 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: locke9342
Date: 2014-09-19 06:38
I'm trying out for all state pretty soon and I was wondering if there were any good examples of absolutely gorgeous scales. If you could post vids or tips on how to achieve this that would be greatly appreciated. I would post my own scales for advice, but I don't know if that would be frowned upon or where to upload the video to.
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Author: bmcgar ★2017
Date: 2014-09-19 08:55
In addition to good and consistent breath support and a stable embouchure, the keys to smooth scales--or any other passages for that matter--are total coordination of the fingers and a fluid ("gentle") progression between notes.
To achieve this, with proper air support and a stable embouchure, every change in fingering between two notes must be exact and smooth. To get every change in fingering exact and smooth, you must practice VERY SLOWLY, concentrating on each pitch change so that are no "bumps" between notes. That comes from exact coordination of the fingers, and by LAYING the fingers down or PICKING them up, not slapping them down or flinging them up.
I don't know of any recordings of scales that demonstrate this, but listen to a recording of Ricardo Morales's playing.
B.
P.S. Again and again, SLOW! Not many people, especially students, have the patience to repeatedly practice slowly enough for long enough to develop fine legato playing. But speed comes later, not first.
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Author: hartt
Date: 2014-09-19 10:14
Attaining fluidity of scales............arpeggios/thirds, etc. is addressed in detail in many readily available books. A few that come to mind are:
Bonade Workbook ......... Larry Guy
Hand and Finger Development ..... Larry Guy
Clarinet Method .... Carmine Campione
Clarinet Method vol. 1 and 2 ....... Leion Russianoff
Clarinet and Clarinet Playing .....David Pino
Clarinet Secrets.......Michele Gingras (Utube videos)
Clarinet Teachings /Eastman...........Stan Hasty
Velocity Studies for Clarinet (several bks) .......kal Opperman
These are but guidelines, the learning is yours.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-09-19 15:06
In addition to the above comments, I'd say that RHYTHM is also an essential element. We define pulse by the length of each sound we make over time. As an easy example let's take a quarter note at the designated speed of a quarter note equals 60 beats per minute. Each legato note would be exactly 1.00 seconds long (no more no less). If you played a series like this: 1.00, .98, 1.01, .94, 1.00 - that would be an example of BAD rhythm.
So as long as every note in whatever pulse you are playing is the SAME length of sound across time, you have GOOD RHYTHM and built-in smoothness.
The good news is that if you are really listening to yourself (and your memory is good enough to recall the length of the very last note you played) this is REALLY easy!
The bad news is that for some reason we put 'stuff' in the way of this simple feedback loop: thinking about fingering, thinking about embouchure, thinking about breathing, tapping our feet, trying to be relaxed, trying not to be tense - and we forget to listen, or remember, or both.
............Paul Aviles
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2014-09-19 17:50
You churn your own butter. As others have said, you do it with very slow practice **with a metronome**.
At the audition, play a little slower than your best speed. If they want it faster, they'll ask.
Slow and accurate is always better than fast and sloppy.
Also, play scales as music. Make the phrase go from the beginning to the end in an unbroken line.
Ken Shaw
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Author: clarinetist04
Date: 2014-09-19 22:21
Aw, Ken beat me to it.
PRACTICE is the answer. WITH A METRONOME for evenness.
Perfect practice makes perfect.
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Author: locke9342
Date: 2014-09-20 00:44
Would it be okay for me to upload a vid of me playing my scales and have you critique me? If I can where should I upload and should I just post a link?
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Author: Philip Caron
Date: 2014-09-20 02:40
I don't know of any videos of fine scale playing, but theYoutube video of Karl Leister playing the last movement of the Weber Quintet may be applicable. The final section, around the 5:30 mark, is as fine an example of jeu perle playing as I've ever heard on clarinet.
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Author: locke9342
Date: 2014-09-20 04:09
What about tonging for our all state you have to tongue up and slur down. I often get out of sync and get that horrible stutter, whats the best way to get rid of that?
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Author: phlukefenny
Date: 2014-09-20 04:31
i would not upload any of your playing unless you have a good quality mic (at least) because it is hard to hear any good quality of playing unless you have the proper equipment for youtube and such. just my opinion.
lucas
note... my image on my profile is my senior pic from highschool
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