 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Clarinetgirl
Date: 2010-10-08 08:59
I was wondering if anyone had any pearls of wisdom:
I teach a child who's overall pitch on the clarinet is so flat! (I've tried her clarinet/set-up and it's definitely her, not the instrument).
Predictably, it gets worse as she gets higer in pitch. I have tried everything I possibly can over the last few months to correct this, emouchure, diaphragm, support, tongue position, throat - feel like I'm running out of ideas.....
I was hoping somone might have some good ideas of resolving this in children (she's 10) - sometimes think it's difficult for them to understand technical concepts, so ideas of how to explain/change things would be much appreciated.
Thank you!
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2010-10-08 09:14
Define "flat". 10 cents? Half a note?
Does the student actually hear that he/she's playing flat? What do you tune against? A tuner, or a duet partner?
The mouthpiece/reed combination may not be optimal for that specific player. What is currently used?
--
Ben
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Author: Ed
Date: 2010-10-08 12:03
Some thoughts-I will often have the student play the mouthpiece alone. They should be able to hit the C, 2 octaves above middle C. Often if I play mine for them I can get them to gradually ease up to a firm enough embouchure.
Sometimes I will grab the barrel and gently wiggle the instrument as the student is playing. Often the student's embouchure is barely gipping the mouthpiece. I ask them to hold more firmly so the instrument does not wiggle.
Be sure that they are gently pushing the instrument upward with the right thumb so it is secure in the embouchure.
Good luck!
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2010-10-08 17:10
Echoing part of what Ed suggested, this problem in my experience comes mostly from the lower lip's being allowed to pull out away from the teeth, especially with a younger student whose lip muscles can't by themselves support the reed's vibration. The first important thing is to teach the student to hear that the sound is spread and the pitch is flat. The spread sound is often easier for kids to hear and understand - you can do an approximation for her on your clarinet and talk about keeping the sound "clear" or not "rubbery" or "stretchy." By the way, reproducing the problem yourself is a useful way to work out what you need to tell the student to change.
Once my students recognize the problem, I can often get them to improve or eliminate it just by asking them to hold the clarinet up (with the right thumb) more firmly (toward the mouth, not outward) and hold the lower lip more against the bottom teeth. Sometimes having a student take more lip into the mouth helps. But unless your student is listening for the problem, she will revert back to whatever she has been doing when you aren't giving her explicit instructions to correct it.
One common cause of this, again in my experience, is that many students continue to use the soft reeds that were packed with the instruments when they were new. A reed that's too soft can almost force the kind of embouchure softness that causes the flatness and spreadiness to avoid closing the reed off. Make sure the reeds your student is using are appropriate for the mouthpiece, even if they feel a little stiff to her at first. If she's able to play the new strength, she'll adjust to it within a few minutes.
Good luck,
Karl
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Author: donald
Date: 2010-10-08 20:04
Several times over the years i have experienced a student who plays flat, as you describe. Often it is because they are not putting their teeth on the top of the mouthpiece (i teach single lip to 99% of students)
- get the student to slur from middle C to open G
- make sure that they are not using any fingers to hold the instrument when on open G, the instrument should be held by the RIGHT thumb pushing the mouthpiece against the top teeth. Obviously, the instrument has to be at an angle where this is possible (and the head can't be angled downward).
This simple test seems to solve most of the flat players, though not all. Other causes can be- the lower lip folded out, not enough reed free to vibrate (usually has more effect on tone quality than pitch), top lip folded out so that it is not held firmly against upper teeth, and the dreaded.... "low tongue position" (easier to describe to the student as "yawn position").
re the "teeth on mouthpiece" problem...
I can actually demonstrate to a student the difference this makes- i play open G to the student, then take my teeth off the mouthpiece (without going into "double lip" mode) and the different in tone quality and pitch is obvious.
dn
Post Edited (2010-10-10 03:35)
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2010-10-08 20:13
donald wrote:
> - make sure that they are not using any fingers to hold the
> instrument when on open G, the instrument should be held by the
> left thumb pushing the mouthpiece against the top teeth.
You mean the right thumb?
Karl
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2010-10-09 11:05
Karl, re: reeds.
I couldn't agree more. I have beginners start on Rico 2.5's...when that box is done they move up to 3's or Vandoren 2.5's.
Never had a kid that couldn't sound the instrument in the first sitting, and the resistance provided helps the formation of the embouchure along with positively reinforcing the idea that wind (not breath) is required to play the instrument.
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: donald
Date: 2010-10-10 03:40
Thanks Karl- made the change...
James- i completely agree, though i usually start with 2 and get them to move to 2.5 fairly quickly. One factor to take into account though is the mouthpiece- players on a 4C, for instance, can most often move on to 2.5 fairly soon and often a 3. Those on many other student mouthpieces with more resistant facings (for example, most of the buffet stock mouthpieces) will be fine on 2/2.5 for longer...
dn
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