 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Yoshi
Date: 2003-05-10 20:02
I am currently a to-be 9th grader clarinet player. I'm about to end my 3rd year, and so far, I am pretty satisfied with what I'm doing--except for one thing. I don't like my sound. It gets "spready" and it isn't exactly what I want. I was wondering if anybody knows how I can practice to get a good, focused, mellow sound.
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Author: Corey
Date: 2003-05-10 21:14
Well, one thing that would be helpful to help you is to know your setup: clarinet, mouthpiece, reeds? You could practise long tones and scales to help define your tone.
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Author: Yoshi
Date: 2003-05-10 22:01
Thank you for your advice. I'm using a buffet r-13, Vandoren V12 (hardness 3 and 1/2), and a Richard Hawkins mouthpiece, and a Vandoren Optimum ligature. Is there anything I should consider changing?
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Author: Yoshi
Date: 2003-05-10 23:00
He said that my sound lacks the "energy."
Also, when I tried out for the Plano Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition, the judge (Paul Garner) said (straight from the comment sheet) "Weber first movements are full of energy, and I would like to hear more of it."
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Author: Corey
Date: 2003-05-10 23:03
Things you could try.....1) experiment with different brands and strengths of reeds to find a maybe better match for your mouthpiece...you would be surpirsed at the difference different reeds can bring 2) What barrel are you playing on? Sometimes getting a different barrel such as Buffet Chadash, Moennig or from barrel makers such as Walter Grabner( I can personally recommend Walter Grabner's cocobolo barrel as I play one and am very happy with the results, I only play on an E11 and this barrel adds focus to my tone which I love), Clark Fobes etc. can improve tuning and tone and focus your tone to prevent spreading. Also, If you don't already have private teacher this would a good time to get one. Good luck, I hope with some experimnetation things will imprive to your licking. -Corey
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Author: Yoshi
Date: 2003-05-10 23:07
Thank you very much, Corey. I will see if I can try any of your suggestions.
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2003-05-10 23:45
The focus should be on your production of wind... it's a WIND instrument, and no piece of aftermarket equipment will more effect your sound than getting proper support from you, in a fundamental sense.
I would suggestion caution, when considering changes to your rig.
If you give over to wholesale changes, you will have too many variables introduced to sort out what works (for you) from what does not.
Perhaps you could approach your teacher about getting a little more resistance into your rig... that resistance can help control dynamics, at the price of a free-blowing rig.
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OR
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You could ignore the minimalist approach and end up with a drawer full of unused mouthpieces, like many of us.
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 2003-05-11 00:49
>The focus should be on your production of wind... it's a WIND instrument, and no piece of aftermarket equipment will more effect your sound than getting proper support from you, in a fundamental sense.
Yes.
http://www.hsu.edu/faculty/bucknej/Resources/Trumpet%20Talk/Arnold_Jacobs.htm
Some wind players go to singers to learn how to breath for music making.
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Author: Yoshi
Date: 2003-05-11 01:34
Is there a singer in particular I should try to imitate/ learn from?
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Author: Wes
Date: 2003-05-11 18:27
High air pressure is the key to wind instrument performance regardless of hardware and reeds. It may take many years to learn how to apply the wind. Some people have recommended the A. Jacobs(tuba) book. Others study with french horn players for a while. Playing the saxophone may help as a sax requires high air pressure(not lip pressure) as well. Continued practice of various kinds of long tones will help a lot. Good luck!
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Author: Benni
Date: 2003-05-12 00:26
It sounds like you mainly need two things:
- Faster air
- Better voicing (tongue position)
Think about making "cold air" (this was discussed in another thread recently), it will naturally help you to move you air faster. When you make an airstream into your hand as if you were playing the clarinet, does it feel warm or cold? In general, warm air is a sax technique and cold air is a clarinet technique. The faster air will probably also put that "energy" into your sound.
Now, when you play, where is the back of your tongue? Is it low and flat or high and curved? Think about the letter 'd' or 'e' to help shape the air as it goes into your clarinet. People talk lots about embouchure, but voicing has a bigger impact on the sound.
Improving your air speed and voicing will improve your tone immensely, and best of all, they're free! You could have the world's greatest setup, but if you don't have some of the fundamentals down, you won't get a great tone out of it.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2003-05-12 00:38
I definitely agree with filling the instrument with more air. There are two ways I've heard of people playing. Using air to make the reed vibrate(correct) or biting down on the reed to make it vibrate easier (incorrect). I used to be of the latter type of people till about 8 months ago. Try double lip embouchure (a few minutes on, a few minutes off) to improve your tone and embouchure. This will help prevent you from biting (since it'll hurt your upper lip A LOT if you do) and therefore in order to get the sound you'll have to use the your air.
Then switch back and try to focus on maintaining the same amount of pressure on the reed as you did in the double lip embouchure (it should be very little).
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Jim E.
Date: 2003-05-12 04:10
On the other hand, three years is not that long to have studied and to expect to have developed a "mature" sound.
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Author: graham
Date: 2003-05-12 07:32
Try Australia Vintage reeds for a brighter more focused sound.
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Author: jez
Date: 2003-05-12 10:31
Who are your favourite players? Listen carefully to as many recordings as you can and try to analyse what it is in their playing that you admire, then listen even more carefully to yourself as you practise. Long notes and slow pieces that you have no technical difficulty with help you to concentrate on your sound.
Playing around with barrels, mouthpieces etc. is an expensive way to change things and if you've got a set-up that works and you are used to I think it more important to have a clear mental image of what you want and always aim for it.
While I've spent a lot of time and money trying to get the best equipment, I still think that, given enough time to accustom myself to it, I could make 'my sound' on anything of reasonable quality.
I'm reminded of myself, as a student, going to hear the great player Yona Ettlinger. I spoke to him after the concert and bombarded him with all the usual questions about instruments, mouthpieces and reeds. Very wisely he refused to tell me anything, saying I should stick with whatever I had and learn to play it the way I want to.
Do you play regularly in a band or orchestra where you can't really hear yourself properly? It's possible to get into bad habits if you don't spend some time when you've finished in 'warming down' in a situation where you can really listen to yourself.
jez
Post Edited (2003-05-12 16:29)
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Author: cyso_clarinetist
Date: 2003-05-12 21:09
Hey Yoshi-
There is some good advice on here. I would seriously consider more of what people are saying about your fundamentals instead of the set up. Your set up is excellent. I a near identical set up and that exact set up for a long time. It works really well, you shouldn't need to worry to much about your set up when focusing on improving your sound. Here what i would also recommend to the fundamentals:
More upper lip.. The pressure should always be on your upperlip pushing down. "biting" or applying jaw pressure can cause your sound to be unfocused and "spread". Your lip should be in your mouth. Right where the color change on your lower front teeth. Your lip controls alot of the tone color and such. Also remember to have your air flow stay constantly and try not to focus your sound by closing off your throat. What focus's sound is your toung position which should be quite high. those are the basics.
Not that you are or that there is any implication but I will just mention myself. I am a recovering patient of "Gear Aquisition Sydrome". I bought everything you could think of when it comes to equipment. I bought leblanc clarinets, buffet clarinets, mouthpieces and ligatures, reeds and such. Eventrually you come back to your own sound and your own issues. Just saying this becuase I wish I knew as a freshman.. I could have saved myself big $$$$$$ Either way good luck with your endevors! It's always great to hear people want to improve.
- James
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