Klarinet Archive - Posting 000814.txt from 2003/09

From: "Karl Krelove" <karlkrelove@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] Altissimo Register by Drushler
Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2003 20:40:37 -0400

Tim, when you say that your altissimo register is the weakest point in your
playing, you leave out a lot about the rest - far more than you could
possibly fill in on a listserve. Unless altissimo is the only weakness in an
otherwise excellent technique, it could very well be that the problem isn't
limited to the altissimo. Lots of general problems don't become disabling or
really unpleasant until you get higher up in the compass.

It's very possible that just focusing on the notes above the second "break"
will never allow you completely to achieve what you're looking for because
some more basic problem exists that just isn't as obvious down lower. Apart
from the general advice to find a local teacher who can actually hear you
play and diagnose any problems that he/she hears, you might do well to go
all the way down to the chalumeau and really listen to what's coming out and
feel the sensations of your tone production with as objective an approach as
possible. Any tension, thinness, stridency, lack of focus or color, sluggish
or unreliable response, etc., will be magnified as you climb the scale
through the "clarion" register toward those altissimo notes. If your reeds
aren't responsive down low or through the middle, they will get in your way
even more up high. If your mouthpiece doesn't play responsively in the
bottom twelfth or middle ninth, it will probably not come to life in the top
octave.

So for what it's worth (which may not be much at this distance), my
suggestion would be to re-examine and if necessary adjust your entire sound
production from low E on up. In any case, the best altissimo comes from
doing mostly the same things you need to do all the way up - it shouldn't be
a drastically different animal when you hit the third register.

Good luck.

Karl Krelove

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tim Roberts [mailto:timr@-----.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, September 30, 2003 12:52 PM
> To: Clarinet List
> Subject: [kl] Altissimo Register by Drushler
>
>
> My altissimo playing is my weakest point, and I'm not sure what to do
> about it. I can only hit G# and A on good days (unless I use my teeth),
> and even when I do, they aren't very pleasant. G is reliable, but still
> not pleasant.
>
> I'm considering Paul Drushler's book, "The Altissimo Register: A Partial
> Approach", which Gary Van Cott carries. Is anyone who has gone through
> this book willing to share their comments?
> --
> - Tim Roberts, timr@-----.com
> Providenza & Boekelheide, Inc.
>
>
>
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>
>

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