Klarinet Archive - Posting 001163.txt from 1998/10

From: "Brent Eresman" <Beresman@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Eb problem
Date: Tue, 27 Oct 1998 13:25:42 -0500

I have been working on the Eb clarinet a fair amount lately and have
come upon a problem i can't seem to get a handle on. When i play
altissimo F and above (it happens to a lesser extent with E and Eb)
the note will sometimes "shift" on me. That is, when i start the
note the pitch is very low. Within a second or so, i get a shift
which raises the pitch to some semblance of being in tune. If i
start lower and work up to the note (e.g. the final solo in Till E) i
often get the note right away. But if i start on the high note i
invariably have this "shift problem".

Squeezing tighter sems to help, but it doesn't go away entirely and
anyway everything else suffers when i do. Putting less lip in also
seems to help, but again i don't think this is the answer in the long
run (i wouldn't have much endurance). I have paid attention to my
breath support and i think it is adequate (but then, how am i to
know?)

If i play in the same range on the Bb clarinet (up to C) i don't have
the same problem.

I've played on a Leblanc, a Buffet and a Selmer, and have the problem
on all three. I've used a Leblanc mouthpiece, a Selmer and a Hite.
I don't think the problem is the equiment, i think it's me. The
trouble is, i don't know what it is i'm doing to cause the problem.

Any ideas out there?

Brent Eresman
beresman@-----.com

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