The Clarinet BBoard

The Clarinet BBoard The C4 standard

New Topic | Go to Top | Go to Topic | Search | Help/Rules | Smileys/Notes | Log In

Previous Message | Next Message

Re: Adult beginner help with register key

Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2017-02-27 05:46

I understand from your post that the teacher you're working with isn't primarily a clarinetist, if he plays it at all, and saxophone doesn't present nearly as much trouble with notes "above the break" because the fingers don't close the holes directly. Still, it's puzzling that he's so stumped that he seemingly can't help at all. What does he do with his beginners at school?

Tony is right - first you need to make sure the pads, especially the lower ones and even more especially the one that closes when you press the F/C key is actually covering the hole and not leaking. Can you play a low F3 (3 leger lines below the staff)? If that comes out clearly, then you've probably eliminated a serious leak as a cause.

If low F comes out solidly, ask our teacher to reach around and press the register key while you play it. If C comes out when you play F and he presses the register key, then the problem is most likely that one or more of your fingers are moving slightly off their holes when you press the register key yourself. If C doesn't come out with you playing F and the teacher opening the RK, then the problem is most likely to be a leak and some mechanical troubleshooting is in order.

You can also check the entire clarinet for mechanical problems if you turn the mouthpiece around so the tone holes face toward you and blow into the mouthpiece with your best embouchure while your teacher fingers the notes. If he can get around where you can't, then, again, it's most likely that your fingers are leaving holes partially open because you're somehow changing your hand position to press the register key.

The most likely hole you could be opening is the thumb hole. It needs to stay completely covered when you press the RK. Sometimes beginners rock or move the thumb too much and the bottom of the thumb hole opens. Other suspects, if that's not the issue, are the index fingers of each hand and the 4th fingers (next to the pinkies) of each hand.

I find that it can make the upper register notes easier to get used to if you start on F5 (top line of the staff) or G5 a step higher and work downward a note at a time instead of trying to go up from A4 to B4 or Bb4 to C5. Once you get the feel in your head, you can work on going upward over the "break" more easily than if the upward climb is your first experience with those notes.

Let us know what happens.

Karl

Reply To Message | Avail. Forums | Flat View

Newer Topic | Older Topic

Topics