Klarinet Archive - Posting 000054.txt from 2004/08

From: "Christy Erickson" <perickso@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] high notes
Date: Tue, 3 Aug 2004 11:42:18 -0400


>=20
> Dear Krista,
> Providing that your clarinet is in good working order, I would
> suspect that maybe your reed is just a teensy bit too soft. If you are
> using a #3 strength reed, perhaps you should try a #3 1/4 or 3 1/2.
> Gonzales reeds come in quarter sizes. ANNIE

Krista, I think your best bet is a good teacher who help diagnose the
problems you have. The ability to hear that something isn't quite right
with the tone you have in the upper register is a great start-some =
simply
don't notice the difference so I know you have a sensitive ear. You =
didn't
say what type of mouthpiece/reed/ligature combination you have or when =
you
last had any maintenance done on your instrument. The biggest problems =
my
students have had is due to the fact that they usually have not had any
maintenance of any sort done on their instrument in a long time-usually =
not
since they got the instrument and began playing. That's far too long. =20
I had a student come to me last fall who had been using alternative
fingerings for certain notes because her regular fingerings didn't work. =
I
convinced her mother to have the instrument overhauled and that girl =
made
honors band this year. She plays a plastic Vito but with the overhaul =
and a
new mouthpiece, she gets a very good tone. Christy =20

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