Klarinet Archive - Posting 000190.txt from 2001/03

From: Shouryunus Sarcasticii <jnohe@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] sounds
Date: Wed, 7 Mar 2001 19:35:32 -0500

On Wed, 7 Mar 2001, Wildfire Coconut wrote:

> Since I'm amongst all of these professionals here, I might as well ask for
> help on this.

Uh, that's what we're here for. (Although I won't technically be a
'professional' until May...)

> I think I need help producing a better sound.

Me too. In fact, I bet every player on this list wants to produce a
better sound. *grin*

> Not that my sound is horrible or anything, but the clair player next to
> me and I sound totally different from each other, but I can tell she has
> a better, smoother (is that the right word?)

Ugh...not the semantics war again! Mr.Leeson, don't you DARE! *smirk*

> tone than I do. And I'm sure a lot of it comes from experience.

Not necessarily. I have a better sound and better articulation than
several of the more...hmm...middle aged...members of our local community
band, and they've been playing for decades. And I've met high school
students with better sound than I.

> Do I need to adjust my embouchure or blow through the instrument a
> different way?

Maybe. I don't know. And I'll put fifty to one odds that everyone on the
Klarlist who hasn't met you personally can't tell you whether those two
traits are responsible or not.

> I've tried adjusting different things but nothing seems to have worked.

Well, you're trying, and that's a start. Here's what I believe you need:

1. CDs.
Before you start trying to change your sound, you need to know what you
want to change your sound TO. Otherwise, searching for a better sound is
pointless - it's like getting in a car to go to the store, but you don't
know which store, and you don't know why you're going, nor do you even
know where you actually are to begin with. If you have something to
LISTEN to, you then have something to gauge your sound against, and
something to aim for. My suggestion? Buy ANYTHING recorded by David
Shifrin. In my humble opinion, his sound is as par excellance as they
come.

2. Private instructor!
This is why none of us can effectively give you specific instructions to
fix your situation - we need to be there to see and hear first hand what
you are doing. We can't tell if your embouchure needs adjustment if we
can't see it, nor can we diagnose any problems with tone or pitch if we
can't hear it. But if you have a trained clarinetist in the area (which,
if your second chair counterpart's tone is as clear as you say, there
probably is...), start taking lessons! Even if it's just one lesson a
month, they will do you a world of good!

Best of luck!

J. Shouryu Nohe
http://web.nmsu.edu/~jnohe
Professor of SarCaSM102, New Mexico State Univ.
"Never put passion before principle. Even when win, you lose."
-Miyagi-san, KKpt.II

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