Klarinet Archive - Posting 000209.txt from 1998/04

From: Roger Shilcock <roger.shilcock@-----.uk>
Subj: Re: Slur from Mid to low B problem
Date: Mon, 6 Apr 1998 04:18:23 -0400

My own way of trying to solve this sort of problem is: "find a better
reed." It may well only have a psychological effect in many cases, but it
often works.
Roger Shilcock

On Sat, 4 Apr 1998, Mark Charette wrote:

> Date: Sat, 04 Apr 1998 16:43:15 -0500
> From: Mark Charette <charette@-----.com>
> Reply-To: klarinet@-----.us
> To: klarinet <klarinet@-----.us>
> Subject: Slur from Mid to low B problem
>
> 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
>