Klarinet Archive - Posting 000548.txt from 1995/06

From: Rick Faria <RAFaria@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: Glissandos
Date: Fri, 23 Jun 1995 17:34:46 -0400

frances,
Give this method a try:
Start on your written g below the staff. Hold it, and very slowly slide your
finger off of the hole. You should go up to an a. The goal is to make it a
perfectly smooth transition from g to a. Do it slowly to gain control. Once
you have perfected that, do a to Bb, usin the same method. Then Bb to c, c to
d, d to e, e to f, f to g. Then, go back to the g, and try two fingers at a
time (e.g., g to Bb, a to c, Bb to d, etc.). Then do three fingers, and so
on, until you can do a smooth gliss from g below the staff to throat tone g.
(This procedure is basically the same in the clarion register)
Getting over the break is hard, which is why most clarinettists do a
chromatic scale for the first half of Rhapsody in Blue. The chrom. scale gets
you over the break to your third line B natural, at which point you do a
glissando such as Ive described.
You may notice that the fingers only gliss. is not so smooth. Most players
add a little pitch bending with the jaw to smooth it out. It is a combination
of smooth sliding fingers with some pitch bending of the jaw that makes a
nice smooth gliss.
Going down is another story...
Good luck,
Richard Faria
RAFaria@-----.com