 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: buffetclar
Date: 2003-07-15 17:59
We all know we can't play like Charlie Parker or Homer Louis the III'd but how do you cross the break so quickly?
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Author: William
Date: 2003-07-15 19:05
Crossing the "break" is quickly and smoothly is one of the most fundamental--and difficult--fingering technique in clarinetting. The "how to do it" is simply lots of careful and focused practice of scales up and down until success is realized, sometimes a few years for extremely challenged students. Good hand position and finger motion is essential, but the basic glich is the coordination of all your fingers in switching registers--everything moves. Practice, practice & more practice.......and, Good luck.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2003-07-15 22:42
First off, do the above. Scale practice and dedication.
I'd also like to add that it helps to learn to play without raising your fingers too high off the keys. I used to play with raising my fingers about a half inch off the key. I think a quarter inch should be enough. As silly as this sounds, I think it does two things.
One, it is less distance traveled which means quicker response when changing notes, or in this case, registers.
Two, and IMO more importantly, it keeps your finger lined up more correctly over the tone hole. The higher you raise your finger, the more likely you are to have your fingers be out of line with the tone hole. Which makes for a tough switching registers.
do that, and try to make sure ESPECIALLY that your LH thumb isn't too far away from that register key. I always had problems slurring up a chromatic because going from throat Bb to clarion B I would have moved my thumb COMPLETELY away from the tone hole in order to press the register key. I'm working on just using the tip of my thumb to hit the register key for the throat Bb and it's working. A hard habit to break though.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Brenda
Date: 2003-07-15 23:19
The school kids learned to cross the break fast like this: when I was working with the Grade 7 and 8 kids in the local school band, the director had the band play San Saans' "Danse Macabre" for the spring concert. You may know what that requires of the 1st and 2nd clarinets? Talk about getting a workout over the break! It's like throwing a kid in the water and making them swim.
Depending on the combination of notes, many times you can keep all or most of your right hand down while reaching the throat notes. That simplifies the hand movements. Then just keep practicing any of these exercises that are designed for this. Oh, and it's really important to keep strong diaphragm support so the sound is smooth during the transition. It comes eventually.
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Author: clarinetwife
Date: 2003-07-16 01:28
I think that tense fingers make the job more difficult as well. The more smooth and relaxed your finger movements can be the better. Without the horn in your hand, put the hands in a fist, left above right, and tense them. Then relax, extend the fingers, and move them as if you were playing. You feel the contrast between tense and relaxed. I second the ideas about not keeping the fingers too high and keeping the right hand down where appropriate.
Happy Scales!
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Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2003-07-17 00:31
Can't? I play Charlie Parker interpolations, such as Scrapple the Apple, Billies Bounce etc, all the time on clarinet, alto and tenor. It is just a matter of practice. I guess us jazz clarinettists don't view the break with as much terror. It is just a fact of life.
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Author: fmadison
Date: 2003-07-17 07:24
How to cross the break....
Long Long ago in a Galaxy Far Far away........
Just kidding!
Step 1.
Verify that your clarinet key for B natural does not wiggle or wobble due to cork shrikage or lost cushins or bent metal. Any slack will cause your key to be late in closing the tone hole and create a hesistation in producing the B natural.
Step 2.
Remove your mouthpiece from the Clarinet. Put the top of the clarinet barrel near your left ear with the rest of the Clarinet still together. Like listening to a sea shell.
Silently finger play two quater notes one an A natural and a B natural or if you prefer a b-flat and a b natural.
Listen to the sound you make. If you are moving your fingers correctly you should hear only one poping sound.
If you hear a glissando or many poping sounds other than 1 clean one you will realize that all your ten fingers are not moving as one.
In order to play the Clarinet all your fingers must move as one finger.
This is one of the major reasons for a break in the Clarinet. Sloppy fingers.
Practice trying to get the fingers to move a one cleanly.
Listen to how clean you sound if you silent play any 3 notes on the top of the Clarinet like low c, d, e up or down. One finger moves one note is produced.
Now silently finger while listening through your barrel when you finger play
c# d# f# Playing on the side of the Clarinet with 3 to 7 sharps and you can hear the nightmare.
Step 3
If you cleaned up your fingers now and have a good clean transition over the break you need to make sure you provide the same air pressure.
To get a feel for this play the Lowest note on the Clarinet low E and play it forte for about 5 minutes just do long tones. After that play an A natural or b flat and cross the break to b natural thinking about the support pressure for the low E you had.
Lack of support for the Clarinet is another source for problems crossing the break.
Well that does it for now. Remeber that other breaks exists on the Clarinet and silently listening via the barrel to your fingers is the only way to know for sure if your fingers are moving correctly. You can't listen to yourself when you play if your fingers are misbehaving. The only clue is that your legato and general smoothness is not there.
Good Luck with the break.
-Frank
It's the wood that makes it good!
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