Klarinet Archive - Posting 000034.txt from 2005/05

From: "Abraham Gamboa" <abraham.gamboa@-----.br>
Subj: Re: [kl] C#G# prob and "2 person clarinet"
Date: Mon, 02 May 2005 14:05:20 -0400

Very interesting Tm, like some of the "little" things in life make a big
difference. Thanks, and thanks to all on the list whom although we may
disagree in politics, religion or sexual orientation I do appreciate all the
great clarinet and music knowledge being passed on here.
Abraham
----- Original Message -----
From: <Tom.Henson@-----.com>
To: <klarinet@-----.org>
Sent: Monday, May 02, 2005 2:00 PM
Subject: RE: [kl] C#G# prob and "2 person clarinet"

> I wanted to follow up on what Tony said about "change nothing".
>
> While studying with Jeffrey Lerner last year we went over this very
subject.
> He also talked about being very aware of the air stream, especially to not
> stop the air stream in any way. He also said that you need to make sure
that
> you are not changing anything in your mouth or throat in anticipation of
the
> next note. He said this is especially true when playing intervals. He
> suggested playing 12th as a good way to practice this. This also makes a
> good warm up exercise.
>
> As a test, he had me start on a low E in the lower register with my eyes
> closed. He asked that I hold the note as steady and unchanging as I could.
> Instead of using the 2 person clarinet, which has been described quite
well
> previously, he simply reached around and pushed on the register key when I
> was not expecting it. He would then release it, again when I was not
> expecting it. Bonade had taught this to him.
>
> The purpose of this exercise was to show me that in addition to not
stopping
> the air stream in any way, I also needed to be aware not to change
anything
> in my mouth or throat either. I found through this little exercise that
> playing a 12th above the fundamental was very easy and I could do it
without
> any break at all in the sound. No sub-tone would result when doing it this
> way.
>
> The real eye opener however, was when he released the register key. The
real
> test of if I was not changing anything in my mouth or throat was when the
> register key was released, the clarinet after a second or two would then
go
> back to playing the bottom fundamental note, also without any break. This,
> he said, was the real test. You learn to do this by going up, and then
test
> yourself by going down. When you release the register key you should go
> right back down to the low note if you are not changing anything.
>
> Now this may not work well for all of the notes in the lower register, say
> from low E to first line E. I did found that it worked very well for most,
> but not all. Then again, it could be that I am still moving something.
Some
> of this may depend on your clarinet as well. But this will help you feel
> what needs to (NOT) happen when playing legato, and when you are doing it
> right. I will also say that if releasing the register key does not result
in
> a very quick return to the low note, that you will be tempted to move
> something in your mouth or throat to try and make it work. This is
defeating
> the purpose of the exercise and shows you what you should not be doing.
You
> must practice not moving anything for it to work properly. This exercise
> also proves just how accustomed many of us are to doing the very thing
that
> is keeping us from obtaining very smooth legato. Some of us might even
have
> been taught to move your mouth and throat when changing notes.
>
> To follow up on something that I have described on this list in the past,
> but probably did not describe as eloquently as Tony, you have to get to
the
> place where your finger motion is completely disconnected from your breath
> support (air stream). This is something that you must be able to imagine
> mentally in order for you to be able to practice it. The 2 person clarinet
> is a perfect example of this concept. Your fingers must be disconnected
> mentally from affecting the air stream, mouth position, and throat while
you
> are playing. And yet, they have to work together with this.
>
> Another thing to practice is arpeggios. The clarinet solo in Capriccio
> Espanol is perfect for this where you start on the low A and then play
> arpeggios in thirds up and then down.
>
> Start on any low note in the lower register. Play the low (fundamental)
note
> until you have it really fixed in your mind. Play this one note and
> concentrate on a steady, unbroken air stream. Imagine that you are signing
> this note. Now, without mentally moving from this fixed note, slowly play
> the arpeggio in thirds up one octave and then back down. The entire time
you
> must have the bottom note fixed in your mind. You must be hearing it in
your
> mind the entire time you are moving your fingers. If you are able to
imagine
> this and then do it, you will find that your legato has improved markedly.
>
> Now, take this concept and start on the same low note, this time, just go
up
> one note. Make sure that in your mind you are hearing only the bottom
note.
> Then go up one note and back down. Do this as slowly as it takes to get
this
> concept.
>
> You will find that practicing this for 10 minutes a day will do wonders to
> help you play very smooth and unbroken legato.
>
> Tom Henson
>
>
> << Tony stated: It's difficult to tell without hearing you. Do you find
> your legato unsatisfactory in general, or is it just over particular
> intervals?
>
> The '2-person clarinet' is designed to help get across the idea -- or
> rather, the experience -- that, to a first approximation, the most
important
> thing about playing legato between two notes is that you 'change nothing'.
> (And the most important part of that 'changing nothing' is of course that
> you continue to blow.) People can get into the habit of interrupting the
> airstream right at the end of the first note, without knowing that they do
> it. >>
>
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