 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: chipper
Date: 2008-10-07 15:16
Being a relativly new player I'm having trouble blowing these notes consistantly in tune. While playing scales I have a pretty good success rate, but in the context of a piece of music I find it very difficult. Further, the lower notes played after the high notes tend to squeek. If I play slowly and with focus I can do OK, but that's not how the music goes. Suggestions? Or simply practice, practice, practice.
PS: My wife wears earplugs around the house now, so I really need help.
C
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Author: Steve L
Date: 2008-10-07 16:23
I played clarinet for 3 years or so when I was at school. I then had a layoff for 35 years as work got in the way of practicing (I actually sold both my clarinets to buy a motorbike to get me to work). I decided to start playing again last year so I've recently been through what you are going through (though I have the advantage of having the house to myself a lot so have spared the wife ear abuse :-).
I suppose some of the skill I aquired at school stayed with me but I can never remember being told to play long tones. This I now do daily and have found the practice of them to improve my playing no end.
For what my limited experience is worth I'd say 'playing slowly and with focus' is the only way, and practice, practice, practice :-)
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2008-10-07 16:30
I commiserate. My dog complains about my altissimo practice, too.
The altissimo is full of traps, and there are dozens of alternative fingerings (not so many for D and C#) that can be chosen for agility (minimize the finger movements needed to change from one note to another) and all sorts of things affect the pitch --more dramatically than in the lower registers.
You've got it knocked! You can hear your slips in intonation. Try playing arpeggios into the altissimo. Be ready with a lot of mouthpiece, firm air support, firm embouchure, not biting, tongue high in back, throat open, ... All those things are easier to have "ready" when you are playing a scale into the altissimo; but they can be neglected in the comfort of a clarion passage that suddenly jumps across the upper break.
Conversely, if you have had to make serious adjustments to your form to get those upper notes, you may have set yourself up in a way that is not compatible with your lower registers.
Cross that upper break with arpeggios and do it with no adjustments to your playing form. Now, that's hard and will take a while --for me its months (and more months).
It will come.
Bob Phillips
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Author: Nessie1
Date: 2008-10-07 16:33
I would agree that long notes are a very good idea. Also try a few very slow octave slurs up and down in each practice session - this should get you used to the changes in embouchure and mouth cavity which are necessary to make those drops down where you're squeaking at the moment. Another thing, if you are going from top D or C sharp to a lower note, you will tend to squeak if you don't get all your fingers on the holes or if you touch certain keys, especially the throat A or G sharp keys as they will act as a speaker key.
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