 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Chuck Kelly
Date: 1999-10-14 21:02
10 months into lessons on a 1962 Selmer centertone clarinet, I'm still fighting the ability to push air thru it. I constantly work my reeds to get the easiest blowing one and keep the tone. A legato change from open staff G to staff B or C still has a gap from when one note ends and I am ABLE to start the next. Is there a particular clarinet that is inherently easier to push air thru??. It just seems to me that in listening to other clarinetists, their music flows easily. So far mine is work, and at this point TOO much work. I have tried various brands and strengths of reeds. Currently finding the best luck with a worked over Riggotti Gold #3. I have tried various mouthpieces, with the original one being the best.
How does a Saxophone differ in this regard?? Ease of playing could easily have me change instruments.
Frustrated!
Chuck Kelly
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Author: paul
Date: 1999-10-14 22:04
From what folks tell me, the sax is easier to play than the clarinet. There are several reasons, but one of the main reasons is that the sax is conical in shape with covered tone holes and the clarinet is more or less a straight tube with open tone holes. Clarinetists must learn how to adapt their embouchure to make up for the horn's different behavior for many notes, because it's a straight tube. There is also some adjustment for the open tone holes, too.
But, don't give up. Find a good combination mp/reed setup that you can live with for your clarinet and take it from there. Personally for me it's a relatively soft Vandoren V-12 2.5 or a customized 3.0 that plays to 2.75 or so strength, or a Legere 2.75 artificial reed with a Vandoren B45 mp. But, that's me. Keep on working on it until the pieces come together for you.
Better yet, see if there is a good pro clarinet tutor in town and buy a few lessons from him or her. It would be great if that person is a doubler on sax, so you can gain the pro's perspective across both horns.
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Author: Kimberly Nisius
Date: 1999-10-15 00:13
Saxophone is easier to blow air through and get a tone, but for it to be in tune is a completely different problem. For clarinet there is a bit more resistance, but for you to be thinking you have to force the air through the instrument would lead me to think that you are either with incorrect embouchure, biting off a soft reed, not on the correct mouthpiece for you, have an instrument that is not in excelent playing condition, or one of a million different things that I have to think about as I teach saxophonists to cross over to the clarinet as a doubler. Your air should still be free blowing, but the instrument should have a bit more resistance. Maybe you notice this and just chose the incorrect wording for what you were trying to say. Can you slur from low Bb to high F with just adding the register key? Then from low A to high E? and work the way down the instrument all the way to E up to B. Does each note sound the same? are they equal in volume, and tone? work for this. Have your teacher help you to make sure you are using the exact embouchure. the sooner you know the difference in embouchure the sooner you will have success. If the register slurs are not equal then you are not ready to go over the break yet. Keep working on the lower register to get the best quality clarinet sound you can. Then progress to the upper register.
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Author: paul
Date: 1999-10-15 03:24
You nailed it!
Thanks for the excellent input from one who teaches it.
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Author: Willie
Date: 1999-10-15 03:34
If I understand your letter right you are having trouble with jumping up to B or C natural from the lower register. Try it slowly then check your finger positions to see if all the tone ports are covered and if your fingers aren't touching any ajoining keys (a big problem if you have big fingers like me). Also check the pads for minute leaks inthe upper section (and corks) as it doesn't take much for these two notes to be stuffy or disappear completely.
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Author: Dee
Date: 1999-10-15 04:15
Chuck,
Here are some suggestions.
1. Have you had the instrument checked lately for leaks? These can develop at any time. Leaks make it very hard to blow. This makes it very difficult to get the B and C out.
2. Have a technician check the spring tension on these keys. If the tension is wrong, it will be difficult to properly close the hole when you press a key. Then you get a leak. I've seen a lot of horns with this problem. It tends to be more of a problem for those people who have small hands or don't have a lot of strength in their hands.
3. What particular mouthpiece are you using and what have you tried? There are ones that blow easy and ones that are very resistant and everything in-between. As a beginner, a more open mouthpiece than what you have tried may be beter/
4. Maybe what you are using is too hard for you right now. Try a 2.5 strength.
5. Perhaps you are not getting the holes completely covered even though you think you are. Just like a leak, it makes the notes hard to sound. Beginners take a long time to master this. Slow practice is essential.
6. Are you letting your breath support "collapse" between notes? This will make it hard to start the next note. The air needs to be steady.
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Author: HIROSHI
Date: 1999-10-15 06:25
Tongue position seems the key to get smooth slur. Not its tip but its big part. The higher the note is, the narrower its position to the top.
Many people say saxophone is easier than clarinet. I do not think so. Especially soprano sax is very very difficult to emit tones in proper intonation. That's why Steve Lacy stopped doubling with other saxophones. I myself play Alto and Soprano, and knew this.
I would like to say to those people who say saxophone is easier: "Listen to Steve Lacy's soprano and Marcel Mule's Alto." Technically,flute is easier because of key work system maturity but can we play like a James Galway? Just like that.
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Author: steph
Date: 1999-10-15 14:09
saxes are easeir to play with a losser embroshure but they are not easy to play by any means I play alto sax bass clarinet and clarinet. If you are having so much trouble with clarinet mabye sax will be a little easier but not so much so that you wont have some of the same problems(sorry for my spelling)
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Author: Mike B.
Date: 1999-10-15 14:10
In regards to your particular clarinet -
The Selmer Centertone is a large bored horn with fairly little blowing resistance (for a clarinet). You might spend some time investigating a change in mouthpiece. Just remember that Rome wasn't built in a day, and over time it'll become easier.
In regards to the saxophone -
Don't believe anyone who tells you that the saxophone is easier to play, especially a clarinet player! The sax has significantly less resistance, but also has a host of problems that the clarinet lacks. For example, the clarinet presents (to a first order) the same blowing resistance across the range of the instrument. Not so for the sax, where you have to adjust the air flow with respect to note played.
My advice is to be patient and over time you'll get better and will enjoy the experience more. Good luck
Mike Barnard
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Author: steph
Date: 1999-10-15 14:26
Okay in that respect a sax may be harder but I started on bass clarinet found it very easy to play then I began to play an alto sax I found it easier to play even though it took changing of air flow to get it to have correct sound different people have different views part of why the sax was so easy to me was because i started on bass clarinet basically the same mouth piece placement and almost the same embroshure. Comparing sax and clarinet is like comparing apples to oranges. each has some drawbacks and some perks. A soprano sax is a very hard instrument to play I will admit that.
Learning a musical instrument is hard it is work for a while you will enjoy it just keep at it try different instruments.There is no easy instrument.
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Author: christi
Date: 1999-10-15 14:29
mike, what instrument(s) do you play
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Author: Mike B.
Date: 1999-10-16 17:02
Christi -
I play Bb soprano clarinet, alto sax, and tenor sax, mostly for fun. I have a bass clarinet, but for some reason can't play the thing worth a darn!
Mike B.
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Author: Kimberly Nisius
Date: 1999-10-17 14:46
Mike-
You have opened up a new can of worms. If the bass clarinet is not in good or better working condition it will work against you. Then If the mouthpiece is not the right one for you, you will have drastic problems. Finally, the instrument has a touchy voicing. If your reed is too soft it will not play up high, but if your reed is too hard you won't get a solid sound. On top of these, other problems could exist too.
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 1999-10-21 06:15
Mike is right.Saxophone has big problems.
1)Too play lower register tones in pianissimo is extremely difficult!
2)Intonation problems are bigger than clarinets especially with wrong selection of mouthpieces. Especially soprano sax is. It is not for beginners.
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 1999-10-21 06:15
Mike is right.Saxophone has big problems.
1)To play lower register tones in pianissimo is extremely difficult!
2)Intonation problems are bigger than clarinets especially with wrong selection of mouthpieces. Especially soprano sax is. It is not for beginners.
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