 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: julie
Date: 1999-01-22 21:56
okay....now that i'm in high school i am expected to listen to the people around me and to match their pitch. being the unexperienced musician that i am, i would like to know how to bring the pitch up or bring it down by means of your embouchure; and does moving the clarinet farther or closer to your body help much? if so, does pulling it away make you sharper or flatter? oh, and one more thing...does anyone know which notes on the clarinet are pretty flat or sharp and what to do to help it be more in tune?
.......lets also consider that i have a set embouchure and a leblanc sonata (not a bad clarinet i hope!) and a perhaps a good reed, if i could actually find one.
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Author: A
Date: 1999-01-22 23:01
Moving the instrument won't help much. Away from the body is generally flatter;closer, generally sharper. Firming up on the embouchure is the best way to bring the pitch up; relaxing it will bring it down. For the very high notes, try wedging the mouthpiece up while keeping the mouthpiece position stable. Lift with the right thumb...... (pressure against the thumb rest).
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Author: Dee
Date: 1999-01-23 00:59
I disagree with the previous poster. Changing the angle of the clarinet can have a signficant effect as it causes a substantial change in how the embouchure interacts with the mouthpiece and reed. Just try it with a tuner and see! Away from the body flattens it and closer to the body sharpens it. However in ensemble playing you don't want to be rocking it back and forth.
In ensemble playing, you need to be as close in tune overall as possible so that it is possible to use the embouchure to get slightly flat or sharp notes into tune. First of all, you should try to always warm up before tuning. Then tune several notes on your clarinet. Start with C in the middle of the staff (concert Bb) and pull out your barrel to bring it in tune. Then check your open G. It may still be sharp. Pull a little more to bring it into tune. Then check your C again. A lot of times it will be affected only a very small amount by bringing the G into tune.
Once the clarinet is as closely tuned as possible, a firmer embouchure sharpens a note and a less firm embouchure flattens it. However the best thing to do, is to listen to what is around you and try to match it. This way the ability becomes automatic and natural. It is not too practical in ensemble playing to think "OK firm up for xx now relax for yy, etc."
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Author: Ray Swing
Date: 1999-01-23 01:40
I agree with both previous posts. I would only add that you should get a good idea of how your particular clarinet tunes throughout the entire range using a tuner and plotting the "plus, minus Cents". This will give you a good knowledge of where you and your clarinet are in / out of tune and sharp or flat. Of course, warm up and perform the tuning on "C and G" as Dee suggests before running the test. With this knowledge, it will give you a leg up on where you might have to "Umbouchure up or down" to get into tune.
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Author: Rick2
Date: 1999-01-23 03:58
Another trick you can use is moving your jaw out (toward the instrument) which flattens a note. It's used in jazz for note-bending. You should be able to bend a note by a full half step that way once you are able to control it.
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Author: Albert
Date: 1999-01-24 05:46
How do you make the clarinet sound smooth went bending the noted, going up (like a slide whistle)? I've heard this many time in jazz. Let's say, from middle C to high C.
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Author: Albert
Date: 1999-01-24 05:46
How do you make the clarinet sound smooth went bending the noted, going up (like a slide whistle)? I've heard this many time in jazz. Let's say, from middle C to high C.
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Author: Ray Swing
Date: 1999-01-24 22:55
It's accomplished by both a change in embouchure and by sliding the fingers slowly off the keys in groupings. It is very difficult to describe and it takes some practice to get the hang of it. Start experimenting by just slowly sliding your right hand off the keys with the "D" finger leading the way, then the left hand with the "G" finger leading. Rember, slide them off slowly with a very slight lift, don't lift as normal.
R.S.
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Author: Frank
Date: 1999-01-30 19:14
First be sure you have a well-set embouchure, one that is correct and comfortable.
Once you are confident of this, buy or borrow a good tuner and begin experiencing what mouth,lip,throat changes do to your tone. This may take some time - not to worry.
Also play your scales slowly with the tuner nearby. Keep centered. It sounds complex in the beginning because what you are learning can't be conceptualized very well. Your body, not your mind, will be learning this.
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