 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Aussie Nick
Date: 2003-10-15 08:26
This is on my list of excerpts for an audition on Saturday. I've done it in an audition before, but like most excerpts it definately doesn't get any easier. What is concerning me is that I am finding alot of inconsistancy in the leaps from the throat A up to the B (above the staff). Up until yesterday I have been venting the throat A but was told not to because the fingers seemed to move better when I don't have the venting fingers down. Can anyone offer any hints or tips to get a smooth register change happening more consistantly?
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Author: jez
Date: 2003-10-15 09:29
I've been working on Pines as we're playing it next week.
I've not come up with any great ideas for the A to B leap other than to avoid tightening up. For the A to C# I think the thumb and 2 side keys is easier to do smoothly and keeps the sound all in one register and the D to D octave comes more smoothly for me using;
R 123 1-3 G# (no thumb)
good luck
jez
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Author: GBK
Date: 2003-10-15 11:09
I wouldn't vent the throat A's because the extra fingers may hinder the legato.
The throat A's are all either sixteenth notes or eighth notes in legato tempo, not long enough to be overly concerned with a resonance fingering...GBK
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2003-10-15 14:39
Nick -
At a master class several years ago, Anthony Gigliotti said the Pines of Rome solo was his favorite of all solos. He said that it had to be played as soft as possible, at least the first time through, and gave a demonstration in which he fined his tone down to a golden thread, perhaps pppppp, which was nevertheless clearly audible at the back of a large, dead hall.
He used extremely hard reeds, which gave him plenty of leeway. Once he got the reed responding at all, the soft dynamics were at an effort level he could control.
He also cultivated a very energetic (read "bright") tone, with lots of high partials. For me, this was the reason (in addition to his incredible control) that his tone carried so well.
At a master class, Charles Neidich spoke in more detail about making wide leaps. Here's an excerpt from my posting on Clarinet Day at Mannes. http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=101528&t=101441
The clarinet overtone series and voicing.
As we all know, the clarinet overblows on odd-numbered partials. Many players get a hesitation when moving from the chalumeau/fundamental/1st partial to the clarion/3rd partial (or from the 3rd to the 5th/altissimo). In the Debussy Premiere Rhapsodie, for example, the student, who was an excellent player, had a noticeable "click" moving from Bb to C in his opening phrase. Charles Neidich broke away from the Debussy to do a fascinating and important presentation on voicing.
Finger the first space F, and go to the corresponding clarion C (on the second ledger line) without using the register key. This is not terribly difficult and is done by changing the space inside your mouth and moving your lower lip toward the shoulder of the reed, to find the spot that forces the reed to vibrate at the 3rd partial. Then play a slow descending scale down to middle B. The voicing and lip position become more critical as you go lower, and you probably won't get beyond F on the first attempt. With practice, you will be able to reach the B, as Neidich demonstrated.
This has great practical importance. The only way to make sure of a seamless transition from Bb to C in the Debussy is to learn to play the C without the register key, and then, in actual performance, set your mouth and lip for the 3rd partial.
Use the same method in the third movement of the Saint-Saens Sonata, where, in the second section, you must move seamlessly back and forth across the clarion/altissimo break.
The same method applies to making the slurs from throat A to clarion B (and throat A to altissimo C#) in the Respighi. You have to reset your oral cavity to promote the clarion/altissimo as you make the leap, or even just before you do it.
This takes a while to master, but by Saturday, you should be able to learn to get the clarion high B without using the register key. Once you can make the slur without using the register key (even if it cracks), it should be secure with the register key.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: David Sapadin
Date: 2003-10-16 05:51
I have found that if you think about giving more air before you leave the throat tone A that the B comes out with ease as long as you keep your embouchure still. There is also the possiblity that your fingers are not hitting the keys at the same time. Perhaps your index finger is coming down faster than the thumb or vice versa. Sometimes we clainetist make the mistake of blaming our embouchure for a mistake that our fingers make. Keep your fingers closer to the keys and make sure you are using the edge of the A key and that you are hardly sliding down with your index finger. I think that covers it. : ) good luck. Keep the air steady if not moving forward my friend.
Dave Sap
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