 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Euphogirl353
Date: 2009-01-15 16:18
Hello all!
I'm a music teacher with a beginning student who's playing really flat. (So much that an open G matches an E on the piano.) Any suggestions on why this might be and how to fix it?
Also, I have another beginning student who is playing on a 2 1/2 reed, but looks and sounds like he has loads of back pressure! I know it's an embouchure or reed problem, because when I put my mouthpiece on and blow, the instrument sounds fine. Any suggestions/ideas?
Thanks!!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Nessie1
Date: 2009-01-15 16:33
One explaination for this would be that the student has an A clarinet, not a B flat; in fact I think that this is quite likely. How does the pitch compare with other clarinets or other B flat instruments?
Vanessa.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Bluesparkle
Date: 2009-01-15 18:16
My first guess about the student playing flat was the A clarinet route that Nessie1 suggested. My second guess is that the instrument is not in good repair...are there keys closed that shouldn't be? You need to play her instrument. Are you significantly flat too, or are you able to play a proper concert F? Does she have a mouthpiece that's more suitable for jazz (enabling one to bend the pitch), and perhaps her embouchure isn't sturdy enough to keep the pitch where it belongs?
You said you played your other student's instrument with your mouthpiece, but have you played through his mouthpiece with a 2.5? It may be that the reed and mouthpiece are not a match. Might try a 2 reed to start with, and make sure he's not biting down and strangling the reed.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: johng ★2017
Date: 2009-01-16 00:52
Try this: while the student is playing a comfortable note, you reach down and push upwards on the bell toward their mouth so the mouthpiece is snugging into the lips and teeth a bit more. If this brings the pitch up enough, then the embouchure is too loose and needs some work. Be sure not to surprise the student and do ask permission to do this test.
John Gibson, Founder of JB Linear Music, www.music4woodwinds.com
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: pelo_ensortijado
Date: 2009-01-16 07:15
about the backpressure.
maybe he is aiming at the wrong place causing the air to blow back in his mouth more than out the mpc?
i used to do this when i was younger and i aimed my airstream up in the roof of the mouth. aiming is changing the tongue so thereby the tongue was sort of flat to the floor of the mouth and pointing up to touch the reed.
maybe he is doing something similar?
some people(like me) needs a very physical approach to whats really happening and how it should be done. not many teachers understand this and try using methafors and "feeling" like "feel the air go out the mpc and down on the floor, like blowing out a candle.." or similar...
this just mess things up for me. there is LOTS of ways to blow out a candle...
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
