 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: SarahC
Date: 2016-02-15 13:57
Hi all, I can play up to altissimo G, and after that i can't get a note.. (i can get a squark...).. i have tried tougher reeds, different mouth pieces, different clarinets.. and i still get stuck there..
i have a selmer c85 and a vandoren 5rv... (and a cheapy from china, and an armstrong... )
hoping someone has a tip.. as my range doesn't seem to change no matter what reed/ligature/mouthpiece i use...
thanks in advance
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Author: kdk
Date: 2016-02-15 16:57
SarahC wrote:
> Hi all, I can play up to altissimo G, and after that i can't
> get a note.. (i can get a squark...)..
Are you sure that "squark" isn't the note? Just out of tune?
Karl
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2016-02-15 17:21
Hi Sarah, you may wish to email me. This could require a lot of questions and email playing attachments from hearing you play. Maybe even a few short video clips of your embouchure might be needed.
In college one of the things I did was play a lot of violin etudes, because there's simply not enough clarinet etudes that tackle this; violin music goes above high G and even about high C. At one point I could go about high C then hit the D and the E, but I'm way out of practice now so high C is my limit and I'd need to practice about a week to hit that without fear. The hard part was figuring out the fingerings that work for your setup, the mouthpiece, mouthpiece facing and tip opening, the reeds, and most importantly the horn. I think there's at least 4 or 5 different fingerings for the G; getting the G to play in tune. So if the G is a really fast passage I'd use one fingering. If I was having to tune with the flutes, which tune sharp and have to hold the G I'd use a different fingering, then you have a chromatic scale, with a bassoon or some other instrument an octave apart. It gets nuts, because you may need to play on the flatter side. Get this, I have to use the right hand D# pinky on the Bb clarinet, but not on the A clarinet. It probably has to do with the different barrels. Not sure.
GREAT QUESTION!
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2016-02-15 22:35
For me the situation is usually one of biting. This is a tough nut to crack because the small vibrations of the higher notes as you progressively go up, seem to work better (at first) as you apply more pressure (because you are getting what little reed that needs to vibrate closer to the tip rail). Of course at some point you run out of tip opening.
I would suggest trying to relax a bit after you pass the third ledger "E." Also it helps to work the "A/E" first. Once you have a good third ledger "E" going; just give a quick increase in air to "pop up" to the "A." Once up there, the embouchure/air should be about the same up to the "C." One more thing (as odd as this sounds) would be to use JUST THE third left hand finger (no register; no thumb) for the "Bb" just above the "A." this one should pop right out and getting to the "B" and "C" above that should be cake.
..............Paul Aviles
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Author: SarahC
Date: 2016-02-16 00:17
Bob as I said in the last thread. U r lovely!
I can make a youtube video and send u a link later on today (doing my sons practise atm)
Althoguh Paul u r right, I am tryin to squeeze my lips so tight (like I would on flute) to speed up air. I tried overblowing the e, the first two ttimes I got the a, then the next two I sort of got a multiphonic, and then the next time just got the hiss (of a multiphonic not working)
I tried to go up to B and I got that same lack of b, and some lower tone that was maybe an out of tune G.
:)
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2016-02-16 21:47
Could be your pinching but I think it's your voicing. Voicing to high. If you're getting the High E OK try this. As your sustaining the E, 2nd and 3rd finger in the LH with Pinky Ab -Eb key in RH, just lift the 2nd finger in the LH without changing anything. This is a way to slur the E to the A so it might come out easy for you if you don't pinch to much or choke. If you can get it and sustain it and try to feel how you're voicing it. It's a little like singing a very high not, there's a feeling in your throat and tongue placement that you have to recognize to copy. Yes, we otfen need to support those high notes buy slightly pinching but the important word is "slightly". Some people more than others but it's usually a voicing problem in my experinece.
ESP eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: SarahC
Date: 2016-02-16 22:53
You are all wonderful.
I can quite reliably get the A now. Being a bit more relaxed. And slurring from the lower note to the harmonic. I tried some alternate fingerings on the B and can sometimes get it.
BUT I got a new really cheap mouth piece off ebay (so I could let others blow my clarinet without ruining my good mouthpiece).. it gets those notes so much easier than my 5RV!!!!
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Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2016-02-16 23:08
Are you taking in enough mouthpiece?
How do you know if you are taking in enough mouthpiece you might ask.
Take in mouthpiece until you squeak on notes you normally hit. Now back off a tad until that squeaking stops.
That's enough mouthpiece.
While there are many factors that go into hitting notes in the stratosphere, taking in enough mouthpiece, which is microns before which you'd squeak on regular notes or compromise your sound, is a starting point.
If nothing else, doing this will rule out whether you hitting high notes is a product, in part or whole, of how much of the mouthpiece you take in. Likely, your problem though is multifactorial.
As far as mouthpiece changes go, I find the CLX (X=4, 5, or 6) series of Vandoren mouthpieces, with their relatively shorter facing to be good mouthpieces for getting high notes on. Of course, mouthpiece acquisition is NOT a one attribute kind of thing. In other words, don't compromise other factors more to get other desired attributes in a mouthpiece.
Inspiration:
Petraglio just before he hits a double high C in one of the of Spohr Clarinet concertos:
https://youtu.be/FjSHuvcs0a4?t=3m28s
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2016-02-17 04:55
Quote:
Are you taking in enough mouthpiece?
How do you know if you are taking in enough mouthpiece you might ask.
Take in mouthpiece until you squeak on notes you normally hit. Now back off a tad until that squeaking stops.
That's enough mouthpiece. I've always used this as a measure of enough mouthpiece, but always had trouble vocalizing how to do it. This way is awesome.
I'd also throw in some voicing exercises/register jumping exercises. For example, play a long B (all fingers down clarion). Now with your throat and tongue, you should be able to hit all sorts of partials above that with that same fingering and be able to play bugle calls on the clarinet. Reveille, Taps, Retreat, Charge, whatever.
Also, you should be able to hit at least one register jump up at any time without hitting the appropriate register key. For example, finger left hand C. Just below the staff. You can work on jumping it to a G above the staff without hitting the register key. THen finger and play that G. YOu can jump it to an E without lifting your index finger. This will get you used to voicing the proper partial you want to hit before your fingers make the movements.
Funny aside-I worked on these exercises a lot. To the point where sometimes (VERY rarely, but sometimes), I will be playing or practing a clarinet line, and realize half-way through I'm not holding the register key. But my voicing is set up well enough it comes out fine and it takes me a second to notice.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: seabreeze
Date: 2016-02-17 05:01
A particular transcription of Prokofiev's flute sonata requires the clarinetist to remain uncomfortably long in the altissimo register. It's inspiring to listen to a clarinetist who can STAY up there with depth and ring to the tone, in tune, and no apparent strain. Chen Halevi accomplishes this and more in his performace on YouTube. Search for Halevi and Shaban Playing the Prokofiev Sonata for Clarinet and Piano on Youtube.
It helps to get the sound in your ear of an expert clarinetist playing with evident comfort and musicality for sustained periods in that register. You don't get a chance to hear this very much, because most clarinetists would rather avoid long extended passages up there and just do the quick showy climaxes to the high note at the end, as in the Sphor or the Artie Shaw Clarinet Concerto.
A good study book that helps you learn to voice the high notes is Paul Drushler's "The Altissimo Register--A Partial Approach for Bb Clarinet" Von Cott has these new and a few used are available on Amazon.com. Working diligently with these exercises (and additional help from Tom Ridenour's altissimo fingering book) will help you play the altissimo notes in tune with a robust sound the way Halevi does on the Prokofiev!
To get the high notes just right (clean in entrance, full-bodied in sound, well-tuned) you ultimately will have to find your ideal tongue position, probably highly arched in the oral cavity. I've heard Jose Franch-Ballester give some effective master classes on this point (he also stresses taking in enough mouthpiece--as Dave has above), and you can catch just a snippet of Franch-Ballester's advice on YouTube if you search for Tongue Positioning with Jose Franch Ballester.
To get where you want to be, though, you will probably have to find a local teacher who can guide you in person.
Post Edited (2016-02-17 17:46)
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Author: Philip Caron
Date: 2016-02-17 06:33
As seabreeze says, try to make altissimo tones sound sweet and full. The effort will reveal useful things about embouchure, voicing, and sound.
Experimenting on my own and noodling unsystematically in practice, I've gotten comfortable sound-wise up through altissimo C (C7.) I can assemble the clarinet cold and play a decent C7 as the first note. No extra pressure or effort required. Pretty good up through E7. I can hit or have hit the notes from F7 through C#8, but am still working on making those usable. No teacher (though having one would undoubtedly help.) And I'm nobody - what I can do, anyone can.
Persistence is the key. Plus the assumption that anything is possible on the clarinet, even if it's not.
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Author: Napat Techa.
Date: 2016-02-17 11:49
For me, Practice the harmonic notes , such as play c and try to play g without pressing octave key . Once you can play g , try to reach altissimo E and A without pressing octave key.The harmonic notes will make the upper register and altissimo more focus and reach the higher altissimo.
...Sorry for my bad English...
Thank you !!!!!
Intermediate clarinetist . Buffet Crampon RC . Nick Solist M Mouthpiece. V12 3.5. Ishimori gold plated ligature and Rovner Versa ligature.
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Author: Burt
Date: 2016-02-18 23:25
I find that extending my lower jaw helps. It's a variation of "taking more mouthpiece in the mouth". Since I don't have perfect pitch, I play a lower note, such as an octave below the desired note, to know what note I'm trying to hit.
My standard configuration is NOT optimized for high notes, but I can hit A consistently and can usually hit up to C. With the other configuration listed, I hit D fairly consistently. Nothing I do makes me consistent on Eb.
Going from E up to A, I add RH Ab/Eb, RH ring finger and LH F#/C# for intonation and to time the change.
The only piece I've seen that goes above A is the Artie Shaw concerto.
Ridenour 576be (Buffet pre-R13 is better for high notes)
Vandoren M30 mpc (not as good as previous custom facing for high notes)
Legere 3.5 reed (not as good as Legere signature 3.75 or Canyes Xilema for high notes)
Luyben ligature (I don't know whether others are better or worse).
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Author: SarahC
Date: 2016-02-18 23:43
I am taking my clarinet in for a repair today, and I am on my phone so I can't see who said what. But already just taking the advice on here I can sometimes get the A and B. Haven't managed a C yet. I took in a bit more mouth piece, focused on the "vertical oval" shape,
My clarinet is rattling (I just had it serviced twice.. that is when the rattle started. I am going to take it to someone in the city today, so maybe that will make a difference to.
I feel so honoured to have all these amazing replies. I won't be able to get a facew to face lesson with my teacher for another 2 weeks. So still going it on my own!!
Thanks so much.
(sorry if I haven't replied as quickly as is good manners, had a traumatic week. Still in survival mode)
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Author: JonTheReeds
Date: 2016-02-19 00:54
I found this useful
http://www.niu.edu/gbarrett/resources/altissimo.shtml
--------------------------------------
The older I get, the better I was
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Author: SarahC
Date: 2016-02-19 22:55
Hi everyone, I am very appreciative. I recently got my clarinets serviced, and since then the high notes have been harder to get than before. Even the ones I could get seemed harder. So I took them to a different repairer, and he told me they were leaking like sieves! And even he had trouble playing the third register notes!!!!!!!!!! So maybe the problem isn't me. Sadly it will be a while before he can get to fixing my clarinet. But hey. At least I can stop stressing. I can get the A thanks to the advice here, and A is all I need for grade 8 scales and pieces.
Thanks everyone!
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Author: Napat Techa.
Date: 2016-02-23 16:11
Copland and Martino , Spohr also have the many high notes ...
Copland reaches high bflat (as I remember ) and in the original
reaches more than that . Martino reaches high B . Spohr reaches
high C . Overtones can help you ....
...Sorry for my bad English...
Thank you !!!!!
Intermediate clarinetist . Buffet Crampon RC . Nick Solist M Mouthpiece. V12 3.5. Ishimori gold plated ligature and Rovner Versa ligature.
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Author: Agomongo
Date: 2016-02-24 08:26
I found out that I was taking in too much lower lip. Try a little less...
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