 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: karlbonner82
Date: 2010-11-05 07:30
I've noticed that sometimes when I pull the licorice stick out for a practice session, the tone quality is rich and mellow in most registers. But other days something just isn't quite right. Not only is the throat much more hissy, but the clarion sounds a lot more unfocused. And the attack response is also frequently rougher.
I wonder if it could be caused by slight fluctuations in reed positioning. Another possibility is that the reed and/or embouchure varies a lot. I can understand minor fluctuations but nothing this big! And it tends to be discouraging.
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2010-11-05 07:52
In most cases it's the (you+reed) system. Reeds vary with humidity and temperature, and you (ie your embouchure, the shape of your oral cavity, the speed of air you're employing, the diaphragm pressure etc) vary a LOT during a month.
Learn to live with those "bad reed days".
--
Ben
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Author: Plonk
Date: 2010-11-05 08:28
I have read some threads on here about there being a sweet spot when aligning the barrel. Not sure if it's true - haven't found mine yet!
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2010-11-05 09:38
Speed of your air and your ABDOMINAL MUSCLE PRESSURE should NOT vary .......... they should ALWAYS be employed when you pick up your horn.
...............Paul Aviles
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2010-11-05 14:20
On my Buffet clarinets, lining up the Buffet logos on each section does seem to make a difference, but I hear an even bigger difference from changing the tightness of the ligature or re-positioning the reed slightly. If I sound hissy, it's nearly always because I've got the reed on there a little bit crooked.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2010-11-05 15:05
Even a tiny leak (usually at the corner) will produce the hissing and loss of focus you describe. Remember that as the reed bends along the lay, it becomes effectively shorter. Moving the reed up very slightly can help.
Also, check the bottom of the reed. If there's an impression of the mouthpiece window (which you can feel when you rub a fingertip over it), this will create a leak if the reed is positioned even slightly differently. If there's an impression, sand the bottom of the reed on 400 or 600 grit sandpaper (over a glass surface) until it's smooth and shiny. (Put pressure only on the bark and protect the tip.)
The position of the reed on the mouthpiece also makes a dramatic difference. The reed benefits from being very slightly narrower than the mouthpiece rails. You can then move it from side to side in tiny increments to find the sweet spot. See http://test.woodwind.org/Databases/lookup.php/Klarinet/2009/02/000192.txt.
Ken Shaw
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Author: NBeaty
Date: 2010-11-05 22:04
"Speed of your air and your ABDOMINAL MUSCLE PRESSURE should NOT vary"
Not to be argumentative, but sorry, this is completely wrong. While this statement may be useful for young students as a concept for air support, for all reality and practical purposes the amount of air, air speed and muscle pressure is not the same all the time.
This idea is about as useful as saying there's only one way to touch the reed in articulation.
Amount of air, speed of air, pressure from muscles in the breathing process, are all varying depending on the requirements of the music.
Perhaps the "no variation strategy" is why there are many clarinetists who have such a limited palette of sounds, colors, and articulations to work with...
Air support is indeed a constant thing, as the sound should always be supported, but it does not and should not mean that the amount and type of support should never vary.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2010-11-06 14:18
All of what's been said goes, I think, off into tangents that are probably a little removed from Eric's (the OP) basic question. We've all experienced the feeling that some days our first notes are god-awful enough to make us consider making a new lamp from the clarinet. The two most variable elements in the system are the player and the reed.
Of the two we have far more control over ourselves as players - we can do a great deal to make sure that what we're doing - our technical approach - is the same today when the sound seems buzzy and thin as it was yesterday when the tone seemed so gloriously rich. Whether the technical issues are air support, embouchure formation, mouth/tongue/throat position or finger and hand position, we can with practice learn to do today whatever it was we were doing on other days when things sounded better.
That leaves the one big variable - the reed - over which we have far less control. Cane is sensitive to many things that can change from day to day. Its vibrating character can change from one day to the next with humidity changes, age, its precise position on the mouthpiece and other sources of variability. A reed can take a longer wetting time to reach full response as it ages (maybe a player in a hurry hasn't let it moisten long enough) and a new reed can change as the result of exposure to the wetting/drying cycle. Putting on a new reed adds even more variability because every reed is different, many need balancing to vibrate at their best and some reeds just won't play well out of the box without major reshaping (if then).
To the original poster, check three things: (a) is the reed set correctly on the mouthpiece? (b) is the tip crinkly (is the edge wavy), which is a sign that it isn't wet enough? and (c) is it a reed you've used successfully before or one that is either unfamiliar (new) or one that didn't play so well the last time you tried it either? If it's one of those not "quite right" days, try a different reed or two, making sure you wet them adequately first. Also try wetting the one you started with a little longer. They need more wetting time as they age. Learning to balance a reed can help solve problems with new reeds that are still not stable.
Lots of other things can conceivably cause day-to-day variation in tone and response but, assuming your technical approach is consistent, the reed is by far the most likely source of the problem and is the first thing to consider *before* making adjustments or changes to your approach to embouchure, breathing, oral shape, etc...
Karl
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Author: pewd
Date: 2010-11-06 14:54
keep it simple
'reed'
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: Joseph Brenner, Jr.
Date: 2010-11-06 19:52
Yet one more consideration is YOU and your environment. Do you always practice in the same room? Are the weather and humidity fairly constant? Do you have seasonal allergies or any condition that might affect your hearing?
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2010-11-06 20:10
As for the reed, yes, in this "change of seasons" time of year, one probably should have a Legere or two in their quiver. Use a strength 1/4 less than you play in real reeds. That is, if you use number 4 reeds, order a couple 3.75 Legeres. These will be great to test against the "bad reed moments."
HOWEVER
Perhaps a bit argumentative, I DO mean that conscious use of a concentrated, swift moving stream of air is THE UNDERLYING BASIS FOR A RESONANT TONE.
Now, one tempers this slightly to achieve various degrees of volume, timbre, intonation etc. but if you let the air stream slacken, your clarinet will not vibrate under your fingers and your pianissimos will NOT be heard at the back of the hall.
..................Paul Aviles
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Author: NBeaty
Date: 2010-11-07 20:13
@Paul (unrelated to OP)
Air support DOES NOT MEAN you never change or vary your air pressure or the pressure put on by various muscles in the breathing system.
What you mean to say is that you should always use good air support.
"I DO mean that conscious use of a concentrated, swift moving stream of air is THE UNDERLYING BASIS FOR A RESONANT TONE. "
Yes, proper air support is necessary for a resonant and vibrant sound.
"Speed of your air and your ABDOMINAL MUSCLE PRESSURE should NOT vary".
Wrong. This statement is just wrong. I don't think that you believe it either, as your subsequent posts (quoted above) are excellent and speak to the necessity of good air support.
There are very few things that should be the same all the time in clarinet playing. Even the "blanket statements" allow for variation. Such as:
Good reed.
Good sound.
Good articulation.
Good phrasing.
Good embouchure.
Good technique.
The technique of making the appropriate sound and style for a given piece of music necessitates variation in most of the things listed above. Amount of abdominal pressure\air speed are no exception.
(end unrelated to OP)
TO THE OP:
There are always off days. If possible, it's not a bad idea to take the "off days" off. If you don't really need to play that day (no impending rehearsal or performances\lessons), take the day off and regroup for the next day.
These days sometimes coincide with a need for new reeds (our old ones have just died...). It can be refreshing to open up a new box of reeds and play through them.
In general, going back to fundamentals such as long tones\scales and other technique can be a good way to get yourself out of a funk.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2010-11-07 21:53
Dear Ned (is that right?),
I did actually mean to say:
"Speed of your air and your ABDOMINAL MUSCLE PRESSURE should NOT vary".
more as a wake up call to the original post. If things are that different from day to day, the very first thing thing on the check list is consistency of technique, NOT equipment. That is not to say these things don't fail (as stated above.... reeds fail) but a fundamental inconsistency is usually related to inconsistency of air. You get inconsistent use of air by not applying yourself to pressing the air supply OUT. Someone on some other post mentioned the analogy to an aerosol can (I like that one).
YES, I will concede that the refined version of my statement should read as follows: "One should not vary from the use of the most concentrated, swiftest stream of air for a given musical outcome. One accomplishes this by employing steady abdominal muscle pressure (not your diaphragm, which only lets air IN to your lungs)."
......................Paul Aviles
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Author: NBeaty
Date: 2010-11-07 22:46
Hey Paul, (It's Nathan btw, but you'd have no way of knowing that!=) )
Thanks for further clarification. On this topic, keeping it simple is not as clear as we would like as far as what actually happens with the body and what we should be thinking of regarding breathing.
Testament to this complexity is that you can have very poor air support while having your abdomen be very actively pressing. You can also have great air support with your abdomen pushing out.
Most wind players, especially those dealing with medium to high pressures (clarinets\oboes respectively) have some degree of unnecessary tightness in their chest\throat. Many times with students who have low tongue position or too much "space" open inside their mouth will have this problem in an attempt to focus their air.
Many clarinetists today use reeds\equipment which necessitates a higher pressure. Blowing on "boards" in the 4-5 range will make a player use a higher pressure of air just to make the reed vibrate. Tension in the chest and throat often accompanies this as well to "bear down" on an unresponsive setup.
Clarinetists are lucky that we can get by with a setup\instrument that have medium to medium low pressure and resistance. This is why it is so easy to do a niente diminuendo on clarinet with minimal effort.
In general, I don't find abdomen pressure to be very affective when discussing breathing. What I think, and have been taught by private teachers as well as a graduate seminar on breathing for musicians, is that a fast stream of air, somewhat expanded ribcage, relaxed chest and throat, and resisting the abdomen's natural willingness to collapse.
Embouchure is also a important, as it is the "end of the hose" in the hose analogy for breathing and has an affect on other aspects.
I'm a strong advocate for a setup that is conducive to efficiency...a topic for another day and another thread.
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