 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Lisa
Date: 2004-01-05 04:37
OK, after my aol question hit a dead end, here's one I know someone must be able to answer. My clarinet teacher from when I was a student used to entertain people (myself included) by playing in such a way that it sounded like laughter. He played some note (I remember it as being on one pitch) and do something with his fingers or throat or tongue. I don't know exactly what he did, or even what pitch he played it on. I'm guessing somewhere in the middle clarion register. He's been gone almost 15 years now, or I'd ask him myself.
Anyone ever heard/done this before? Sure, you'll never see the sound effect written in music (like the horse whinney in Sleigh Ride), but I didn't think he was the inventor of it either.
My "master teacher" (belongs in other thread, I know) was a guy by the name of Mr. Cutteridge (sp?) in western Pennsylvania. He was my teacher's teacher, but obviously in our small, rural town he wouldn't be a worldclass name at all. Unless you've heard of him?
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2004-01-05 11:36
I tell it a funny joke!
More seriously, the effect is probably easier on saxophone. I don't know how to do it but suspect the effect is achieved through a combination of changes in embouchure and breath support.
HRL
Post Edited (2004-01-05 12:11)
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Author: beejay
Date: 2004-01-05 12:14
But please don't.
Or if you must, get a friend to knock a couple of coconut shells together and you will end up sounding like .... oh, well, better left unsaid!
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Author: Tim P
Date: 2004-01-05 12:50
I am sure that mine laughs at me all the time. However, it is polite enough to do so quietly. My wife laughs outloud my dog just leaves.
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Author: William
Date: 2004-01-05 15:57
Tickle its trill keys a lot....................
Or, start on C6 and do a bunch of lip glisses on each decending chromatic note starting on the note and making the pitch drop dramatically by loosening your embouchure. Think "E-Yaaah" on each note. C-B-Bb-A-Ab-G etc. The funnier the "moment", the longer and more dramatic the note series. An effective "commentary" on other musicians mistakes, jokes or some conductor directives--but only if you are also an olympic class sprinter.
Seriously, try to avoid personal chuckles while performing this effect. And use it sparingly--its really irriating!! (if done correctly)
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2004-01-05 16:39
You may be thinking of the Klezmer technique of "Krekhts" (kind of a "nyuk-nyuk" sound).
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Author: coasten1
Date: 2004-01-05 17:06
I can make my clarinet cry. Well it is either the clarinet or the people listening to me play.
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2004-01-05 19:00
My way is a bit different from William's. Starting with a C6 fingering or somewhere fairly close (you can use just the register key and throat A key). try to blow in some register unheard of on the Clarinet. Really stratospheric. Very tight embouchure. Then loosen the embouchure until that awful tone drops until you almost get a "real" note. The sound is sort of like a horse's "hee-haw" without the "hee."
Repeat until one of your colleagues tries to knock your brains out. (That *will* happen.) You can judge how irritating you have been by the choice of weapon. If you are hit with a Barclay, Laval, Wexler, or similar, that means nothing; perhaps the player just wanted to rid him/herself of the "instrument." A Vito or such, well, that's not too bad. But if someone tries to destroy an R-13 or the like on your head, you know you *really* have been annoying.
I've never done this with a reed stiffer than a 2½. Also, I've never done it more than once in an evening.
As with any other Clarinet-playing style, all it takes is practice.
Regards,
John
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Author: Carol Dutcher
Date: 2004-01-05 21:12
I can do this on a saxophone but can't do it on the clarinet. I'm still trying to figure out how to "growl" on the clarinet, also another thread awhile back.
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2004-01-06 01:18
Also try placing tongue on reed and withdrawing it in such a manner as to create suction while still blowing outward (this tongue tech. has a name but I can not recall the term)
or.....
While producing a tone...make huffing sound with the air flow that starts as a sfortzando and diminishes the flow quickly....and lower the jaw while doing this.....it annoys the heck out of high school conductors.
Klezmer uses it a lot....krechts as Mark calls them....(Kvetching (griping) is what I call them when it is overused.)
Edit added later........maybe its a form of slap tonguing combined with the huffing that gives the effect...I can do it, but not explain it.
Hmmm...maybe try it in the fermati of the Mozart quintet...yeah, that's the ticket
Former creator of CUSTOM CLARINET TUNING BARRELS by DR. ALLAN SEGAL
-Where the Sound Matters Most(tm)-
Post Edited (2004-01-06 02:04)
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Author: donald
Date: 2004-01-06 09:20
my ex-wife saw Giora Feidmann play some years ago in Hamburg, i remember her telling me that Feidmann could "make the clarinet laugh", she was very impressed.
donald
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2004-01-06 14:22
Yeah, it's impressive - in VERY small doses.
This is the sort of thing that will get you your own woodshed for practice.
In the hands of a practiced professional, it's a novelty.
In the hands of a beginner it is tremendously annoying.
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Author: Tim P
Date: 2004-01-13 11:51
Ok sooo... My wife was telling me something in the middle of my practice session. I decided this would be a great time to try this laughing technique. It was my first time trying and I am sure that I can improve but the results were remarkable. But I need to ask JMcAulay what it means if they threaten you with your own instrument. I continued to practice the technique and proved that Synonymous Botch was right on target. However the Woodshed was offered, not only as a practice area but, also, as my permenent sleeping quarters.
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