 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: OTLC
Date: 2007-08-29 20:13
I am a newbie (but old timer) learning clarintet via a teacher using the Rubank Elementary Method. I was doing fine in the low register but all of a sudden Lesson 11 goes to the upper register and I was doing pretty good in upper register alone until I reached the C scale ascending/descending portion which required going from mid A to B natural/ or reverse. My teacher has taught me the roll and drop when transitioning from mid A to B natural/ or reverse with the first finger. The coordination of the remaining left hand fingers and thumb with the keys and O. K. with the transition has got me stymied. I get no sound or barely a squeak after the transition. With quarter notes I just can't get it. With whole notes I have minut time to fiddle with the hole coverings to MAYBE get a sound. Lesson 12 is totally register change scales with multiple transitioning notes. I am frustrated to the point of saying the lower register is all I am ever going to be able to do with the clarinet. Does anyone have a magic idea or exercise I can do to overcome this Octave Key transition point?
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2007-08-29 20:26
Okay, here goes: Forget that there is a "break" or something like that. All what that "break" does is build up a mental barrier.
Then, my teacher instructed me that from open G and up I could leave my right hand fingers where they were or where they'd have to go next. So when you go from A up your RH fingers are already in place and you'd only have to think of what to do with your left hand. Same for C-Bb-C and similar riffs - just don't move your right hand. Makes for a lot quieter playing too.
Exercises? Well, play A-C-A-B-G-C-G-B etc until there is no more "break".
You'll get the hang of it, believe me. I've been there too. Good luck.
(My current pet peeve is A-C#-D# ...)
Oh, and, of course - welcome to the club!
--
Ben
Post Edited (2007-08-29 20:28)
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Author: D
Date: 2007-08-29 20:37
another good one to practice is B, C, C#, D, D# and back again endlessley, then start adding the next chromatic note on the top and bottom and keep increasing it that way. May be start with juts C, C#, D until you are happy with those. Part of the problem is normally the shock of the pressure difference between having all your fingers down and just one.
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Author: OTLC
Date: 2007-08-30 00:56
Ben, thanks for the advice and welcome.
I think the mental hangup I have is particular to the A to B natural, the roll and drop of the index finger is not the problem. The problem relates to dropping the rest of the left hand fingers and thumb to precisely cover the holes (no leak) and also hold down with the thumb the register key first time and every time! Most times I get no sound, not even a squeak.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2007-08-30 01:22
Yup, OTLC, its tough, but it can be mastered as it has been for ALL of us. I renew my brain/hands "cooperation" during our band's warm-up period by playing the first several measures of 76 trombones starting on open G, speeding up as familiarity returns. As to the cross fingering, little fingers a'flying !!, needed for B,C,C#,D,D#, when I find much of it in our music, I get out my Full Boehm, or at least an "extra-keyed" cl with that handy left L F G#/D# [Ab/Eb], in case I dont "plan ahead" properly. Happily my bass cl has it ! Luck, Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: johng ★2017
Date: 2007-08-30 01:52
You might try to isolate the finger motion of the left hand by making up an exercise going from the a key to lower notes instead of trying for the B. For example: a-e-a-e, a-d-a-d, a-c-a-c, etc. When you can make the correct motion to do those, maybe the a to b transition might work better. It would be a good idea to do the same with Bb-e-Bb-e, etc.
John Gibson, Founder of JB Linear Music, www.music4woodwinds.com
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2007-08-30 12:24
With even the best adjusted clarinet, there is a tremendous difference between the amount of air pressure needed for the "shortest" notes, and the "longest" notes -
The air column for the notes under your left hand keys is quite short, the corresponding air column for the "long B" is nearly 26 inches away!
To misquote the inestimable Antony Gigliotti, "BTSOI"!
Blow The S*** Out of It!
It will help to lead the longer notes with air prior to moving the keys.
Your are working through the most troublesome part of the instrument, and have run afoul of the crossover break, as do we all.
To make certain that the clarinet mechanism is not in your way, have a leak test performed. Leaks in the upper part of the left hand will adversely affect everything below, in your right hand.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2007-08-30 13:46
Well said, JohnG, SB et al - It occured to me that some early students have difficulty covering the lowest open tone hole with the Rt " ring" finger tip, due to a too-low placement of the thumb rest, which might cause the Not-sounding. Possibly a weak spring on the G#/D# [Ab/Eb] might let it "blow open" and disrupt the needed long air column. These things can be sorted out by a competent repairer, as "we" are all teachers [of sorts]. Luck, Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2007-08-30 16:07
Start by going from the upper register to the lower -- from third-line B down to second-space A. Keep your right hand fingers down and also the lower two fingers on your left hand. That is, move only two fingers -- your thumb and left index finger.
Don't worry if the A is flat. Right now, you're working on finger motion.
Watch in a mirror and make the motions as small as possible. Don't think about "rolling" your left index finger. Just "nudge" it up, tilting it as little as possible. Imagine you're trying to keep your finger motions invisible.
Once you get the transition from B to A, reverse the motions and go back up to B. B-A-B. Then B-A-B-A-B. Then B-A-G-A-B. Going from G to A or A to G, once again, "nudge" and "un-nudge" the A key, keeping your finger movements as nearly invisible as possible.
Ken Shaw
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Author: OTLC
Date: 2007-08-30 16:14
Thanks everybody who have responded to my quest. It's truely great to know that there is a variety of expertise in the clarinet. I will try all the suggestions on this thread as others I have found which deal with this problem. Its good to know I am not the first!!!!
The clarinet is rented so perhaps I should ask for a leak test and move on from it being an instrument problem to an operator problem. My teacher says keeping practicing the roll and drop until all hands (and thumb) hit the holes/keys at the same time everytime at the break. I think the thumb/register key is probably the culprit that first off is a stretch and causes me to improperly place the other left hand digits. You all be the first to know when I have mastered this!!! Thanks
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Author: rtmyth
Date: 2007-08-30 19:57
My register key transition problems disappeared when I started playing a clarinet which has an egonomic register key. On a previous model, by the same manufacturer, the conventional register key was also , in my opinion, too short by about 1-2 mm. When you get ready to buy, try a clarinet with the ergonomic key. Ridenour TR147s have them, and I believe some other makes do too, including his newer Lyriques. .
richard smith
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2007-08-30 22:29
> ergonomic register key
Shouldn't be too hard for one of our hardware wizards here to turn an ordinary register key into an ergonomic one, no? Waaaaay cheaper than a new horn, I think.
My Marigaux came with one already installed, hehe.
--
Ben
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Author: timg
Date: 2007-08-31 00:20
I'm a beginner at exactly the same stage. For most of last week I struggled with "the break": going from B to A made a squeak, and going from A to B the reed wouldn't vibrate at all.
My teacher corrected my embouchure: I had too much lip on the reed, preventing it from vibrating freely. I was also biting the reed slightly, and not providing the proper support from the outer parts of the lower lip. The sensation is as if I'm holding the reed by its outer edges, and barely pressing on the middle part.
He also taught me an exercise to demonstrate the correct throat shape: you sing the note into the mouthpiece, and slowly increase the air pressure until the clarinet resonates and sounds the note. If the clarinet note sounds, then your throat is properly shaped. If you can sing, then you'll find this a lot easier than I do!
It'll be a while before I can cross the break quickly and smoothly, but at least I can do it now. My wife does not understand why I am so happy to be able to play two consecutive notes :-)
-Tim
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Author: Brenda ★2017
Date: 2007-08-31 03:30
Something struck my attention...maybe it's a factor and maybe not. The impression I received when reading your description of reaching for the long B is of all of a sudden having to put so many fingers down at once. That, of course, is what has to happen. But I wonder if it's being made more difficult because of having the fingers too far away from the keys in the first place!
Just tonight in a lesson I was teaching my student (her hands finally grew enough to make this a possibility now) to think of economizing motion, by having the hands rounded and fingers curled and the pad of the fingers just barely above the open tone holes, for exactly that reason...so when she has to reach for a long B or C after playing a G, A or Bb, then the fingers are right there and there's no chance of missing the keys or not completely covering the tone holes.
Just a thought, there are so many issues that could come into play here.
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Author: AnnieMatilda
Date: 2007-08-31 11:47
I am also at this stage in my learning and share your frustration. I will certainly try the suggestions above and appreciate all the good advice.
Thanks.
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Author: OTLC
Date: 2007-09-01 02:58
I have to second all the suggestions and advice and I have written down each variation. I started tonite with E-A-E-A-E and found I have no problem with utilizing A with any of the lower notes; I then tried the B natural to Bb, that gives me a problem-- first starting and getting a correct B natural sound out from the getgo. The embouchure (sp) really plays a lot in here, also the reed too as being too stiff. I have filed a #2 down so its much softer and pliable. Getting to the Bb from B natural is workable, I just need to repeat it many, many times. Next will try B natural to A and get that smoother. The one comment from a reply commented on the fingers being to far away from the holes. That is one of my problems that I constantly work on when I become aware of it. Thanks all!!!
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Author: D
Date: 2007-09-01 07:22
To address the finger distance thing, have you tried playing while looking in a mirror?
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2007-09-01 12:21
D wrote:
> To address the finger distance thing, have you tried playing
> while looking in a mirror?
I get distracted easily - all I see in the mirror are my blue eyes and the grease spot on the sweater. ![[tongue]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie6.gif)
--
Ben
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2007-09-02 12:59
See this thread:
http://www.saxontheweb.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=64683
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The Clarinet Pages
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