 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Jamies
Date: 2005-09-25 13:43
Recently, I sat with a clarinet university student in a orchestra and noticed that his sound is very very different than mine. It sounds as if it is "glowing" or "ringing", kind of as if you took the sound and put a hole into it. Some clarinet players on the radio sound like this too.
How in the world did he get to sound that way? Is that the right way to sound?
The conductor told me he had beautiful sound while I need to refine mine (he's not a clarinetist) while on the other hand I have been told by my clarinet teacher and other clarinet teachers that I have a interesting sound and a big sound.
He does sound nice but I don't think it sounds good when its used all the time.
Any input is appreciated! Thanks!
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2005-09-25 17:19
Sound is a very relative concept (meaning does someone's tone sound nice or not). Many people have told me that Gigliotti had a "thin" sound, however he still was able to project, and his technique was amazing. So he still landed the gig. I have heard Thea King play a few times (on the radio), and I like her sound. It's different from many others, but I think it has a nice "pop" to it. Others here on this board don't like it.
So I think that the concept of how a person sounds is mostly opinion. Like you said, your conductor said that your sound needed a little refinement and loves the other clarinetists sound, but you yourself don't think he sounds good playing like that all the time.
As to how he creates that sound, I think that different mouthpieces definitely have a lot to do with it. I have been switching back and forth for a few weeks between a Greg Smith 1* and a Gigliotti mouthpiece refaced by Walter Grabner. Both take the same size reed and I use the same ligature on both. There's no doubt that they both play very well, but they do have very distinctive sounds. When I had my pomarico emerald mouthpiece, it too had a much different sound (I loved it's sound), however it was a %&@#$ to control. Sometimes it'd blast, sometimes it'd close up, but when I did get it going, it sounded beautiful.
So from my personal experience, I think that the mouthpiece definitely has a lot to do with different sounds. So you might be able to slightly change your sound with a different mouthpiece.
As for whether it's the "right" way to sound, that's a matter of personal opinion.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Tyler
Date: 2005-09-25 18:14
"Glowing"=nasal resonance=more overtones??? Think of how your face is shaped when imitating a snobby French accent (no offense meant to anyone). That is how this effect is achieved, in my limited experience.
just my guess....I could almost describe my teacher's tone as "glowing" sometimes, and she often reminds me to think of "getting it out of my throat and into my head" Look up vocal registers for singers on Google or something and you'll understand a little better.
-Tyler
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Author: Miyoko Clarinetti
Date: 2005-09-27 01:20
I'm not exactly sure what you mean, but I think I get it...I think. Since you mentioned when you hear the clarinet on the radio and it sounds the same as the guy who sat next to you in an orchestra, In my opinion that sound is really when you have mastered the tone of the clarinet, (I hope I'm correct) when I listen to a professional clarinetist on the radio or on a C.D they seem to sometimes do dynamics...er maybe it is accents they are doing? But I think thats when someone has mastered the tone of a clarinet like I said earlier
Though I haven't played long enough to really understand this (I've only played for a year now) I'm trying my best so sorry if I'm wrong
-Miyoko
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Author: Jamies
Date: 2005-09-27 22:56
I'm sorry but i couldn't find any player who had this glowing sound constantly but it usually occurs on longer held notes in the middle range such as the B and sometimes on long held low notes such as the low E. It usually starts the glowing sound a moment after the note starts kind of like a crescendo.
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