Klarinet Archive - Posting 000800.txt from 2002/05

From: "Lacy Schroeder" <LacyS@-----.org>
Subj: RE: [kl] Re: selmer intonation
Date: Thu, 30 May 2002 13:37:51 -0400

I love that demonstration!! I use it all the time with my students not
only to illustrate that point, but also to demonstrate to them that if
they supply a constistent air flow, their overall sound will improve
drastically-instantly. I find that a lot of young players' problems with
sound stems from the fact that they don't usually blow consistently when
moving from one note to the other (and especially when crossing the
break). Technique gets in the way of the sound production. I always
stress to them, "There's never, ever, ever, (insert as many "evers" as
you wish), an excuse to play with a bad sound. To me, this pedagogical
technique is a good step in making the basics of good tone production
automatic and subconscious. It's also a lot of fun for both teacher and
student! Most of them are amazed when they hear how much their sound
opens up when someone else is worrying about the technique. This has
helped many of my students.=20

Lacy

> From: DGross1226@-----.com]
> Sorry Bill, but I disagree. At one of my first lessons with Helen=20
> Goode-Castro who subs with the LA Phil, the LA Chamber=20
> Orchestra, and Pacific=20
> Serenades and has the clarinet studio at Cal State Los=20
> Angeles, noticed that=20
> I was doing just that -- changing my embouchure, etc. as I=20
> moved up the=20
> scale. She did the old turn the mouthpiece around 180=20
> degrees demonstration.=20
> With me simply providing the embouchure and the air, she=20
> fingered every note=20
> from low E to high C both stepwise and in intervals. I could=20
> not change my=20
> embouchure because I had no idea where she was going with the=20
> notes. I was=20
> amazed to discover that I did NOT have to change anything to=20
> "play" 3+=20
> octaves. Or did I totally misread your post?
>=20
> Don Gross
> La Canada, California
>=20

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