 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Scott
Date: 1999-03-02 03:13
I'm a middle school band director and it's that time when we get ready to make the journey across the break. I always hear about some exercises where you practice changing octaves with just the register key. Anyone know any specific information that I can use to help my students.
Thanks!
Scott
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ginny
Date: 1999-03-02 03:51
I found Sherman Friedland's corner very helpful personally. If you scroll down below the BB, you can get there and find the article on crossing the break. He has an exercise to get the f# down ahead of the rest of the fingers that improved my crossing the break a lot.
Ginny
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Jim Carabetta
Date: 1999-03-02 11:20
I've found the "Essential Elements" instructional band methods are pretty effective in that area. I'm not a fan of the books in general, but in this area they are fairly good. Their "jumps" associate the lower register fingering with it's register key compliment, fingering down the lower register 5 notes, and then slurring an addition of the register key, like (low C - B - A - G - F - slur to mid C);
it's a good way to train the beginner to keep the airflow going. The exercises, called "Grenadilla Gorillas" run the gamut of all the lower fingerings with their upper-register compliment, but they are particularly effective for those across-the-break notes, especially in training those uncooperative little fingers, that always manage to hit that left-hand c# key.
I use the same method, even without the book, in instructing new clarinetists once they've mastered the lower fingerings; for saxophone, I use the technique without the octave key to reach those persnickety lower notes to "sneak down" the scale from the more solid tones to those from lo-D and beyond.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: paul
Date: 1999-03-02 14:30
Both of the postings above hit the nail on the head with good published works on the subject.
Once your students cross the register break with these drills, have them do this set of drills as a fundamental part of their warm-up regimen from that point on. This is an excellent way to practice it on a daily basis, plus I believe it's a good warm-up technique to help the player get his/her embouchure and air support right for the clarinet's entire playing range.
For my daily warm-up, I personally go from blowing very long notes strictly in the chalemeau at first, then I use the register key drill to gradually warm up to the clarion, then I repeat the same type of register step-up drill for the altissimo. This is just one of the warm-up drills for the clarinet. There are several more. There are good published works that can help you and your students learn a solid warm-up regimen for the clarinet.
I'm sure you will see other folks' opinions on the subject in some more postings. I look forward to seeing them, too.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Kevin Bowman
Date: 1999-03-02 14:42
I teach my students the clarion notes *before* having them "cross" the break. Any method that starts on a comfortably low chalemeau note (like C, B, A, or G) then simply adds the register key to obtain the 12th above works pretty well. The most important thing to stress is BREATH SUPPORT. Too many students try to pinch to get the upper register. The first time my students play a clarion not is a total surprise to them because I simply reach over and press the register key for them while they are sustaining a low G. I also try to stress that the student *listen* to the pitch which goes a LONG way toward them being able to figure out for themselves how to keep those higher notes in tune (by making adjustments with the tongue and air support). Have your students sing a 5th (it's really one of the easier intervals to hear), starting on the lower note (say G, concert F), then play the 12th.
Now, as to "crossing" the break - I make sure my students are comfortable with playing the RH clarion notes first by playing tunes that only involve these notes or slurs from the equivelently fingered chalemeau notes. Then tunes are introduced that move *downward* over the break (it's a lot easier to go down than up). Then drill throat G to 3rd space C and they are on thier way to crossing in either direction
Kevin Bowman
Clarinet and Saxophone Instructor,
Rochester Conservatory of Music, Rochester, MI
and
Saxophones, Clarinet, and Keys,
B-Side Blues Project
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Kevin Bowman
Date: 1999-03-02 14:55
Right on, Paul!
I personally use the Stubbin's Daily Studies book (or whatever it's called - I have them all memorized by now) and play a different scale tone each day, working up chromatically day to day. For example, one day I do all the long tone intervals, arpeggios, etc. on E and the next day on F, etc.
I try to stress the importance of long tones to my students but, alas, most of them think it boring and just don't do it.
Kevin Bowman
paul wrote:
-------------------------------
...
Once your students cross the register break with these drills, have them do this set of drills as a fundamental part of their warm-up regimen from that point on. This is an excellent way to practice it on a daily basis, plus I believe it's a good warm-up technique to help the player get his/her embouchure and air support right for the clarinet's entire playing range.
For my daily warm-up, I personally go from blowing very long notes strictly in the chalemeau at first, then I use the register key drill to gradually warm up to the clarion, then I repeat the same type of register step-up drill for the altissimo. This is just one of the warm-up drills for the clarinet. There are several more. There are good published works that can help you and your students learn a solid warm-up regimen for the clarinet.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: paul
Date: 1999-03-02 15:41
I don't have all of the books, but I did get some good pointers from my pro tutor over the years. Here's an example of a typical practice session. Keep in mind that I'm an adult novice who's doing this as a hobby. Let me know what you think of the routine.
Assembly. Soak natural reed in mouth during assembly. Check for cork dryness and apply small amount of grease as needed to all corks. Take upper joint, attach it to lower joint. Attach bell. Attach barrel. Attach mp without reed/ligature to barrel. Swab excess moisture from reed and attach it to mp. Line up reed tip to mp tip. Clamp reed to mp using lines on mp as guides and the reed as a guide.
First drill. Blow without making a sound low chalemeau E for a couple of minutes.
Second drill. Chalemeau long tones from low chalemeau E to throat Bb in a slow chromatic scale, up and down.
Third drill. Chalemeau to clarion register drill. First up, then the more challenging down drill. Stepping down is still a bit tricky for me.
Fourth drill. Slow, methodical chromatic up and down from low chalemeau E to high clarion C, with as many fingerings as I can remember.
Fifth drill. Clarion to altissimo register drill. First up, then the more challenging down drill. Stepping down is still a bit tricky for me.
All of the above drills are slow legato.
Sixth drill. Take at least one octave of one scale and, counting by fours, do whole, half, quarter, eighth, triplet, and sixteenth notes as a staccato.
Seventh drill. Pick any of the Albert Scales drill pages and work up the broken arpeggios in slow legato, then slow staccato, always checking for correct fingerings to make the drill work smoothly. I usually go through the Albert book one page at a time, starting at page one. When I've gone through the book over a couple of weeks or so I repeat it.
Eighth drill. Baermann Number III as edited by Hite. Wonderful drills here. Pick a page and go for it. All kidding aside, I started at page one, and I'm slowly going through it, stressing slow smoothness over everything else.
If time is up (I only get an hour or so a night), I've still gotten pretty far. If I can squeeze more time out of the session, I reach for my copy of Langenus Book 2 and study some more.
Cool down and just plain fun. I open up a book of pop music and just play a couple of tunes for musical phrasing and emotional feel. Since I already know the basic tune, I have a good target to aim for when I'm playing it on the clarinet.
Cleaning and storage. Swab out the horn by putting it on a tripod mount, taking it apart one piece at a time from the mouthpiece on down. Swab out until dry all parts. Wipe down keys. Place horn back in case.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Rick2
Date: 1999-03-03 05:51
I never had much problem playing the clarion notes up to G. B was fuzzy for a while, largely due to using a soft reed on a closed mouthpiece. The only way to learn to cross the break is to do it over and over.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Tim2
Date: 1999-03-04 04:02
The only way to learn to cross the break is to do it over and over.
And then some more practice.
One thing I would add is that the fingers have to move all at once to cross the break. If they are not moving exactly together, the break will not get crossed.
I think of "slamming in an instant" the fingers down on the holes to cross the break. That thought helps promote the idea of moving the fingers "together" and "in an instant." It also helps the note above the break to "pop out" with quick response. It helps establish the precise coordination needed. Helps little fingers and big fingers, too. Cavallini Caprice op 5 #4????
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: paul
Date: 1999-03-05 18:58
Tim2:
I'll beg to differ on your description of your fingering strategy. Please understand that I'm not at your playing level. I'm addressing this posting to help novice players like me. Let me explain.
Though I absolutely agree with the approach to closing all of the proper tone holes and pressing on all of the proper keys simultaneously to get to the next note, I don't believe that "slapping" the fingers down is a good way to describe how to do it. I've tried very hard to smoothly close and seal the tone holes and to smoothly open/close the keys. If I can't do it smoothly, I slow everything down until I get it right and then I gradually pick up the speed to the proper tempo. It can be done quickly, but it must be done smoothly. Otherwise, especially for a novice like me, many players will get the infamous "popcorn" effect (named after the "Popcorn" disco song from the 1970s where the flute player intentionally snapped his/her fingers down on an open tone hole flute for its sound effect). The "popcorn" effect sounds like a light pop as the fingertip comes down on the tone hole too quickly or as a key is let up too fast, allowing a large keypad to snap down too quickly. A good example is the transition from low clarion B natural to low clarion C sharp and back. The large keypads will make the light popping sound unless you work on it a lot to eliminate it. This popping noise tends to be highly frowned upon. Also, I personally believe that telling a novice, especially a younger novice, to slap down the fingers to play a note will encourage very bad fingering techniques and similar bad habits that could be very difficult to break later in life.
Again, I agree with your concept of making simultaneous finger movements because they are necessary to playing the clarinet. I just think that your way of describing the necessary fingering mechanics could lead novice players astray.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Tim2
Date: 1999-03-06 16:13
Paul:
You are correct.
I probably should have not used the word "slapping". That happens to be what I think of when I cross.
I should maybe have said "quickly" and "together" instead. For me, "smoothly" alone might imply "slowly". If the fingers move too slowly, other acoustical sounds may be heard between the two notes, as I am sure you know.
The fingers should remain close to the holes (not so close to cause pitch problems) so that they do not need to travel far to cover the hole or press the key. This will help "quickness".
Fingers have to move with speed, even if the tempo is slow.
Thanks, Paul.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
