 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Morrigan
Date: 2007-03-20 21:35
Hiya everyone,
It's been a whlie since I've posted! I've just started working on the Copland Concerto to play as part of a recital in a few months and I was hoping to enter a concerto competition or two with it later in the year.
My problem is the opening, of course, and legato. I've done a lot of work with fingers, throat position, etc. in the past on easier works than the Copland and generally have a good legato, but the problem lies with the intervals and long phrases. All I can hear between notes is the pitch dropping just before moving to a lower note, or gaps in the sound when moving up to a higher note or register. Notes close by are fine. The problems between the notes are wildly distracting to me and make it a little frustrating.
Can someone give me some further tips or clarification on how to play legato across wider intervals, such as in the Copland? For what it's worth I've got a bunch of legato/interval studies which I'm doing in my daily warm-up, but it's still not helping as much as what I would like.
Thanks so much.
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Author: Liquorice
Date: 2007-03-20 21:40
Can you mention some specific intervals that you're struggling with? I've got a lot of ideas about legato, but I'm not sure I could describe them aptly in written form like this.
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Author: Tom Piercy
Date: 2007-03-20 22:00
Tim,
Without being able to see or hear you and analyze the exact problems on the exact intervals you are having trouble with, the following are only general answers I think might be helpful to your legato (connection) problems in the large intervals of the Copland:
Air flow!
Be very aware of your air flow during the notes, and almost more importantly, air flow between the notes. Don't drop your air flow.
Finger position.
Try to analyze if your finger positions are holding you back to achieving a nice connection between the notes. Watch for your position during the notes and also how you prepare your fingers/hands for the next note.
(Doing your large interval etudes are important, but only if you are doing them correctly.)
From what you wrote, I think air flow may be the main technical item holding you back from achieving your well thought goal of achieving a beautiful singing legato between those wonderful notes in the Copland opening.
Tom Piercy
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2007-03-21 03:14
I'm having trouble with smooth legato over large intervals, too. Correcting that is a current project with my teacher.
He's got me playing the 6th interval studies in the Baermann. I'm so far behind that the instruction regimin is to play with "soft fingers" and to get the support needed to make every note speak clearly and start and finish in tune.
This is taking me weeks, so far --despite being a very basic technique that I feel I should have mastered years ago.
I think Tom Piercy's advice to focus on airflow and support will bring you success. When I have my act together, things work --otherwise it sounds horribly sophomoric.
Bob Phillips
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Author: Aaron
Date: 2007-03-21 04:42
I would say that if your pitch is sagging right before you make the interval leap, there is a good chance that you are dropping your tongue in an attempt to "voice" the note an unnecessary amount.
Keeping a high, relaxed and steady tongue position is crucial when making these jumps, otherwise you will get an undertone (grunt) or your pitch will be too low.
I would try looking in a mirror at your throat and slowly trying to play these large intervals. Watch your throat to see if there is any movement. If the area under your jaw moves in a downward direction whatsoever, there is too much movement of the tongue.
Please let me know if this helps at all.
Aaron
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Author: 2E
Date: 2007-03-21 10:35
Also experiment with different fingerings - particulary high Fs and F#s for the Copland opening. Some altissimo fingerings can be slurred to from their lower harmonic register neighbours. Eg chalumeau D overblown will give you a nice upper register F that can be slurred to nicely (particularly handy for the Weber 2 first mvt.) and other fingerings for F# can be explored also. I know an awesome fingering for the top A# at the end of the piece that speaks brilliantly from the F# fingering. Anyway just play around with fingerings
2E
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Author: Chris Hill
Date: 2007-03-22 02:19
I find I have more difficulty making smooth legato when I play reeds that are too hard for the mouthpiece.
Chris
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Author: packrat
Date: 2007-03-22 05:43
I have found that practising playing and holding notes in the upper register starting at a ppp level with a cresendo and decresendo, ending with ppp helps. Hold the ppp at the beginning and the ending a long time. Attack the note as gently as possible without getting an overtone. Now when I do the intervals I "know" where the next note will be and in conjunction with the interval studies perhaps that will help. I love the Copland and use the first part to warm up sometimes.
Becky
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Author: elmo lewis
Date: 2007-03-23 20:13
When you slur up to a note that is played without the first finger of the left hand you should roll the finger down to open the tone hole and not lift the finger as you usually do. It is the same motion that you use to play the A key only in the opposite direction. When slurring down you roll the finger back. The finger should always be in contact with the clarinet and not in the air.
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Author: rgames
Date: 2007-03-24 03:33
Ditto elmo's post - I usually slide the finger to the side rather than roll it, though. By eliminating the sharp change between fingerings you'll smooth out the intervals. Different intervals benefit to different degrees, of course, but it really does work for a number of intervals between the upper clarion and the altissimo (which are all over the place in the Copland!).
rgames
____________________________
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Composer - Arranger - Producer
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Author: elmo lewis
Date: 2007-03-25 17:09
Another technique: When lifting 2 or more fingers don't lift them all at the same time-lift the bottommost finger first and the next lowest finger a little bit later and so on up the horn. When lowering fingers place the topmost finger first followed by the next highest,etc.
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