 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Keil
Date: 2000-06-04 21:45
Okay here goes... i have figured out the secret to the smear... i am now able to smear from G to C and i've got a good foundation to smear from D in the staff to C above the staff, the secret is NOT sliding the fingers but it comes from the throat. The sliding of the fingers is used primarily to guide the notes! i find that i can finger a G and smear up to a B without moving a finger and guiding my fingers up from an A below that B up to C... it's really quite cool!!
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Author: Jesse
Date: 2000-06-04 22:08
So, how are you dong it with your throat exactly?
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Author: ron b.
Date: 2000-06-04 23:42
I've never heard anyone describe it any better than you just did, Keil. You have to 'hear' it first. Your endless hours of practice take over and... just like you said, it's really quite cool!
ron b.
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Author: Keil
Date: 2000-06-05 01:14
In order to understand fully the mechanics behind the smear you have to get out of the mind set that the musical instrumens length begins at the mouthpiece an ends at the bell, instead you must consider the lenght of the esophagus as part of the instrument. By forcing air down your throat you invaribly lower the pitch. Practice smearing down from a C to a B and from a B to an A and then smearing up. Your embochure position should not change instead it should remain set. What helps me is forcing my tongue down as far in the back of my throat as possible. Once you determine that you will do the smear, set aside a couple of hours one day, lock yourself in a room and practice it until it comes... that is the only way you can truly develop the proper smear. I'm only 17 and i didn't think i could do it but i forced myself to learn it and i'm smearing with the big boys... i've got to tell you there are only 4 people in my district oddly enough 3 out of those 4 take lessons from my private teacher the other studied with the principle clarinetist of the detroit symphony!
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Author: Grover
Date: 2000-06-05 20:48
Well....I was blissfully unfamiliar with the rhapsody in blue smear until 8 or 9 years ago on the annual tryout night for chair position in the Lansing Community Band. We were given two passages of music to perform in front of the director and an "accomplished" player. I didn't even know what that squiggly line meant and misinterpreted it (at age 35 or so) to mean that it was a continuation of the chromatic scale! Well, this was a perfomance piece for us, and the new 1st chair clarinet was called upon to play this solo. As soon as I heard it I knew what a terrible mistake I had made.
You see, when I was in gradeschool, I experimented with my clarinet to find out how many different gross and weird sounds I could get to come out of the horn. I found plenty, most of which I have never heard anyone else duplicate. One of the effects I apparently mastered before I got to highschool was a perfect smear technique! I've mastered other techniques that are far less desireable and which I won't go into at this point.
Once I heard the smear used in an actual piece of music I realized what they were looking for. And naturally, I could put the 1st chair clarinetist to shame. (of course, NOT in other areas of performance!) So what is next? Well, a couple years later I started playing sax, and you guessed it, I discovered that smearing on the clarinet is much easier than on the sax.....but it CAN be done, because I play the rhapsody in blue smear on clarinets and saxes alike! I find the sax particularly difficult because all the tone holes are plateau style....I just need to be more careful.
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Author: Meredith H
Date: 2000-06-05 23:26
I have been trying to smear on and off for about as long as I can remember. I've tried sliding my fingers off the keys but all I manage by doing this is a squeak or no sound at all. It is so frustrating, I love the smear and I want to be able to do it. I think I've read every post in the last 2 years that has to do with smearing to find some sort of insight into this technique but to no avail. Keep writing them in though I may understand one day.
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Author: Allen Cole
Date: 2000-06-07 17:04
Keep at it Meredith. Keil is using the authentic method, and his description is pretty good. The throat/jaw manipulation can also be learned from a good blues harmonica player.
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Author: mark weinstein
Date: 2000-06-07 21:50
FYI ....
smear = gliss ---- for anyone who didn't know ... actually the term is glissando. good comments all, clarinet "play" is a lot of fun. mw
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Author: pete
Date: 2000-06-12 13:05
It is nice to read these stories, for me the rhapsody in blue gliss just happened on day when i wasn't thinking about it. Anyway now you can do it Keil have a look at the Artie Shaw concerto with its gliss toward the end of the piece. If you have problems leave a note here on this site or email me, petecigleris@hotmail.com this goes for anyone else who may have difficulties with this, and i'll give the secret away on how to do it.
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