 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Rebekah
Date: 2004-10-28 16:49
I'm an adult and have been taking private clarinet lessons for about a year and four months. I still can't get a consistently good tone out of the B note that is just above the break. Sometimes the note just squeaks, especially going from A. When the note does sound, it's very stuffy, unless it's supposed to sound that way. My teacher told me it just takes getting used to playing the note and to be conscious of where the fingers land. I'm playing on an old wooden Bundy with a 2.5 Mitchell Lurie reed.
It's extremely frustrating having this note chop up the songs and any other ideas would be much appreciated.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2004-10-28 17:05
Try holding the right hand down when you play the A. It doesn't effect it and makes the transition easier. Otherwise, don't worry about it TOO much. This is one of the harder things to do when learning clarinet ("crossing the break" as they call it). The stuffiness may just be your clarinet. Also, see if you can get your instructor to play it. He'll be able to tell if it's the clarinet, or if you just need more practice and getting used to it.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Rebekah
Date: 2004-10-28 18:03
Thanks for your suggestions, Alexi. I'll try keeping the right hand down for that note and will see what it sounds like when the instructor plays it.
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2004-10-28 18:45
Also have your teacher turn the barrel around so that he can finger the note and you blow the mouthpiece - feel what the note feels like (the backpressure) when the Clarinet is being held properly and the fingers are sealing the tone holes.
Also have him check the C key (right hand key) to make sure that the "crows" foot is high enough to completely push down the C when the B is played with only the left pinky.
btw - you can still have the A key pressed while playing the B and it won't do anything to prevent the B from being played (so don't fear bumping the A or G# key while trying to get the note)
Typically it is (almost 100%) the bottom ring finger (low G hole) that is the problem leaking air due to the finger being too high up. Think of spreading your right hand fingers more to get the seal you probably need.
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Author: GBK
Date: 2004-10-28 19:03
DavidBlumberg wrote:
> btw - you can still have the A key pressed while playing the B
> and it won't do anything to prevent the B from being played
It also produces a very resonant and slightly higher pitched B natural.
A handy fingering to know for certain legato passages...GBK
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2004-10-28 21:37
Definitely make sure it is not a pad leak on the instrument first. That B is seriously affected by poor adjustment of the instrument.
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Author: Rebekah
Date: 2004-10-28 23:12
Thank you all for sharing your knowledge. It's very helpful.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2004-10-29 18:12
I echo Gordon's suggestion. for me the best check on the "tight-seating" of pads, in partic. on the U J , is that good-old [Poor?] B nat. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: BobD
Date: 2004-10-29 21:21
You don't get much left hand support on those notes so what the right hand is doing or trying to do is important. Ask rour instructor to watch your hand movement. Maybe you're using too hard a reed. I agree with the above comments also.
Bob Draznik
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Author: rc_clarinetlady
Date: 2004-10-30 04:05
Great suggestions from the BBoard Rebekah. Listen to them and try all of these things. I keep my right fingers down on my A because it's sharp and putting the fingers down can lower the pitch. It does on my clarinet.
Also just a thought. When I was in Jr. High I couldn't do "the break" very well so I used to "practice" even when I couldn't play out loud. Whenever you're sitting in front of the TV or on a phone call that's less than riveting, finger your clarinet. Practice getting those fingers down all at once. Also, I don't know if you've played the chromatic scale yet but if you can get the octave from low C to the clarion C learned and just finger that over and over( and play it out loud) you will help yourself a lot. Don't be afraid to push a lot of air too. You go from much less resistance on an A to a tremendous amount of it on the B. Keep the air going. Good luck and don't give up. Rebecca
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2004-10-30 14:55
Good advice RC CL, when I finish a bit of work/tweak of a kids cl, I demonstrate [or try to] that the break can be "gone-over" readily using the first part of 76 TMBS, starting on open G, and suggest that they do the same, before reh/concert to both check the horn, and "get-with" the fingering. Just thots, Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Rebekah
Date: 2004-10-30 16:40
Yes, I'll try everyone's suggestions. This BBoard is a goldmine! I'm so glad I found it. The next lesson is on Wednesday, so I'll have the instructor check the pads, etc. The clarinet was repadded a year ago and the pads look good but I'll ask him anyway. In the meantime, I'm definitely keeping the right hand down from A and will practice the break over and over. It does help to have one hand already down.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2004-10-30 22:35
If it helps to have your right hand down, then it would seem that unless you have been remiss in covering the right hand holes, there may be a problem (possibly among others) of the bridge key being out of adjustment.
The situation would be that if you press down only your right index finger, the pad on the upper joint closes before the one on the lower joint does. Worth checking. This maladjustment can play a merry dance with B, especially as playing gets faster.
The other adjustment problem that affects B seriously is the F/C &/or E/B pads not closing flat, or not accurately linked, or the associated keys being sloppily mounted. A tell-tale symptom often associated, is that the right hand fingering for B plays more easily than the left fingering.
Post Edited (2004-10-31 08:42)
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Author: Woodwinder
Date: 2004-10-31 00:21
Bundy clarinets are hard to play. The keys on the right hand take a little digging into to get the notes to respond. They don't feel as smooth as say a Buffet--even the student Buffets. Make sure the bridge key is properly adjusted. Sometimes you can pull the lower stack of the clarinet a tiny bit out, and you'll get a smoother feel to the right hand. You might be sacrificing a "1 and 1" fingering for your hight Bb or low Eb, but usually it helps. Signe
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Author: ken
Date: 2004-10-31 03:13
Yes check to ensure pads are tight and mechanism is correctly positioned.
So, where is it chiseled in granite you have to master the break ascending into the 2nd register? What's wrong with learning it by 12ths and down into the break B? Take a deep breath and play a solid chalumeau-low G natural at a strong forte, then pop open the register key to a clarion D natural. Now, descend playing a standard right side C natural, settle it in, then to the break B natural (right side initially for a more solid seal). The resistance of the register key from a low G natural to B-Flat, popping the register key to the partials F natural to D natural is stable, even negligible. Try these combinations, and always look for opportunities to make the horn to do the work.
With the following finger combinations the exercise is to master the break B natural, so "pitch" isn't a factor. Cover all 3 ringed tone holes on the right hand lower joint; add the A natural (tear drop) key. Now, with all that down build on it by adding the left pinky-left cluster key (for the standard left side break B natural) and cover the left ring and middle finger joint tone holes on the upper joint. Thus,
A-0XX|XXX-*(Left pinky)
Essentially, the only "movement" remaining is dropping the left index finger and simultaneously covering the left thumb tone hole and depressing/opening the register key.
You can now make a useful tremolo exercise going back and forth until the break B natural is effortless, the note speaks well and in-tune. And, with practice and more confidence you can begin lifting fingers in reverse order to master the throat A natural to break B natural standard combination (and you must eventually learn it). v/r Ken
Post Edited (2004-10-31 14:35)
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Author: Terry Stibal
Date: 2004-10-31 03:33
What I'd worry about:
1) Ring height on the RH joint. Most student clarinets (George Bundy's old ones included) don't pay too much attention to this, and a ring that is a bit proud of the tube can cause enough "lift" of the corresponding finger to accidentally vent the clarinet at that point. I've seen student clarinets where the top of the rings were three millimeters above the tube; not conducive to good closure of the hole, no matter how small the finger.
2) Pads and pad height. This is covered well enough above.
3) The length of your hand. The angle at which you "enter" the bottom joint is governed by the length of your fingers and thumbs, and they all differ from player to player. A one size fits all clarinet may work for the 90th percentile crowd, but it's of little use if you are in the excluded remainder.
You can "reverse" your thumb rest (take it off, turn it so that the bottom surface of the rest faces up, and then carefully put the screws back. Pad it with a little adhesive tape to cover the sharp edges, and then see if your problem changes any. If so, you might want to purchase an adjustable thumb rest from one of the music catalogs, install it yourself, and then further experiment to see which level works the best.
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Author: Bani
Date: 2004-11-01 06:58
Yes I do agree with Woodwinder. His description of how the Bundy plays is a lot like my experience with my plastic Armstrong, the first clarinet I owned and the one I learned the basics on. Like Rebekah I also had difficulty crossing the break. In addition I had to exert a lot of effort when hitting the higher notes (above high G) . A few months ago I got a nice wooden Leblanc Normandy which was a lot more easier to play than the Armstrong. Now I can cross the break and hit those high notes with ease.
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