 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: thedoc
Date: 1999-06-20 20:39
I have been playing the tenor (and alto) sax for about 5 years and this summer i was interested in learning another instrument. Since i have heard a lot about the similarities between the sax and clarinet the clarinet was a natural choice. Well, to make a long story short after a dreadfully long week (and many headaches) all i can manage is this horrible shreiking noise- Help!
-thedoc
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Author: Lelia
Date: 1999-06-21 00:41
Maybe your embouchure is too loose. Sax embouchure is looser than clarinet embouchure. I made the switch the other way around, and found that what felt like a normal embouchure to me on clarinet was "biting" on sax. I don't mean you should bite, exactly, just firm up your lower lip and cheek muscles more. Loose embouchure is a common cause of squeaking on clarinet. The amount of
lip-bending" you can do to "blue" a note on sax, for instance, is liable to make a clarinet squeak.
Another possibility: Clarinets keys don't go out of alignment as easily as sax keys, but when a key does get a little crooked, or when a pad isn't seated just right, clarinets seem more sensitive to tiny pad leaks than saxes. Have a clarinet-playing friend check out the instrument to make sure there's nothing wrong with it. If none of this helps, consider getting some lessons. A good teacher could probably save you a lot of trial and error.
Clarinet and sax do make a great doubling combination, so hang in there and good luck!
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Author: Jim Carabetta
Date: 1999-06-21 02:10
I agree that the embouchure can be the key.. try this:
If you were to play a sax, your mouth would be in a position similar to the shape made by saying the word "four"...(but just the "fou.." part). The corners of your mouth should go forward around the mouthpiece; for the clarinet, (and I'll apologize for putting this so simply) make a face similar to one of those corny imitations of buckteeth..fold your bottom lip over your lower teeth, and expose your upper front teeth. Insert the mouthpiece, and let the corners of your mouth fall around the mouthpiece..draw them down instead of forward.
Now, airflow is a bit different also; where you kept your throat open and exhaled into the sax, your throat doesn't have to be that open. Blow similar to cooling off a hot spoonful of soup, where you direct the airflow into the mouthpiece, rather than just blow.
With the difference in chambers between sax and clarinet mouthpieces, and the smaller column of air required to fill the instrument, it doesn't take a lot of force to generate a sound. Also, starting out, a thin reed is advised, but, seeing you already have the wind to drive a sax, check the number; I'd guess a 2 or 2-1/2 for you is much too light.
The two instruments are a natural for doubling but are very dissimilar -- it's worth it, so don't give up!
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Author: Jim
Date: 1999-06-21 17:43
Lelia wrote:
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Maybe your embouchure is too loose. Sax embouchure is looser than clarinet embouchure. I made the switch the other way around, and found that what felt like a normal embouchure to me on clarinet was "biting" on sax. I don't mean you should bite, exactly, just firm up your lower lip and cheek muscles more. Loose embouchure is a common cause of squeaking on clarinet.
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I've never found it possible to squeak by loosening the
embrouchure. For me the critical thing is how much of
the mouth piece is in my mouth. (i.e. where the lip
contacts the read.) Too little results in a weak thin
sound, and too much causes an immediate an unaviodable
squeak. Try playing closer to the tip of the mouth piece.
Also check no pads/corks are leaking. I don't know any
way to do this other than have an experienced clarinet
player try the instrument.
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Author: HIROSHI
Date: 1999-06-22 02:32
Sorry to say,most teachers say doubling sax,clarinet,flute should start with clarinet.Now I hear what actual difficulty people have.Frankly,I do not know how to fix your problem.However,I can state obvious differences between these two instruments,which may include a hint for you to fix it.
I moved from flute to clarinet,to alto sax,and to soprano sax.Big difference of embouchure between clarinet and alto sax lies in two:
1)Sax mouthpiece has concave-like upper surface, whereas clarinet mouthpiece is round upper surface.This may mean more holding or covering ability of upper lip is required for clarinet,i.e.muscle around upper lip should be trained.Squeaks may mean uneven pressure on the reed by the lack of good balance between lower and upper lip muscle.To remedy this,double lip embouchure may work.
2)Sax needs big lip sliding to emit lowest and highest register.Clarinet dislikes this habit.Also saxophone players like to play bells-up.Clarinet seems to dislike this position,since bells up position may mean loosening or unbalancing lower lip pressure.
3)Sax key arrangement is more similar to that of flute not of clarinet.FYI.
4)Except soprano saxophone,clarinet seem to need more breath pressure and support than alto or tenor saxophones for stable playing.This may also have certain relationship.
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Author: JB
Date: 1999-06-22 21:10
I took up sax a few years ago, after playing clarinet with no problem. On the other hand, my sister went from sax to clarinet and couldn't do it. Besides your emboshure having to be tighter, I found she had a major problem with not covering the holes in general. Sax really doesn't require you to make sure holes are covered, but clarinet does. I found this, and not emboshure was her problem after she blew into the clarinet and I covered the holes. Hopefully this will help you.
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