 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: RichA
Date: 2005-02-22 20:29
My teacher says I am striking the keys too hard creating "harsh" change in tone. He says I should try striking them more lightly or softly. Any ideas out there on how I can train myself to do this? If I am playing a number of different notes rapidly, I find it almost impossible to "lighten" my touch.
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2005-02-22 20:42
Relax your wrists and fingers as it sounds to me like you are too tight with your hand position.
Maybe try a clarinet strap to support the weight so that you won't be as tense playing (your hand position).
You are going to have to practice slowly and with less pressure to go faster with less pressure - not really a better way to get it as when you are playing slowly you can better monitor what you are doing.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2005-02-22 21:44
I've found that it helps to reverse the process. That is, use muscle power to pull your fingers up, and let them fall by gravity. When a finger has to press a key, you'll have to give it a little extra, but just letting them drop will get rid of a lot of tension.
This takes a while to get used to. Start with, say, a slow, ascending scale of F in the low register, snapping each finger up. Then, play it descending, just relaxing and letting each finger plop down by itself. Do it slowly enough that you have time to visualize each finger dropping without effort, and then let it happen.
A second exercise is to raise each finger slightly before letting it start down. You won't do this during a fast passage, but it's a good way to keep yourself aware of how little you need to do to get from one note to the next.
A third exercise is Bonade's slow finger movement, to make the slowest clean transition from note to note. Try it from low D to low C, and work on slowing your finger down until the notes merge into one another, with no click or pop. Again, go slowly, so that you visualize a seamless transition, and then do it.
Another exercise I use is to play major and minor scales around the complete circle of fifths. As the key signatures get more extreme, play as slowly as necessary to keep things smooth. Then, as you come down the "sharp side" toward C, things get easier and easier. By the time you reach, say, the key of D, your hands get more and more relaxed, so that by the time you get to C, your finger movement should be effortless.
Try these and let us know how you're doing.
Ken Shaw
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Author: music_is_life
Date: 2005-02-23 02:20
hmmm... i wonder, would that make the fingers quicker? I certainly need that! but how do you know when you're progressing? I can never tell if I am using to much pressure. and i have noticed that when I lesson the pressure in my mouth (i.e. not biting so hard, or lessening lip pressure), my fingers tense up for some strange reason.
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Author: GBK
Date: 2005-02-23 03:33
As Ken pointed out, Bonade's basic principles of finger movement covering slow transitions from note to note and "fingers ahead" are very valuable to learn and practice.
For detailed explanations read from Bonade's Clarinetist's Compendium or from Kycia's treatise which was published in book format Daniel Bonade: Founder of the American Style of Clarinet Playing.
Start with Rose Study #1 (from the Rose 40), play it in 8, and be conscious of each note transition and interval. It is an exercise which will quickly expose any poor finger movement...GBK
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Author: ginny
Date: 2005-02-23 05:59
I recently found that tension in my upper arms and shoulders was making my fingers extra tense. When the tension is gone it feels as if only my fingernails move. This is a major breakthrough for me and greatly increased my speed and accuracy immediately! I always felt that my hands were relaxed, but indeed the shoulder/arm tension slows the fingers and makes the motion jerky. I can't say that you are doing exactly what I did however. I found the quiet observant practice in this instance invaluable.
My teacher suggested that I play with a few random notes and 'listen' to my body. He has also had me do the Bonade exercise on Rose #1.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2005-02-23 14:49
MIL,
I don't know if it MAKES you faster, but I do realize that there are two things that affect the pressure of my fingers hitting the keys. One is how comfortable I am with a particular pattern. For instance, there are three diminished 7th runs. If I start it on the lowest E and go up, I do it lightly and it's quick and easy for me. If I start on the lowest F, I play it as quick and easy as the low E. When I start on the low F#, I bang all the keys and it's very dificult. It just doesn't come to my fingers naturally and so I feel "forced" hit the right notes.
Secondly, the tone of the music will determine how hard I hit the keys. Sometimes, if the piece gets aggresive and quick, I'll hit them hard no matter HOW comfortable I am with a piece of music. It just brings it out of me.
But I have noticed that when I hit things lightly, it tends to come out better so this is something I'm going to work on.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: elmo lewis
Date: 2005-02-24 20:49
You should not think of "striking" the keys, you should just be placing your fingers on the keys. The dead weight of the fingers is enough to close the keys, there is no need to use force or muscle power. When your finger touches a key there should be no noise. If you hear a pop, or a click, or a bang the finger is moving too hard and too fast. You can also imagine that your clarinet is made out of rubber and that you are squeezing the keys shut. When you lift the finger you can try to imagine that the rubbery clarinet is pushing your finger off the key without you having to lift it.
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