I'd say that the time it has taken me to add a functional, usable third to my range is always the amount of time it took me to add the previous third, more or less squared.

I started in sixth grade, could comfortably play to, say, a C . Within six weeks or so, I could play comfortably to, say, an Eb b.

Now the next jump, to, say, a G, I felt was comfortably in my range about 8-9 months or so later.

(Now by the time I was in ninth grade I could play really high notes like many young players. But I could not play them the way a pro does, up to and down from them with control and sound, so I'm not counting that, dig?)

I felt pretty solid to Bb b by the time I was in 10th grade.

While I have been able to set and play strong D's since high school, it was not until my early twenties that I honestly felt I could play up to and down from and up to and down from, and that's my criteria here.

And finally, I have just started being really comfortable with consistently playing high F's, at any volume any time without having to set for them over the last couple of years. I'm 37.

So by my calculations, I'll be playing like Steinmeyer when I'm... uh, let's see, carry the three, hmm - oh there! 183 years old! DOH!!

(By the way, here's a part Crotty wrote for Stumpy way back.  They tried to pull it out a couple of years back - what a laugh!):

Back To Rants

©2003, Joe Jackson. All rights reserved.