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 hitting high A in a march
Author: Bb R13 greenline 
Date:   2011-05-04 02:17

in the march im playing we have to repeatedly hit up to a high A( above high G four lines above the staff) i can easily hit it when playing it out of context but in the march(pathfinder of panama) i either hit it to loud, or i can barely hit it. does anyone have tips on how to hit it so that it sounds under the rest of the band?

oh and also after the A i have a G and then a high E under the G and A. any hints on how to to play the E very well without either hitting the overtone or playing it realy sharp? thank you

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 Re: hitting high A in a march
Author: ddavani 
Date:   2011-05-04 02:34

Whoever wrote that march is nuts... Anyway, try using your fingering for an E above the staff and putting your right hand C# key down. Once you do that, to play the A, you give a sharp but concentrated, focused and quiet burst of air that should get the note out in the right way for you. In terms of the other notes, it all has to do with how you maintain your embechoure and air in the high register. There's not much I can help with there. Good luck, and have fun with that piece.

-Dave Davani
http://allclarinet.blogspot.com/

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 Re: hitting high A in a march
Author: Clarimeister 
Date:   2011-05-04 06:24

A fingering that works really well for me is TR oxx|ooo with the F#/C# key. Speaks really easily, but you'll have to you your ear for pitch because its an extremely flexible note with tuning and and then when you hit the E from the G just be careful that your tongue position isn't too high and relax and don't bite. Just some typical suggestions I can come up with. Hope this helps.



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 Re: hitting high A in a march
Author: dgclarinet 
Date:   2011-05-04 12:08

I'd think about playing it down an octave if you're having problems. Sousa was the march king, but I don't think he was the king of orchestration.

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 Re: hitting high A in a march
Author: Lelia Loban 2017
Date:   2011-05-04 12:44

Just out of morbid curiosity, do you have to hit that high A while *marching* that march?

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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 Re: hitting high A in a march
Author: Bb R13 greenline 
Date:   2011-05-04 13:23

Oh gosh no! I'm not marching it, and thanks for the fingering I'll try it

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 Re: hitting high A in a march
Author: kdk 
Date:   2011-05-04 14:32

What march is it?

Karl

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 Re: hitting high A in a march
Author: Ken Shaw 2017
Date:   2011-05-04 14:35

There's a decent performance of The Pathfinder of Panama by the West Point Band at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gw54LjMLAos. It's (deservedly) not played very often.

The 1st clarinet players Sousa's band could certainly pop the high A under control. To do that, you need to voice it properly. I once again recommend the swab-up-the-bell exercise. http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=332607&t=332604

On the YouTube recording, I didn't hear the high A. At any rate, Sousa always put piccolos on high parts, and the Eb clarinet player will certainly be able to get out the equivalent altissimo E, so you can safely play down an octave.

Nevertheless, you need to learn to play above high G. The Saint-Saens Sonata calls for A, Weber went to Bb and Spohr to C. Ginastera's Variacions Concertantes calls for the D above that at the end of a big solo. You need to be able to play that, just like you need to know, say, the B minor scale. It's part of your essential tool kit.

Ken Shaw

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 Re: hitting high A in a march
Author: 2cekce 2017
Date:   2011-05-04 19:01

I agree, since I play those notes quite often partly because we do a lot of marches and I am usally designated to play 1st part and because being the only clarinet in another band was requested I play any and all parts up an
octave, so now with years of this under my belt I have learned that keeping an open throat helps with these notes especially with anything above G.
I use the same fingering for E and A and it works well for me. I love all the registers of the clarinet but the upper altissimo is my favorite, probably why I ended up playing the effer as well. anyhow what I mentioned above works for me but I'm sure the pros on here have other suggestions that are feasible.
good luck

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