorders. They can play all of them to a perfectly adequate standard, and also obviously play the piano to accompany.

I think that is strange too. Not that they can play the flute, but that they aren't demonstrating the clarinet to beginners, if that is what they are teaching them.
I would try to clarify if this was a one off for some reason (something broke that morning, or they were demonstrating how instruments go together or something) rather than being the standard practice.

My DD went to state primary and currently at secondary in year 10 (working on grade 7 flute). She has always been taught by a flute teacher with a flute.

Neither of us parents are musicians, but I just wanted to point out this is not necessarily representative of either state or independent schools.

I’m a woodwind teacher - flute clarinet and saxophone. The only lesson in my whole week where I don’t play the same instrument as the child is a soprano sax lesson. They chose the instrument, I don’t have one so I play clarinet to demonstrate. I find that actually explaining technique and correcting what I can see is sufficient enough in this instance and as long as I play to them at the same pitch they will be playing it isn’t a problem. My flute teacher was primarily a clarinettist and stopped demonstrating anything to me about grade 3 - I didn’t even notice! He was so good at explaining himself and watching me that it didn’t matter. Hope that’s helpful