For the Band Kids

The Alto Clarinet

A/N I apologize in advance as this is sort of a rant.

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So, for Solo and Ensemble, a few friends and I are doing a clarinet quintet. We received our parts, and quickly realized that only three of us are actually playing normal Bb clarinets. One of us will be playing bass clarinet, and I'm going to be playing the Eb clarinet. 

Our school didn't have an alto clarinet, so we borrowed one from the high school our school feeds into. My private instructor gave me some instructions on how to play and assemble it, and I was sent off into the wide world to learn a new instrument. 

From the moment I tried to open the case, I knew that this was going to be a bumpy ride. I'm 90% sure that this thing is Satan's creation to try and torture all clarinet players unlucky enough to ever play this. 

Okay. That's an exaggeration. But seriously, I need to rant.

I started practicing about midway through December last year, and, let me just say, I have made barely any progress. I can barely get out notes in the upper register, and when I do, I sound like a saxophone. For those of you who don't know, that's not a good thing. It's pretty frustrating to practice for long periods of time almost every day for three weeks (prior to that I didn't really have enough time and wasn't really allowed to take it home) and be making little to no progress.

I know that this is a new instrument and I just need some time to get the hang of it, but with Solo and Ensemble around a month and a half away, I'm really worried that I won't be able to do so in time. It's also really frustrating because I have set certain standards and goals for myself as a developing musician, and I am not able to accomplish those goals. 

So, yeah. Basically, I'm upset because I'm dedicating large amounts of time and energy to an instrument I am getting basically nowhere with, and I'm worried about letting the rest of my ensemble down. 

In all seriousness though, I am really enjoying this learning experience, and I know that the goal is just to have fun with my fellow musicians. I'm looking forward to seeing where my ensemble goes, and keeping my fingers crossed that we can pull this thing together in time (we totally will).

On a side note, I (lovingly) nicknamed the thing Lucifer. So, go ahead and add Lucifer to the list of instruments that I've named.