Klarinet Archive - Posting 001201.txt from 1998/10

From: Matt Palasik <mattp169@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Eb problem
Date: Tue, 27 Oct 1998 23:00:50 -0500

Shouryu Nohe wrote:
>
> Sounds like it _could_ be a voicing problem. Voicing is a trick done
> hugely by saxophonists, but we do it on clarinet as well. Basically, it
> means you hear the note exactly how you want it played before you play it,
> and your embouchure makes the most minute adjustments (in the altissimo,
> the slightest shift in tongue alters pitch) that it has memorized to
> squeeze out that harmonic.
>
> I was taught to do voicings simply by playing the bejeebers out of the
> altissimo, so that my ear and tongue get coordinated.
>
> Of course, this is but one of many possible causes. *shrug*
>
> J. Shouryu Nohe

Actua;ly most of us do voice the altisimo register even if we dont know
it. VOicing is simply adjusting the bvowel soung with in you throat.
and hearing the note you aiming for before you play it. Whenever i miss
an altisimo note in myu ledsoons, my teacher, Ed Palanker< immediately
says "You need to VIOCE it better" or "You're not voicing it right"
But back to the original problem. I was just having the same problem on
my Bb a few months back. What i was doijng and what it sounds like your
doing is this. . The higher the note you play the faster the reed must
vibrate. SO as you go up the scale you are gradually increasing the
reed's vibrations naturally, but when you skip notes upwards you are not
increasing the reeds vibrrations incremetally with the pitch.
The way I worked through this problem is this. Play the notes you are
having problems with slowly. Practice them as long tones. Then the
skips you are having problems with start on the first note and then play
the second note. Go extremely slow and repition is important. DOnt just
do it two or three times. Kepp doing the intervals over and over slowly
so you get used to the minute adjustments from you air stream and your
throat. Do this for like 5 to 10 minutes a day for a few weeks and
eventually the problem will disappear. Whatever it is that you need to
adjust will eventually become subconscious. Just like when you first
leaned to play and learned how to overcome the problems going over the
break. Just be patient and persistent.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------