 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Loxias44
Date: 2006-11-16 15:22
Hi,
I am a middle school band director and I'm having a slight problem with one of my clarinet students. When she plays from an open G down to a low E, she can get the low notes out no problem. However, if she simply tries to play a lower note (say a low G), it always comes out a 12th above (as if the register key were opened). I've played her clarinet, and it doesn't appear to be the instrument. I've had her try a new mouthpiece--same problem. I've had her change reeds. I've had her loosen her jaw (yet keep her corners tight) and I've had her change her airflow direction, but nothing seems to be working.
Does anyone have any suggestions? I am a somewhat avid clarinet player, although it is not my major instrument--saxophone is.
Thanks!
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2006-11-16 15:25
Is she touching any of the side keys or are any fingers coming off the fingerholes when she plays?
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Tim P
Date: 2006-11-16 16:00
try turning the mouthpiece around backwards. you blow and have her finger the notes. then she can blow and the you finger the notes. this may help you determine if you should be looking at her mouth or her fingers.
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Author: Loxias44
Date: 2006-11-16 16:09
Yes, I've checked and tried both of these. She is touching no side keys and fingers are secure on all fingerholes. I've tried turning the mouthpiece 180 degrees and it still does it...
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Author: johng ★2017
Date: 2006-11-16 16:20
Hard to tell from here, but since the notes are coming out a 12th above perhaps there is a leak higher up on the clarinet. There could be an actual pad leak, but more likely she is inadvertantly pulling a finger off a hole that produces the 12th. A lot of times kids will tighten up when they have to play a low note and this tends to pull fingers off tone holes all over. Check her left hand.
johng
John Gibson, Founder of JB Linear Music, www.music4woodwinds.com
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2006-11-16 16:44
Agreeing with those above, check the ring fingers of both hands (especially the right).
Also, she could be gently touching open the left hand throat tone G#.
Good luck!
James Tobin
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: pelo_ensortijado
Date: 2006-11-16 21:06
i think that she maybe have a throat-problem. kind of hard to explain. but i'll give it a try.
to play the low notes the vocal cord (adams apple) have to be relaxed.
if one tries to play first relaxed and then tightens the vocal cord, or tries to "sing with" the notes in some way, the sqeeks and stuff will be there at ones.
try to figure out where the cord is in it's "normal playing-possition", on open g for example. and then she have to keep the mouth and throat totaly still when she takes the lower notes. watch that she doesn't change anyting and feel her throat when she goes down!
this isn't the most pedagogic or welltold explanation. i just blame it on the fact that i am swedish, and that it is a tricky one to just write about and not demonstrate.
i have been there myself and got help from my wounderful teacher.
so i figured that this maybe will be at help...
this also works for them who don't play in tune. often they tries to sing along with their emboshoure(spellcheck?) when they play the clarinet.ยจ
and changes the whole package on every single note....
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Author: YoungFlarinet
Date: 2006-11-16 23:27
I know that the right ring finger slips off a key a lot, but it sounds like it is a throat or air problem. I have to play differently then anyone else I know because of my throat configuration. To get out any notes I have have about half a fist size bubble of air in the center of my throat while supporting the air.
If that helped any... sometimes the student has to develop their own methods, just as I did.
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Author: Michelle
Date: 2006-11-17 01:22
Have you played her clarinet? Has she played a different clarinet for you with same results?
2 thoughts...
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Author: joeyscl
Date: 2006-11-17 05:36
"I've played her clarinet, and it doesn't appear to be the instrument."
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Author: pelo_ensortijado
Date: 2006-11-17 05:53
youngflarinet:
what i have learned is that when playing the clarinet one shall use 95% air and only 5% emboushure!!!(that is VERY relaxed!!!)
to manage to get a great sound one have to open up the throat as much as possible to get a good and stable aircolumn. ofcourse it varies how big that column is. and the shape of the throat. but that is also why different people sound so different on the same equipment.
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Author: Cuisleannach
Date: 2006-11-17 06:30
Take care that she's not hitting any of the right hand "trill keys" with her knuckle. It only takes a slight brush.....
-Randy
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2006-11-17 09:47
Just one possibility:
On SOME models, if the top side key has been knocked (or squeezed tightly during assembly of the instrument), so it has a dip/bend in it where it passes over the linkage from the thumb ring to the F# key, then when the thumb ring is pressed FIRMLY, the top side key is slightly lifted (by the linkage arm of the F# key), acting as a register vent.
It is possible that the student presses the thumb ring more firmly than you do.
Post Edited (2006-11-17 09:48)
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Author: buedsma
Date: 2006-11-19 17:08
pressure on the left hand fingers because of anxiety for difficult notes/passages
see gordon's explanation
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Author: YoungFlarinet
Date: 2006-11-19 19:04
pelo:
Hmm... maybe my throat has changed since I started playing way back when. I'll try playing "normal" to see if it sounds any clearer than what it sounds now. (Not that I sound bad (though I can improve)). I do have quite a long neck though, so I'll check it out.
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