 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: nikk62
Date: 2011-10-01 21:02
Hi,
I am working on scales for Grade 3 and have been playing clarinet for 18 months.
I am having trouble tonguing scales in the upper register ie. C major (2 octaves) and D minor (2 octaves)
I am mostly squeaking or getting a very muffled note and just wondered whether anyone could offer any advice on improving these notes.
When I play the scales smoothly I can get the higher notes ok!
Thanks.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2011-10-02 03:42
If you can play the scales smoothly, then you're almost certainly "attacking" your staccatos with a heavy tongue stroke. Play a note and stop the reed vibration with the tip of your tongue, making the smallest possible tongue movement. Maintain full breath pressure. Then move your tongue tip away from the reed, letting the tone start again without any extra transient noise. Think of "releasing" the tone, which begins by itself, rather than "attacking" it.
A good exercise for learning small, light tongue movements is one I learned from Robert Lowrey. See http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=348595&t=348543.
Also, watch yourself in a mirror and make sure you keep your jaw still, with no chewing motion.
Finally, play a note with only your left hand (such as clarion G), rest your right hand on your belly and make sure you're not giving an abdominal puff of air on each note.
Ken Shaw
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2011-10-02 04:06
Ken Shaw wrote:
> If you can play the scales smoothly, then you're almost
> certainly "attacking" your staccatos with a heavy tongue
> stroke. Play a note and stop the reed vibration with the tip
> of your tongue, making the smallest possible tongue movement.
> Maintain full breath pressure. Then move your tongue tip away
> from the reed, letting the tone start again without any extra
> transient noise. Think of "releasing" the tone, which begins by
> itself, rather than "attacking" it.
>
> A good exercise for learning small, light tongue movements is
> one I learned from Robert Lowrey. See
> http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=348595&t=348543.
>
> Also, watch yourself in a mirror and make sure you keep your
> jaw still, with no chewing motion.
>
> Finally, play a note with only your left hand (such as clarion
> G), rest your right hand on your belly and make sure you're not
> giving an abdominal puff of air on each note.
>
> Ken Shaw
Man you're good Ken!!! Just to further add (clarify?), when he talks about making sure you are not giving an abdominal puff, it's because you're supposed to use a steady strong stream of air and the tongue is the only thing that starts/stops a note. So you can slur a scale slowly, and then slur it again, this time lightly stopping the reed and releasing the reed on each note or inbetween notes to get the idea of a keeping a steady stream.
US Army Japan Band
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Author: sonicbang
Date: 2011-10-02 10:04
Keep in mind when you touch the reed's tip with your tongue it won't make any sound until you pull back your tongue. In other words "attacking" the tone begins when your tongue is not on the reed.
"Tip of the tongue, tip of the reed is the golden rule for delicate staccato"
Reginald Kell
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2011-10-04 19:34
Pay attention to what your tongue is doing as the registers change. Not just the tip of the tongue, but the rest of it.
There is non-articulatory tongue positioning going on beyond just starting, and stopping the note throughout the ranges.
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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