 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Andy
Date: 2001-01-24 18:05
Hello Everybody,
I have a problem. I can't seem to be smooth when I slur from say A to B. It sound like I am struggling somtimes. And it also sounds louder when i go from these low notes to the high notes. Any suggestions?
-Andy
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Meri
Date: 2001-01-24 19:43
First, are you holding down the right hand (when possible) when going between these notes?
But, if that's not your problem, here's something my teacher taught me: remember to 'blow through' when crossing the break. That solved my problem of smoothness between the throat and the clarion registers
Meri.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2001-01-24 21:39
Andy -
Learn to cross the break by going down, not up. That is, play middle line B and make as little movement as possible going to the A below. Keep your right hand fingers and even your left hand middle and ring fingers down, move your thumb as little as possible, and "nudge" the A key with the edge of your index finger.
Once you get that feel, just reverse it going up.
It's something everyone has to learn, and the less finger movement the better. Watch in a mirror and see if you can make your finger movements for the transition light and almost invisible.
Keep at it. It gets easier.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: deejay
Date: 2001-01-27 03:00
hi,
I don't have a problem with going to an A to a B. I put more pressure to the reed and it helps reach the higher notes. I get usually get softer for some reason when I go to higher notes.. I have to be good, being first clarinet and first chair at school I kinda need to play good.. I am also a Tenor sax player.. I also just learned the G and A way above the staff and it loud, but cool.
deejay
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Bill
Date: 2001-01-27 10:17
Author: deejay wrote:
I don't have a problem with going to an A to a B. I put more pressure to the reed and it helps reach the higher notes.
-----------------------------------
I visited Ben Armato a few days ago, to get a demo of the Reed Wizard. He told me to bring my clarinet, which I dreaded, since I've only been playing for five months. When I was leaving, he asked me to try a different postion of the mouthpiece, to prevent squeezing (for more pressure) the reed for the high notes. Up until this input, I thought squeezing the reed was a part of embouchure development. Do you mean "squeezing the reed" for more pressure, or blowing harder??
Each time we adjusted a reed, he asked me to play a scale using slurring. I chose F. After the first couple of times, he asked why I stopped blowing, between Bb and C, when I went up the scale. I didn't realize that I was doing this, and a couple of days later I am still amazed that I didn't realize. I'm working on breaking this habit. As mentioned in other posts, he mentioned the right hand position. This is the result of not having a teacher.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: deejay
Date: 2001-01-27 20:54
Hi,
Yes I meant squeezing the reed. I use a 2 1/2 reed size. I learned my self to play clarinet. I started our on flute and played till 6th grade and switched to sax and learned clarinet off to the side at home. I just started to play clarinet last year in band. I also got first part even though the other clarinet players has played clatinet in band since 5th grade, but it was just I had a better tone and could play very well. I also got 6th chair out of 12 last year in county band. It made me mad, because while the lady told me to play something a lady came is talking to the women who was testing me to see what chair I got and they talked the whole time I was playing.. and I thought that was very rude..
deejay
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Dee
Date: 2001-01-27 23:01
Bill wrote:
>
> ... Up until this input, I thought squeezing the reed was a
> part of embouchure development. Do you mean "squeezing the
> reed" for more pressure, or blowing harder??
In general "squeezing the reed" is not what is meant by embouchure development. Instead what is needed is that the muscles develop strength, flexibility, and control. For example, the higher you go up the scale, the firmer the embouchure will usually need to be. However this is not the same as squeezing. Although the following analogy is not 100% true, think of pillows. There are soft pillows and firm pillows. Neither one "squeezes" your head now does it. But there is a significant difference in how they *support* your head. A developed embouchure provides the necessary support to get a good quality sound throughout the range of the clarinet.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
