 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Garth Libre
Date: 2012-06-17 21:54
Now that my instrument, reed and mouthpiece issues are 80% settled (currently bidding on a Selmer HS** mouthpiece - ebay), I have no real excuses, and must face serious technical matters. What I'm working on now is register jumps. Say we play a note in the chalameau and press the register key. It seems the upper register note should suddenly appear without much ado, but I recognize that however subtle it is, there is a component that involves embrasure change to get the upper register and another one that accompanies removing the thumb from the octave key and letting the chalameau speak. I imagine the whole thing must be natural, unstrained, simple and even slurred. I'm not there yet. I can get the register to change dependably and without too much strain, but it seems that I'm still doing too much to make it happen. What should I be thinking about on these simple jumps? What about the action of the thumb itself? I just realized that when I'm in the chalameau my thumb is perpendicular to the instrument but when I press the octave key my hand actually pivots a bit to a vertical. How should I approach the movement of the thumb?
Thanks in advance for any insight. I'm convinced that further attention to things we might believe we have already mastered is the key to beautiful technique.
Garth
Garth, 305-981-4705. garthlibre@yahoo.com
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Author: JHowell
Date: 2012-06-17 22:57
Boston Records. Probably www.bostonrecords.com, or better yet, Van Cott Information Services. Buy a copy of Marcel Tabuteau's Lessons (CD). Listen to his explanation of "singing intervals." It works.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2012-06-17 23:51
Garth -
Everyone learns to make register changes. Don't worry about it. You'll learn quickly.
Which intervals are you having trouble with? E3 ![[E3]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/e3.gif) to B4 ![[B4]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/b4.gif) should pop up without effort, as should the intervals chromatically up through at least C4 ![[C4]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/c4.gif) to G5 ![[G5]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/g5.gif) .
Close your eyes and play E3. Have someone reach around and open the register key. If you don't go to B4, give the sound more air.
Your reed may be worn out. Try a new one. Going to a sightly harder reed will also help. As a workaround, move your existing reed very slightly higher, so that you can just barely see a sliver of rim of reed above the mouthpiece tip when you look from the back.
Work on playing the low note and just touching the register key. Gradually increase your thumb pressure, so that you don't know when the change will occur.
Don't rule out a hardware problem. Take the register key off and clean the metal tube with a dampened pipe cleaner.
Everyone has to learn about voicing -- that is, adjusting the position of your tongue, particularly at the back, to increase the resonance of the higher note. Play C6 ![[C6]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/c6.gif) and let the register key close. Experiment to find what you need to do to keep the C6 sounding, rather than dropping down to F4 ![[F4]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/f4.gif) . Then play a descending chromatic scale. You should be able to get down to G5 and back up without trouble.
For more on voicing, go to http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=20&i=757&t=757 and then to the section halfway through, "TECHNICAL DIGRESSION: The clarinet overtone series and voicing."
Ken Shaw
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Author: Garth Libre
Date: 2012-06-18 00:02
I think my issue is not getting the register jump to happen but to get it to happen effortlessly without biting or intermediate grunts. Also I find I have to relax my embrasure when jumping down or else the lower chalameau won't speak and I would get caught in the upper register. When I try to jump down for one microsecond I still get the upper note, and even when the jump down occurs instantly, it seems that I must first relax. I'm unable to trill between upper and lower registers and I feel that ultimately I should be able to.
Garth, 305-981-4705. garthlibre@yahoo.com
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Author: Wes
Date: 2012-06-18 00:38
Ken Shaw said it right!
One of the first exercises I learned, and what I teach to students is to play low E and just touch the register key. The B2 should pop out easily. Then do the same to los F, F#, and G. It was amazing to me how easy this was when I had been struggling to get the second register, decades ago.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2012-06-18 00:46
Add on to ken's exercise, when you hit chalumeau low A, use the thumb register key to go up to E, then go from E to altissimo C# by sliding your forefinger off/halfholing if you choose.
Great exercise, i do a variation of it as part of my warmup.
As far as movement of the thumb, it should be minimal. You don't want your whole hand changing position everytime you jump registers. The thumb should be able to just nudge the register key without your hand shifting at all.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Garth Libre
Date: 2012-06-18 00:55
Are you saying I can go from low e to b without any embrasure change? Also, I feel I have to really tighten up to go from the upper range e to altissimo C sharp. As a matter of fact altissimo d is the last note I can comfortably hit. I shudder to think of hitting any note higher than alt d in tune and sounding musical.
Garth, 305-981-4705. garthlibre@yahoo.com
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2012-06-18 02:06
There was a suggested exercise to (from Ken?) to move from Low E to the middle line B (etc.) WITHOUT engaging the register key. I do this by only increasing the amount of air (pressing more with the abdominals to get the higher twelfth). Going back down is easier (backing off the air pressure).
The more you can do this leap without the register key, the better (smoother) the whole process becomes when the register key IS engaged.
.............Paul Aviles
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2012-06-18 03:14
Paul Aviles wrote:
> There was a suggested exercise to (from Ken?) to move from Low
> E to the middle line B (etc.) WITHOUT engaging the register
> key. I do this by only increasing the amount of air (pressing
> more with the abdominals to get the higher twelfth). Going
> back down is easier (backing off the air pressure).
>
> The more you can do this leap without the register key, the
> better (smoother) the whole process becomes when the register
> key IS engaged.
>
>
>
>
> .............Paul Aviles
>
Also a great exercise. Michele gringas had a podcast series. I think you can still find it on itunes. One video shows an exercise on hitting overtones (register) changes without using the register key. Get pretty good at that, and it makes it REALLY easy when you DO use the register key.
Also, theres posts on this board on howto find the "optimal" spot for your lower lip while playng. In a nutshell, play an open g at a forte. Then put a little more mouthpiece in your mouth and play an open g again. Keep going till you get a squeak. Back off a hair, and that's how much mouthpiece you should have in your mouth. This allows for minimal changes in embouchure when changing registers, if any changes at all.
The order i'd recommend is (1), find that magic amount of mouthpiece to take in (often it's more than you'd think or are used to). (2) work on michele gingras' overtone exercise. (3) work on very little movement of the thumb (just SLOWLY bump the register key) while keeping a constant airstream. It should almost be a surprise when the register changes. This'll keep tension out and hopefully reduce biting and keep you relaxed while changing registers.
Eventually, combine the good amount of mouthpiece, very slight embouchure change from michele gringas' exercise, and a relaxed bump of the register key and you'll never have to worry about changing registers ever again and it'll be very natural.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Buster
Date: 2012-06-20 04:03
Paul,
Just so everything is clear for the original poster....
You wrote (regarding register "jumps"):
Quote:
I do this by only increasing the amount of air (pressing more with the abdominals to get the higher twelfth).
How do you differentiate between playing a crescendo and causing the next harmonic to be sounded?
If only the quantity of air is increased would a crescendo not be the only possible result?
Or am I missing something here that may be confusing the issue for me, and possibly the original poster?
-Jason
Post Edited (2012-06-20 04:06)
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Author: JonTheReeds
Date: 2012-06-20 08:51
I've been practising with jumping up the register without using the register key, as suggested above
I can go from Chalumeau to Altissimo fairly easily (for instance going from A below middle C to C# 2nd leger line) but can't bump up to Clarion (in this instance E 1st space) at all without using the register. Once I've used the register key to jump up the register I can then maintain the Clarion note without using the register key, but haven't got the knack yet of bumping up without using the register key
Can anyone else go from Chalumeau to Clarion without the register key, and if so how?
--------------------------------------
The older I get, the better I was
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Author: rtmyth
Date: 2012-06-20 12:51
Maybe the best way is to not think about it.
richard smith
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Author: Buster
Date: 2012-06-20 18:48
Paul,
Just so the growing mess can be cleaned up....
You wrote (regarding register "jumps"):
Quote:
I do this by only increasing the amount of air (pressing more with the abdominals to get the higher twelfth).
How do you differentiate between playing a crescendo and causing the next harmonic to be sounded?
If only the quantity of air is increased would a crescendo not be the only possible result?
Is something missing here that may be confusing matters for others?
-Jason
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Author: Tony Pay ★2017
Date: 2012-06-20 20:12
Jason wrote:
>> If only the quantity of air is increased would a crescendo not be the only possible result? Is something missing here that may be confusing matters for others?>>
The answer is, yes. (I know you know this.)
If you give a 'kick' in airpressure, and change the resonance of the mouth cavity, you can get the higher harmonic.
But of course, he wouldn't admit that.
For those of you who know the famous Alan Hacker story: you know WHY he wouldn't admit that, don't you?-)
Tony
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Author: Buster
Date: 2012-06-21 20:58
Tony,
I must admit my ignorance and say that I'm not familiar with the famous Alan Hacker story. Either I'm 'out of the loop', or it has not been passed on over here 'across the pond.'
(I can surmise why, but that is not fit for public consumption.)
-Jason
Post Edited (2012-06-22 05:27)
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