 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Tim2
Date: 2000-02-13 03:55
I listened to a HS freshman today do a Stamitz Concerto. She did quite well. She had a clean cut style to it. Not too fast. Nice dynamics for the most part. However, her sound is unfocused. I makes me want to use the word "center" the tone.
We discussed many things, reeds, mouthpieces, even barrels. Then she pulls out her case and shows me two other barrels she has. The one that came with the clarinet originally that she was using originally was about a quarter inch shorter than the other two. I don't know why this got in there. From a "C" or other clarinet mixup earlier before her time maybe. However, she had been using the barrel for years before getting one of correct length. After all that time of being flat and having to try to compensate in someway and not know how, I think she has adapted her tone to be the way it is, to attempt to blend, even though it may have been hopeless at the time all the years she had it.
Now with the new barrel she was using today, she has a very unfocused tone. I did notice though that it got more focused as she played on. This prompted another thought.
I said that before she bought anything she should first work long notes in the low register for a week, listening for pitch and tone quality. Think of the tone she wants and aim for that centered, focused tone. Work at it. listening as the embouchoure builds its strength back in the way it needs to be. I also sid she should play these long tones starting pp to FF to pp , one note to a breath, each one long (really long) and full. Then after a week, when the FF point comes, she should open the register key to get the upper note. She should take note how the embouchoure stays the same and yet the fullness of the upper note still comes. I am hoping the upper mote will be as focused as the lower with practice and concentration. This for another week or two or three. She was very adamant about getting help to resolve her tone problem. She's a very good player otherwise. I think the tone improvement will also help her articulation.
Long post, but thank for reading this far. Is there anything else I should have added? I gave her the page to sneezy so she can read and learn. Hopefully she will be here.
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Author: J. Butler
Date: 2000-02-13 12:33
Where are her upper teeth on the mouthpiece? Is she getting enough mouthpiece in her mouth? Have her play an open g and take in slightly more mouthpiece until a squeak results, then have her back off slightly. This should be the exact placement of her upper teeth and will open up the sound tremendously.
J. Butler
PS There was a very good post and thread about tone production a few weeks back. Search the archieves for it.
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Author: Jeffrey Boehmer
Date: 2000-02-15 13:41
To get a better focused tone, the air flow has to be correct. The best way I've found to do that is to blow like you are blowing into a little coffee stirrer, pull down your chin so it looks like Jay Leno, and slide the clarinet into your mouth keeping your bottom lip rock solid. While the student is playing, with correct embouchure, have her think TEE or DEE so the tongue position is high up in her mouth. And most importantly have her really blow air like pressing down on a bike pump, in the stomach and out through the clarinet.
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Author: Leah
Date: 2000-02-18 14:41
I loved reading your post because i had the same exact problem last year when i was a high school freshman! I too was flat with my very old clarinet, and adjusted my sound to fit in. your suggestions were right on, and i'm sure she found them very helpful. along with long tones from pp, another way to start is from nothing but air, so that she has the right embouchure to get the undertones out right away. but another thing i might add is that this student might be home listening to cds with 'bad' players who spread their sound. That's partically what i was doing and i was imitating them not my choice but by hearing. If she doesn't know what the 'correct' focused tone is, even though she plays it sometimes it would help her to be listening to the 'good' cds, reinforcing the right tone in her ear.
if you're reading: trust me- longtones work! keep it up and good luck!
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