 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: 3dogmom
Date: 2005-09-04 16:32
What I did for my summer vacation - I took voice lessons. I had vocal therapy a few years ago due to overuse as music/chorus/band teacher, and at the time it was suggested that I take lessons. I finally had the time this summer.
Well, it has improved my sound on the clarinet! After all these years, something finally sunk in, and it came from my voice teacher. She taught my to open my mouth wider, and shape the sound in north-south sort of way. It opens up in the area which feels like the back of my mouth and throat. When I do this properly, I can feel it resonating when I sing and my singing tone improves.
When I do this while playing the clarinet, the effect feels the same. My sound becomes "rounder" and deeper, and the sense of resonance feels the same as it does when I am singing.
I know these were things I was taught by my teachers - but somehow it really clicked when taught with the voice.
Sue Tansey
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Author: Kevin
Date: 2005-09-04 16:37
I took a voice class this summer. Same things I've noticed that you have mentioned. Bel canto singing requires the mouth shape that my teacher calls the "Minnesota O" and that is much like your description.
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Author: psychotic lil clarinet girl (don't as
Date: 2005-09-04 16:47
hm... this is odd, because apparently my clarinet playing hurts my singing... Because, my mouth is never relaxed and my soft palett is never lifted... Just as if I were playing the clarinet... But I don't mean for it to be that way...
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Author: BelgianClarinet
Date: 2005-09-04 17:30
I'm absolutely bad at singing (friend really bag me not to do it) and dancing (walz, polka or disco : tell me the difference, or give me a score so I can follow).
can anyone confirm that is 'normal" for an obsessed clarinet player ?
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Author: psychotic lil clarinet girl (don't as
Date: 2005-09-04 18:43
um... well... i can't dance, and I suppose I can kind of sing... But I'm not really that good at singing though, I'm just in choir so I can accompany on piano. So, yep.
I just didn't understand how it would help their clarinet playing, when in singing your mouth is actually relaxed and your soft palet is lifted, it's like the exact opposite of what I do when I play the clarinet. And plus, I always seem to kind of have my tongue up in my mouth, just out of habit.
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Author: LarryBocaner ★2017
Date: 2005-09-04 20:46
I believe that the late, great Arnold Jacobs -- one of the most celebrated teachers of wind instruments in the 20th century -- used analogies of song and singing extensively in his methodology. Although he was a marvelous tuba player, his studio was visited by flutists, trumpeters, trombonists, horn players etc.
I don't know personally any of the clarinetists that coached with him (and I'm sure there were more than a few), but it would be fun to know if anyone in this group had that experience!
Larry
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Author: bflatclarinetist
Date: 2005-09-05 02:19
That sounds very interesting, in fact I have wanted to try taking a voice lessons just for "fun" but never had the intention that it would improve my tone on the clarinet. I had this thought because at my music school, there's this vocal teacher which is an opera singer and a conductor in the UK. I completely ruined my voice from various reasons though, sadly. I probably can't go higher than a B properly then when I try to go higher I think I start singing from my nose (if you know what I mean lol).
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Author: Clarinetgirl06
Date: 2005-09-05 15:16
I'm currently in my 4th year of voice lessons and I think the thing that voice lessons help with the most is breathing and musical phrasing. My voice teacher is a very prominent teacher in our area and is very well known and she says that clarinet players are sometimes some of the hardest people to teach voice. Sometimes clarinet players will kind of sing with a clarinet embouchure (which I noticed when one of my fellow clarinet players joined choir for the 1st time ever this year), and other problems can be created. She has commented to me about how "Clarinet and voice are seperate things, don't combine them!" but I have gotten better about it and she hasn't commented to me about it in a year or so. I think voice lessons are beneficial and it also is cool to see what kind of music composers of well-known clarinet works write for voice as well.
Glad voice lessons helped you!
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2005-09-05 15:53
"If you are ever in doubt about phrasing a line on clarinet, sing the line....it will show you where to place the breaths. "
Quote from my instructor, who uses examples from Maria Calas to make a point, and I suspect cicuitously also by way of Tabateau
Former creator of CUSTOM CLARINET TUNING BARRELS by DR. ALLAN SEGAL
-Where the Sound Matters Most(tm)-
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Author: ginny
Date: 2005-09-06 02:39
I've studied voice on and off over the years. It certainly seems similar in breath support but I have some trouble changing the tongue position. That seems so different.
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