 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: jan
Date: 2001-06-18 13:02
hi guys,
in one of the pieces we're doing in clarinet choir i have a high D above the staff at the very end. i have to hold it for 10 beats metronome about 62-65. it starts Mezzo forte with a descrescendo. i can hold the sound fine at mf but as i try to become softer the last 4-6 beats the note starts to waver or not come out at all. any suggestions on how to sustain the note at this soft level?
jan
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Author: Aussie Nick
Date: 2001-06-18 13:45
Are you at all nervous when doing this? Is it just you playing the part or are others joining you? Try to relax, aim to keep the same tone quality through the decrescendo. A good posture and a constant/continuous air flow might help. If the sound isn't coming out at all, try not to shy away from the note too much. It sounds like you are consciously worried about the note and so of course this is going to happen. Have you tried starting on the same D, beginning from absolutely nothing, and working your way up to the mf ?
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Author: jan
Date: 2001-06-18 13:54
i am the only one playing it. im a little bit nervous in rehearsal and my hand shakes when i play this note (even when im not nervous) and i know i will be really nervous at the recital. i havent tried working my way up. just tried over and over to go softer without success. ummmmm how do it keep good breath support and not play the note loud?
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Author: Dee
Date: 2001-06-18 14:23
To play high and soft, you need to increase the air pressure (i.e. the breath support) and reduce the quantity of air that you are putting through the horn. It's not easy but by working on this, your overall tone (high, low, loud, soft) should improve too as you will have taken another step forward in developing support and control.
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Author: Smugley
Date: 2001-06-18 15:51
You may want to try tightening your embochure more as the note gets softer. This will restrict the air flow, allowing the note to sound softer, but without reducing the pressure on the reed. I'm not a pro, and for all I know I could be telling you a bad technique, but this is what I'd try!! Good luck.
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Author: John Gould
Date: 2001-06-18 18:46
The advice about support from the diaphragm is seconded. You can also try this:
Play the D at mf, then (with a metronome ticking at 62-65) tongue the note 2 repeated eighths [or whatever rhythmic division works] to a quarter note at mf, followed by four times at mp, then four times at p, finally four at pp.
After this is mastered, try just a breath attack only to separate the notes, not the tongue. Finally, try a decrescendo per the music's dictates and see what happens. Good luck.
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2001-06-18 18:52
Jan -
The quick solution is to roll a little more of your lower lip over your teeth, which will cover and slightly muffle the sound. However, this is only a stopgap, since it robs the tone of color.
A good exercise is one I've talked about before. Play a forte (not fortissimo) low E with lots of resonance, slowly press the register key until you pop up unexpectedly to B, and then slowly fade away to nothing, concentrating on keeping the low register richness and warmth in the sound. Then do this on F/C, F#/C# and G/D. Do this very slowly - whole notes at 60 on the metronome.
When you get to low A, go to E, don't get softer, and slowly roll your left index finger down until you pop up unexpectedly to C#. Work hard to carry up the low and middle register warmth and roundness into the high register. Gradually fade the C# away to nothing.
Then do the same with Bb/F/D, B/F#/D#, C/G/E, C#/G#/F, D/A/F# and Eb/Bb/G, always carring the good quality into the altissimo.
As you do this exercise, it helps to keep an AAAHH vowel shape rather than going to EEE as you go to the next register. This will help you cover the tone and keep the roundness in it, rather than getting squeaky.
I begin most practice sessions with this sequence, which takes only a couple of minutes and sets things up to sound good in all registers.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 2001-06-19 03:16
1)Use left hand indicating finger half tone hole technique.
2)Adjust the register key elevation to between 1.2mm and 0.65 mm.
The cork hole should be adjusted to disperse air effectively.
Good technicians know this.
3)Try to put air through the whole length of the horn in playing this throat tone.
Can you blow away a casset case 1 metre ahead? This is a good training
to obtaint the air concentration, support, and direction.
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Author: Suzanne
Date: 2001-06-19 05:48
The real solution is how you use your wind. The wind needs to move a lot faster in the altissimo. I tell this to my students, and they say, "doesn't faster mean louder?" Not necessarily; in fact, you can move the wind quite fast through the instrument without making a sound at all. I have them do this on a low C--move the wind very fast, but don't make a sound; then, keeping the air speed, slowly bring out the tone, and then do this in reverse. You can keep the *velocity* of the wind fast, while decreasing the *quantity*, which will make for a nice diminuendo.
Here is something that has worked for me: Try holding a top-of-the-staff G, and diminuendo. See if you can avoid that "undertone" sound (where you hear the lower note, in this case, C). If you start to hear it, speed up the wind. Practice G until you can successfully go from no sound, to forte, back to no sound, without the undertone (but keep the air moving the whole time--even when there is no sound!). When you have mastered the first note, go up one, and so on, until you can play all the notes in the high clarion, and then the altissimo. If you start struggling, stop!, and go back to a lower note until you can do it well.
And keep in mind--stay relaxed! There is no need to pinch, bite, tense up or apply excess pressure to get high notes--high notes WILL speak easily (and better!) if the player stays relaxed, and they will also have a much fuller and ringing tone quality.
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