 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: acermak
Date: 2014-06-23 05:31
I take lessons (2nd year adult clarinet student) 1/2 hour per week on the soprano and half an hour a week on the contra (and the bass for a few months while the contra was being overhauled).
We decided to do Bach's 2 part inventions (instructor plays bass while I play contra alto), but my instructor did not like the inversions being created (our arrangement was made for 1 Eb alto sax and one Bb tenor). So he wants me to bring in my alto clarinet to play it.
The problem is I'm dreadful at alto clarinet. I found a site that suggests the pucker embouchure, and I'm trying, but I keep putting pressure on the bottom lip which both makes it sore and makes the clarinet squeak.
I'm using a 2 hooked strap to stabilize it and a plastic Legere alto sax #3 reed paired with a Hite Premiere alto clarinet mouthpiece.
I can play the soprano, the bass and the contra alto with no problem with their various embouchures (my bass has a Bay style neck which means its embouchure is just a large soprano one). Heck, I think I'm even better at the eefer at this point in time (as long as I don't go to the altissimos).
So does anyone have any favorite alto tips? Do any of those other instruments have a similar embouchure to what I should be reaching for?
The instrument itself is an Eisenhower era low E (not Eb) alto clarinet made by Bundy. It seems to be in good mechanical order and has been repaired once by my tech so he has looked it over and gotten her working.
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2014-06-23 11:31
Assuming that your embouchure musculature is up to the task and the instrument is in proper repair, then I can see only two real problems:
The Bundy is an open-hole instrument (at least my own Alto is), which means that finger placement is crucial. Also, as everything is a bit bigger, adjustment of the ring height to fit your finger tips or your fingering style (arced vs flat fingers etc) is important. The tiniest leak (by fingers or pads) will create havoc and result in an unsatisfactory playing experience.
The other potential problem is the mouthpiece/reed combination. Not all mouthpieces collaborate fine with all reeds. And an Alto Sax read is only a makeshift replacement for a proper Alto Clarinet reed - the dimensions are close, but not identical. If you have the chance, buy some inexpensive cane reeds made for AC and see if things improve.
Now...all you say is that you're dreadful at Alto. Apart from the squeaks, is it timbre, intonation, ... ?
Whatever other people may say about the Alto - here's some inspiration:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbPYdQVRXv4
--
Ben
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Author: acermak
Date: 2014-06-23 18:01
Hmm, true, dreadful is a vague term.
I suppose my worst frustration is that my thumb gets sore from holding it and my bottom lip gets sore from my teeth...both indications that I'm doing it wrong.
As far as sound...well it would help if I knew what an alto clarinet should sound like! This clarinet as well as my contra alto were gifts from my father. I did not fall in love with the sound of an alto and decide to buy one, or the contra alto for that matter, though I've fallen in love with the voice of the contra alto. Unfortunately, your youtube link didn't work for me.
I seem to be playing pretty much in tune, if a bit sharp which I could probably fix by tuning. She sounds lovely in her upper clarion. Her F4 and C5 both sound breathy to me.
I seem to be having more need to breathe than with other clarinet family members, I think I'm trying to use too much air. This seems to give my playing an unpleasant wheazing quality which I don't much care for.
She does have open tone holes, but that seems to be manageable for me, maybe all that time on soprano.
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Author: acermak
Date: 2014-06-23 18:08
I tried your youtube link again, and this time it works. Now I feel even worse about my playing! I had no idea an alto could sound so good.
Alas, my poor alto has thrown a spring on her D# side trill key so she'll be going into the shop today. While she's there I'll have him give her a good once over.
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2014-06-23 23:34
If it's any consolation, I play all sizes of clarinet and find the alto to be the most difficult. There's something about the tessitura of the instrument (the pitch range it lives in) and the resistance characteristics that have always hurt my brain --- and besides it's the clarinet I've historically played the least over the years, so unfamiliarity is maybe the biggest issue.
Don't worry so much, it just takes time to get used to the instrument. Embouchure-wise I've found it to be much closer to the Bb soprano clarinet than to the lower instruments (bass and below).
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Author: acermak
Date: 2014-06-24 00:00
Well I just dropped her off at my local tech. I also asked for if he could give me an estimate/tell me if it is possible to have a peg holder installed. I noted in the youtube that the player had a peg on his alto. I love playing my bass with its peg (thanks David Spiegelthal for suggesting that at the time). I think that would help with body posture issues.
You're right, David, I have little experience with the alto, whereas I have spent months (and more than a year on Soprano and bass) playing the others regularly. Plus, my instructor will probably, well, instruct me on proper technique as well while we mangle Bach.
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Author: acermak
Date: 2014-07-02 03:09
Well, my alto is back from the shop. She's been fitted with a peg holder and peg and her broken springs have been fixed, pads leveled, etc.
Whether it's the repairs, the peg (and therefore better posture), or the fact that I'm using cane reeds (#3 Rico blue box alto clarinet and #3 Hemke alto sax) instead of the Legere or Fibracell; all in all, I'm a lot happier with my playing (not that I don't have room to improve, I do, lots! But I no longer feel like the worst alto clarinetist in the world.
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Author: donald
Date: 2014-07-02 09:07
As has been noted in another thread by another bb writer, the Legere alto sax reeds ARE quite hard compared to most cane reeds- I play 2.5 and 2.75 Legere Alto, but 3 and 3.5 Vandoren/Rico Reserve. I am sure that the adjustments your repair technician did were quite helpful, but those reeds you mention are also quite a bit softer than a Legere 3
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