Klarinet Archive - Posting 000087.txt from 2003/07
From: "Jason Spradlin" <jaspradlin@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Needing very basic playing advice.. high school level.
Date: Wed, 2 Jul 2003 20:50:45 -0400
I've only been following this list for the past month (less in the past two
weeks because it seems that everybody got a lot more interested in talking
since I first joined a month ago). But I do believe I read that there are a
few people on the list who are music teachers. If that is the case, I would
require some sort of advice that a person of high school calibre playing
(that is very out of practice) could use. I graduated from High School in
2000 but haven't played since my Junior year. (May 1999). I picked the
clarinet back up about a month ago (the reason I joined the list).
Anyhow, I've had quite a zest for playing lately the more I listen to music
with clarinet in it, but I've been having issues when crossing the break.
I'll be playing fairly smoothly, and can play all the notes above the break,
but when i switch up to a B or a C from like a G below the break, the note
doesn't want to come out easily. It comes out, but i have to expel more air
and there is usually a pause before it comes out. Switching back and forth
over the break in eighth notes seems absurd at this point b/c the notes
above the break won't come out in such a short span of time and it just
sounds silly. Those lower notes above the break sound airy before they come
out and still have some airiness once they are playing.
So, I figure it must be the reed or something (my music teachers never
really explained why it was we used higher numbered reeds the longer we'd
been playing). I'm playing on a Rico Royal size 3.. which is the same as
when I played in high school last. I don't know if I need to move back to a
lower numbered reed or what or if my hands just aren't covering the holes
right or what. But if there are any high school teachers in here, I'm sure
you've seen this problem on more than one occasion.
Jason Spradlin
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