 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Maruja
Date: 2012-08-03 14:22
I am finding it hard to do this manoeuvre with a smooth transition. I have tried sliding, twisting my wrist, endeavouring to find other keys I can depress - but to no avail. Can anybody help?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2012-08-03 15:39
According to the cleff above buy the title The Clarinet Bboard, C4 is the lowest C on a Bb clarinet. I'm assuming you mean the lowest F to the 12th above C. If that's the case it's a matter of an easy but quick thumb press. Too slow it will slurp, too fast it will pop. You also have to not close off your throat or tighted your embouchure when you do it. If you're talking about two other notes let me know.
ESP eddiesclarinet.com
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Maruja
Date: 2012-08-03 19:50
I am sorry Ed - I mean the second F (the one covered by the left thumb) and then going to the next C above. Am I allowed to slide up the clarinet - or is it a question of blowing through?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Campana
Date: 2012-08-03 22:03
I find it difficult to cross the bridge smoothly and without a discernable pause. I believe that for the particular 2 notes you mention you can have all the right hand fingers already depressed for C before playing the F without affecting the tonal quality.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Alexis
Date: 2012-08-03 22:42
Having the right hand down will flatten the pitch of the F, and I think its actually quite useful to learn how to play across the break without having to have the right hand down.
To make a clean interval between these two notes, you need to not break the airstream, or move your embouchure. Then you need your fingers to land in the right place for the C simultaneously. So yes, it is a question of blowing through, but that is hard to talk about without visuals. I think, though, there are some things on the fingering side which can help.
First of all, try going to that F to the low F (same fingering as the high C). While doing this you should keep the same embouchure and air pressure. Rather than thinking of the low F as a lot of holes to cover, think of it as 'holding' the clarinet in a particular place - i.e. holding qith just the thumb hole and supporting with right hand thunb, then holding all the holes and the low F key
If you can do that, great. Do the same, but hold the register key with the low F to make the C.
If it doesn't work going to the low F, there are a few things you can try. Often we neglect our left hand when going across the break (especially if you are right handed), because the focus is on the fingers at the bottom of the instrument (which I at least, perceive as where the 'fingering' is). See if you can go from the throat F - left thumb - to the middle C (thumb, 1st 3 fingers LH) with your fingers landing simultaneously. Once you can do that, try going to the low F again, with more awareness of the left-hand.
The second is more to do with how I describe it. I say 'hold' in the right place. For some people that works well, while for others, the word 'hold' is too passive. If your fingers feel sluggish 'holding', try 'grabbing' the clarinet, at the right place.
Let me know how it goes
Best wishes
Alex
Post Edited (2012-08-03 22:47)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2012-08-04 03:25
That makes more sense. It's really a matter of having perfect coordination so your fingers cover all the 10 keys at excastly the same time. Keep your fingers close to the keys and well shaped, curved as if you're picking up a ball, and move your fingers gently. Most often the problem is depressing the thumb at the same time as the other fingers. I suggest you practice doing it from the G several times and once that's perfect work from the F. Hope this helps.
ESP eddiesclarinet.com
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: donald
Date: 2012-08-04 04:11
Hi there,
here is how i would work on this interval with a student to help achieve a better legato....
1st- starting on the F, slur f-e-f... f-d-f... f-c-f... f-bflat-f... f-a-f... f-g-f... then finally f-lowf-f. The intervals start easy and get progressively harder- it may be (depending on your level of ability) that you'll need to work on some of them to get them clean, but your goal is to do the final octave with no gap between the notes, or "wavy" sound quality at the start or end of the notes.
2nd- make sure that your THUMB can smoothly slip on to the register key, and that you can do register jumps (called "gorilla jumps" in essential elements, though i don't really like that book) smoothly, again with no gap or uneven tone quality.
3rd- play the 3rd space c and slur to the thumb f, and back. Does this work? Try it a few times (you are doing your problem interval, but the other way around, if that makes sense). If you find it easy to slur c-f-c, then try it the other way around... f-c-f. Match the two- and when you start on the f, think of your "c fingers" as being able to remember where they have to go to...
sometimes the problem of the fingers will be solved, but not the voicing. Tension in the throat and moving the embouchure (sp?) can make the f come out as a high c, in which case i then get my students to practise...
4th- starting on 3rd space C, prac c-b-c... c-bflat-c... c-a-c... c-g-c... c-f-c...
I hope this was helpful
dn
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Katrina
Date: 2012-08-04 12:58
One additional comment about the thumb:
I find it useful to be able to keep the thumb hole covered _and_ touch the edge of the register key at the same time. If your left thumb has to move when depressing the register key there's a chance it'll let air leak out of the f-hole. Ideally, it's just a slight rocking motion of the left thumb in order to open the register key, and that makes it easier to keep the thumb hole covered the whole time.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Maruja
Date: 2012-08-04 16:05
Many thanks for that input - I shall now print out your advice and work through all your suggestions. When I asked my teacher last night, she was very non-committal, so to have a concrete way forward from you all is much more helpful....
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: donald
Date: 2012-08-05 05:54
(i would assume that by "the next C above", she means the next C above the F, which would be 3rd space C in the treble cleff?)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Buster
Date: 2012-08-05 06:53
I by all means suggest slurping as an acceptable practice "exploration"; but
that's just ears "speaking".
Make sure that you depress all ten keys at the same time, particularly the right thumb key.
The key is to remember that it is very difficult to do all of this.
Also be sure you don't tighted you're embouchue to much. That will make everything very difficult .
-Jason
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris P
Date: 2012-08-05 11:34
You can keep the F/C key closed when playing the F as that has very little effect on the tuning of the F (and will add a bit more resonance to it) - that will secure your right hand fingers to close all the fingerholes when going to the C. Putting any right hand fingers down will cause the top joint ring key vent to close which will flatten the F.
Play F as left thumb on only and the RH F/C key (this will also keep the instrument steady), then open the speaker key by nudging it with your thumb (and holding it open) and put all the other fingers down for the C over the break (Sp. Th. xxx|xxxF/C). To go back down the the F, you won't be able to slur down easily, so tongue it.
So practice playing F - C - F - C (repeated) slowly at first to get used to the finger placements, then gradually building up speed once you can play that F-C interval smoothly with no bumps.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
![[F4]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/f4.gif)
to C6 ![[C6]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/c6.gif)
by opening the register key.![[E3]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/e3.gif)
. Touch the register key and gradually press more and more until you jump up to B4 ![[B4]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/b4.gif)
above. Do this so slowly that you don't know when the jump will happen. Continue with F3-C4 and so on up the chromatic scale to F4-C6.