Klarinet Archive - Posting 000966.txt from 1998/09

From: ROBERT ABRAHAM <rkabear@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Re: [Re: [kl] A Hard Interval]
Date: Fri, 25 Sep 1998 19:49:00 -0400

I think the high C referred to is the top of the clarion C, not the bottom of the clarion C. This brings a different set of problems, mostly non-fingering problems.

Since the fingers don't really move much, is embouchure almost exclusively (unless something *really* strange is happening while just pressing the register key.) If the embouchure is not firm enough, the lack of fingers being down could allow movement of the embouchure and make the jump difficult or impossible.

The other thing would be tongue placement / voicing problems. Try a yawning feeling in the back of your throat (while NOT loosening the embouchure) and this will push the back of the tongue down and arch the middle of the tongue, allowing for better altissimo response by redirecting the air stream. You should never have to bite to get the upper note on a Bb/A clarinet.

By the way, Shouryu's advice is great if it is for the lower C.

It does get easier with practice... ;-)

Kelly Abraham
Woodwinds/Computer Geek
New York City
**********************************************************************
> On Fri, 25 Sep 1998, Karen Horvath wrote:
> > Hello! I'm a freshman at college and I'm currently workin out of book one of the Kroepsch Studies. There's quite a few difficult intervals in some of them but the one I'm having the most trouble with is from open G to high C. I just can't seem to get it smooth. Does anyone have any suggestions? Please help! Thanks.

<snip>

> 1) Finger shade the G if you aren't already. Right hand 1 and 3 is a good G shading - it tunes the G better and makes the tone less 'throat' sounding. It also gives you two less fingers to worry about coordinating when you go to the C, since they're already down. Another option is Right hand 123 and the F/C key - that way you don't have to coordinate two hands. All you have to do is close the left hand holes and open the register key - the less fingers you move, the easier to coordinate. (However - R123+F/C tends to make the G flat...I only use that in quick passages).
>
<snip>

> J. Shouryu Nohe
> http://web.nmsu.edu/~jnohe
> Professor of SCSM102, New Mexico State Univ.
> --------------------------------------------------------------

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