 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Jkaye
Date: 2006-10-06 14:50
Is there a best pitch to play on the clarinet when just playing on the mouthiece without the rest of the horn?
I've heard that A 440 is the best for alto sax.
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Author: Ed
Date: 2006-10-06 14:53
I have always found that high c (two octaves above middle c) is good voicing and support.
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Author: CJB
Date: 2006-10-06 15:42
I've never tried doing this on a clarinet mouthpiece but have found that doing exercises of moving between different notes on just the sax mouthpiece is the quickest way to make my sax tone more flexible, rounded and most importantly not sharp when I re-attach it to the instrument. Playing the sequence A, G#, A, G, A, F#, A, Bb, A appears to free things up well.
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Author: John Scorgie
Date: 2006-10-06 23:05
Jkaye --
The person who told you that A 440 was the best for alto sax was obviously not familiar with the "mouthpiece pitch" exercise, which is generally attributed to the great sax teacher and mouthpiece maker Santy Runyon. He recommended as optimum pitches A 880 for alto sax and concert B a step above A880 for clarinet.
Understand that this exercise is intended to give you a middle ground or reference point to check your lip and air pressure. It is not intended to freeze your embouchure and air stream at a set level for all playing situations.
For example, playing altissimo in proper pitch will require slightly more pressure while flattening your pitch to match others in ensemble will require a more relaxed embouchure.
An exercise such as that mentioned by CJB just above is an excellent way to increase your flexibility. Some of us like to start at concert A or B on either a clarinet or alto sax mpc and then go down chromatically several steps, removing and reinserting the mouthpiece before sounding each new pitch.
If you have a long commute to work you cannot very well practice your clarinet or sax while driving. However it is eminently practicable to do these mouthpiece exercises from the driver's seat.
Let us know how you are progressing.
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