 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Rapidcif
Date: 2009-09-17 20:25
Yo ok im Jimmy, and i can be considered as an intermediate clarinet player. I have a couple of questions about some things, and i would greatly appreciate the help, as i know some people here are highly knowledgable and skilled.
1. The Altissimo Range
I am horrible at it. This is my strongest weakness. I have trouble getting the notes out, and when i do, it's really flat. So i really need some pointers here. Although i am not a beginner, i am still using my beginner clarinet(though i have upgraded the mouthpiece to a vandoren b45 and vandoren 3.5 reeds, and a rovner ligature is currently shipping over.) Could this be a factor?
2. Mouthpieces
just interested, does anyone know what mouthpieces professionals like to use?
3. Sightreeding
NEED TO GET BETTER AT IT. Need pointers. People tell me just to do it more, but i only have so much music. Is there any other skills u need to develop to become a better sightreader?
thx in advance for all the help and time
Post Edited (2009-09-17 20:26)
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Author: Katrina
Date: 2009-09-17 20:50
I'd be willing to meet and give you pointers the next time I'm at my sister's house. She lives in Apex (where your ISP is) but I have no idea when I'll bve there next.
Everyone uses their own favorite mouthpiece. Some are custom-crafted for the individual player, others are mass made and then tweaked by a professional refacer, others yet just play mouthpieces with no alterations. This choice is one you usually make with a teacher at the initial stages of the game.
As far as the altissimo, you just need more time. Make sure your embouchure is firm and steady. Air speed and direction are usually the big issues for improving these notes, so experiment with using a smaller, less hard stream of air. Tongue position helps. Think "eeeee" or imagine you're a cat hissing. See if that improves the altissimo notes.
As far as sight reading the answer really is to just continue to do it. There are many websites with free sheet music downloads, and this is a good way to find notes to read!
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Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2009-09-17 23:21
Expanding upon the suggestion to troll the internet for downloadable clarinet sheet music, here is a link that will keep you busy for a while:
http://www.clarinetinstitute.com/pdf%20archive.htm
And for my oboe-playing colleagues who lurk on this board, there is a similar cache of oboe music at this same site.
Susan
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2009-09-17 23:46
The best advise anyone can give you is to take lessons. ESP
http://eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: johng ★2017
Date: 2009-09-18 00:15
Lessons for certain.
For sight reading, knowing scales in all keys, including the chromatic scale, scales in 3rds, and onwards is critical. To be able to sight read at a higher level, you must be able to identify the scale and key immediately and be able to play it without really thinking about it. You need to get to know those automatic finger patterns that make up so much of music. If you practice scales diligently, you should find your sight reading skills improve, too.
Go for it, and get yourself to the next level!
John Gibson, Founder of JB Linear Music, www.music4woodwinds.com
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Author: concertmaster3
Date: 2009-09-18 00:27
Lessons are great.
For sight reading, check out a local music library (Schools are great for this) and go check out some music, etude books, etc. and sight read through them. I learned to sight read with Finale. I'd upload a orchestra midi-score in and read what ever instrument I was learning. It helped a lot! My sight-reading is sometimes better than after I learn the piece now! lol. Play through scales as a warm up too, and not just the easy ones, but harder ones too. With the etudes it will help by getting used to some of the patterns in that key. There's a great exercise in the Vade Macum for Oboists, the first and 2nd pages, that take you through all the key areas. I began to read them on flute and clarinet as well.
Altissimo Register, as has been said, keep a firm embouchure, and keep practicing them. They'll come in time. I've fallen in love with my Genussa GE* Mouthpiece, one of my friends switched to a Pyne MPC and loves it. The best advice is trying different ones out, and seeing what you like the best. And note that different mouthpieces will require different reed hardness as well.
I hope that helps!
And if you ever come to the Winston Salem area, shoot me an email, and I'd be happy to pick up some duets to play together. Another great way to learn to sightread!
(Edited to make more readable)
Ron Ford
Woodwind Specialist
Performer/Teacher/Arranger
http://www.RonFordMusic.com
Post Edited (2009-09-18 00:28)
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Author: justme
Date: 2009-09-18 00:52
Susan:-,
I just checked out that web site.
"A cache of oboe music" doesn't do it justice! It has a whole truckload full!
" The Clarinet Institute Now Maintains the Largest Archive of PDF Sheet Music For Oboe on the Internet."
http://www.clarinetinstitute.com/44329%20Oboe%20Archives.htm
"The Clarinet Institute Now Maintains the Largest Archive of PDF Sheet Music For Bassoon on the Internet."
http://www.clarinetinstitute.com/44329%20Bassoon%20Archives.htm
And it also has large archives for other instruments as well!
At extremely cheap prices for the entiire collections on CDs I might add.
Great site.
Just Me
http://woodwindforum.ning.com/
"A critic is like a eunuch: he knows exactly how it ought to be done."
CLARINET, n.
An instrument of torture operated by a person with cotton in his ears. There are two instruments that are worse than a clarinet -- two clarinets
Post Edited (2009-09-18 00:55)
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Author: haberc
Date: 2009-09-18 00:53
You might want to experiment with a softer reed. It simply might be too hard for you right now, or ever. Harder reeds do not mean a better, more advanced player, some incredible artists have played softer reeds than a 3.5.
Try things out a bit more. And find a good teacher!
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Author: grenadilla428
Date: 2009-09-18 03:02
Hi, Jimmy,
Hopefully, these comments on sight-reading will be helpful:
Know your scales and arpeggios - You've seen it here a few times for good reason.
Know how to count - Do it without the instrument, out loud. Do it in your head while you play. If you can speak rhythm correctly, you're much more likely to play rhythm correctly.
Have a process - Come up with a plan for approaching new music. What are you going to look at first? What will you spend precious seconds going over?
These are all things a private teacher can work on with you. It's difficult to offer advice about your altissimo register without seeing or hearing you play. It's difficult to offer advice about a mouthpiece for the same reason.
Hope it goes well!
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2009-09-18 03:07
I got really great control over my altissimo when I tried and practiced three concepts.....
1) I took in more mouthpiece. I kept taking in the mouthpiece until a hard blast of air would squeak the open G, and then backed off slightly. This ensured me better control with a minimum of embouchure changing for the different registers.
2) I practiced blowing overtones without using any register keys. This is done with a very VERY slight shift of the lower lip. I shift the lower lip slightly down the reed to blow an overtone, maybe put a little more pressure on the reed too. So I would finger a chalemeau "A", shift the my embouchure SLIGHTLY and without changing fingering, play clarion "E", then same thing and play altissimo "C#". They'll be a little out of tune because of improper venting, but it's an emboucure exercise. Then go Bb-F-D, B-F#-Eb, C-G-E (where it starts to get easy) and so on and so on.
3) I practiced long tones starting at ppp and then growing. If you've played the beginning of Weber's Concertino, that Bb comes of out nowhere. I started the airstream, and gradually and slowly increased embouchure pressure to cause the note to come out of nowhere paying close attention to get it to grow consistently in volume, and to starting it without an undertone. I'd start doing that on a Clarion G and up chromatically (those are the ones that you really risk an undertone in my opinion). And practiced till I got an altissimo G to start off as a whisper and grow from there.
Every now and then I find myself slipping and have to practice exercise 3 again. The first two have become habit and I do it all the time.
These three things REALLY helped my altissimo. Might help you.
Alexi
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2009-09-18 06:55
Understand the connection between clarion register notes and altissimo register notes. ie high c# and fourth space e, high d and fifth line f, high eb and fifth line f# played with sliver key, high e and g above the staff, high f and g# above staff etc. Practice these notes with this is mind. ie
start with fourth space e and go to high c#. Practice doing this smoothly without tonguing . Go up and also go down to gain control. Do it slowly and relax.
Freelance woodwind performer
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Author: Bassie
Date: 2009-09-18 08:08
1. Altissimo - Try a softer reed with that B45. (Arnoldstang, that approach has really helped me, especially with higher altissimo.)
2. Mouthpieces - Pros use all sorts, that's why there's so many to choose from.
3. Sight-reading - Practice all the scales equally, not just the 'easy' ones!
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Author: RAB
Date: 2009-09-18 12:38
I might suggest a book by Dr. Kelly Burke, CLARINET WARM-UPS (Materials for the Contemporary Clarinetist) , available from Dorn Publications.
It has exercises that will, in my opinion help any clarinetist no matter what ability level, she explains things in terms that are easy to understand and has illustrations to go along with it. I know there are many things out there. I just have used this book with students at all levels and I like it.
Hope this helps!!
RAB
Rodney Berry
Repair Dept
Muncy Winds Music Company
Boone, N.C.
Post Edited (2009-09-18 12:40)
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Author: Rapidcif
Date: 2009-09-19 18:48
yea thx for all the help guys. Taking private lessons would be the world for me, but due to some personal circumstances i am not able to take private lessons at the time.
@ Katrina: i'd be grateful for that
@concertmaster: yea if i ever come to Winston Salem i'd be honored to work with u.
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