Author: S. Friedland
Date: 2008-09-08 23:43
The interval irks you (most probably) because you are doing something to irk the interval; something with your embouchure. In assisting a student with this problem I have frequently asked them to 'blow the clarinet just normally while not doing anything else" and I place my fingers on their horn and not telling them what fingers I'm placing on the horn. "Don't change your embouchure, your air column, change nothing, just play normally". I then play the throat A and immediately slur to the high B, and of course, it comes out easily, pops out, if you will. Practice only throat A to middle B, then without changing your embouchure, your support, or certainly without gesticulating with your fingers, move to the octave above, keeping the support . If you move nothing, it will come out;if you so much as raise your shoulder, it will give you a problem. Continue with the solo only when this easy interval becomes an easy interval, which it is.
There can be other issues here, reed, particular resistance factors, and of course, where you are in your clarinet technique . But, no, there are no tricks.Please do not think that way.
In performing that work, I have actually played it on both the A and the Bb clarinet. At the time I was playing on full Boehm Mazzeo clarinets and playing it on Bb, it really was easier. Why? Because all of your fingers are down almost all of the solo, and with the articulated keys, it was a breeze. On the A, you have to have a good A and sometimes those are hard to come by. You might think of practicing everything on the A as it helps you with that instrument and switching to Bb is really quite easily done. lots of people do that, and it works quite well, especially if your A is much more resistant than your Bb.
That is considered a tip, but not a trick.
Just a suggestion.
Sherman Friedland
Post Edited (2008-09-08 23:46)
|
|
The Clarinet BBoard
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
