Klarinet Archive - Posting 000148.txt from 1998/04

From: Mark Charette <charette@-----.com>
Subj: Slur from Mid to low B problem
Date: Sat, 4 Apr 1998 16:43:15 -0500

First -remember that I'm a beginner, barely over a year on clarinet,
so this may be an easy thing for you, but ...

On a piece I'm currently playing, there's a fast slur from 2nd
space A# to mid line B to low B. I'm having problems getting to the
low B - the note is hanging on the mid line B with register key
closed.

My teacher checked the usual culprits - there aren't any leaks on the
clarinet, my thumb's off the register key, my embouchure looks fine
(relatively speaking :), the reed was fine (changed to another one
just to check). Loosening the embouchure to try and drop to the
low B just flattens the mid line B). I'm _not_ doing something right
with the back/lower throat, and my teacher ran out of suggestions.

If I lightly tongue I can get that low B no problem. Any suggestions
visualizations to move my throat correctly to get that slur?
--
Mark Charette | "This is a very democratic organization, so let's
charette@-----. All those who disagree with me, raise
MIKA Systems, Inc.| their hands." - Eugene Ormandy
Webmaster of http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet, The Clarinet Pages