 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: ffrr
Date: 2005-02-26 01:08
I am just learning, and I have only internet resources for hints on how to do it. One of the things I haven't found is a tutorial on how to hold the clarinet for certain fingerings that I find hard. One example, is the F where you only have your left thumb on the hole at the rear. The problem is that it feels like I have nothing to push against (except my teeth). Should I be putting my other fingers somewhere on the clarinet to give me something to push against to seal the rear hole?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: pewd
Date: 2005-02-26 01:48
and where do you have your right thumb?
it should be under the thumb rest , pressing the mouthpiece upwards.
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Contra
Date: 2005-02-26 02:32
The right thumb and mouth hold the clarinet. The left hand is only for playing notes. Just keep a firm embouchure and you should be fine.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: sfalexi
Date: 2005-02-26 02:59
I tend to push up a bit when playing the thumb F or thumb C in the higher register. But yes, the teeth and the right thumb should be what hold the clarinet in place (meaning you can let go of your left hand and the clarinet shouldn't shift)
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: ffrr
Date: 2005-02-26 04:16
Thanks for the replies.
Yes my right thumb is under the rest. So I use it, and my mouth to anchor the clarinet so I can put sufficient pressure on the hole with my left thumb to seal it? OK - I guess I just need to practice and get used to doing it...
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: pewd
Date: 2005-02-26 05:53
i had to ask that 'wheres the right thumb question', you wouldn't believe what students come up with that i suppose is the subject for a different thread.
>(meaning you can let go of your left hand and the clarinet shouldn't shift)
yup, sure.
play an open g. remove your left hand. lift up all the fingers except for the thumb of the right hand about 1/2 inch so they're not contacting any part of the horn. the only thing holding the instrument is your right thumb and your mouth. blow the G. keep your embouchure firm, top teeth on the mouthpiece, lower lips over the lower teeth. reach up with the left hand, press the thumb hole, play an f.
lift up the left thumb, play the g again. dont rest the left thumb on the horn below the thumb hole, it should be held about 1/2 above the thumb hole. keep you fingers close to the tone holes. play the F again, gently pressing the key. then add the left index finger and try for an E.
common pitfalls - dont loop fingers under the bottom of the horn, or under any key on the lower joint to hold the instrument. you only need you right thumb and mouth to hold the instrument. dont loop the right index finger under the right side trill keys; dont loop either pinkie underneath any keys to hold the instrument.
right thumb should be straight, wrist straight. curl your fingers around the horn. thumb rest for most folks will be between the first knuckle of the right hand and the base of the nail. depends a bit on the length of your fingers.
probably a ton of stuff in the archives - search on hand position, finger position, right thumb, etc.
takes time when first starting, it feels awkward to beginners. you soon get used to holding the instrument and it wont feel like an alien contraption in your hands after a few weeks.
good luck
-paul
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: ffrr
Date: 2005-02-26 06:01
Thanks again - heaps of pointers there
"takes time when first starting, it feels awkward to beginners. you soon get used to holding the instrument and it wont feel like an alien contraption in your hands after a few weeks."
Yes, I just took a step back and chastised myself for expecting to much. I've only had the instrument for 24 hours !
My background in music helps, I play guitar and keyboards, and I did have half a dozen lessons on Sax a while back as well. None of which helps in gaining the skills particular to the clarinet itself, but at least I don't have to learn music at the same time :-)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Sea Galan
Date: 2005-02-26 13:30
ffrr I can understand what you are going through with the clarinet. I have been playing for about six months and the progress is slow. It is not a simple instrument and there are so many things that has to be done at the same time that sometimes I get lost. I'm also learning how to read music so that compounds my effort. I learned to play the keyboards but with the easy play notes. Much different from the real stuff. I'm not good but I have a lot of fun playing. My experience with holding the clarinet properly is that sometimes I forget to keep the proper ambrouchure while trying to figure out what note to play next. Once I relax the ambrouchure the instrument stops playing the right way. I also found out that I have to give the mouth a rest if not the muscles just give up and again the clarinet stops playing right. Now having said all that I have to say that I find the challenge exciting and have lots of fun figuring out new practice tunes. Good Luck. Carlos
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Steve Epstein
Date: 2005-02-26 16:37
I don't have this problem on clarinet, but I do on sax (with the C#, analogous to the clarinet F fingering). I seem to be unable to properly balance the weight of the horn between my two hands, and end up pushing the instrument up against my upper teeth, which is not good for intonation. Any ideas?
Steve Epstein
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Don Berger
Date: 2005-02-26 17:52
Seeing this thumb hole, pad on larger cls covering, and sax "boss" supporting discussion expanding above, I'll try to add to the fine info already given. For sop,alto, bass cls, I find that I can gain a bit of left thumb pressure [against my single lip emb with mp cushion] and with "resting" the rt hand forefinger's knuckle area on the lower stack's pivot rod. This helps me, in partic on bass cl, where "tight" pad seating is [may be] required to avoid squeeks when changing notes. When the F is a long note, I sometimes gain "pinch" using my left forefinger on an open area, easing any strain on emb and rt thumb. These actions need to be practiced to become customary. Luck, Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2005-02-26 18:37
A tip that Leon Russianoff told me in a MasterClass I played in, was to not ever place the left thumb on the wood under the Clarinet G hole to play another note (such as A). I have never, ever done that, so I assumed that he was making a generic comment to the audience, but for students it is very applicable as they tend to do that. Lift the thumb when not using it, don't put it below on the wood as it will slow you down later on.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
