 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Wayne
Date: 2001-06-18 03:16
I've been playing for four months (last two months with lessons) and I'm still having trouble cleanly hitting notes above high A. I can do allright, with what I think is good support and lots of air leaking around my embochure. My teacher mentioned that lots of good players play that way - making alot of noise (air) with their embochure. Seems strange, and about 60% effective : (
What's the best single thing to concentrate on when trying to hit these notes cleanly. Besides Relaxing !!!!
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Author: joevacc
Date: 2001-06-18 03:46
I like to practice long tones chromatically up from low E to as high as I can play that day and back down again.
Set your metronome very slow, say about 48 bpm and play 8 beats of E than F etc.. Going chromatically helps getting to the next note and will help you <i>HEAR</i> the next note before you play it, which is very important.
This will also build your embouchure and the air support necessary to get way up there.
Of course your mileage may vary ;~)
Good Luck and have fun,
-=[Joe Vacc]=-
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Author: Jim
Date: 2001-06-18 03:59
At 4 months I wasn't even attempting the register break yet, that with class and private teachers. (I suspect teachers might have been more conservative in the early sixties, at least in Atlantic city!)
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Author: Rene
Date: 2001-06-18 05:28
From my limited knowledge, you are not supposed to leak air between mouthpiece and lips, not even in the highest range.
If by "not hitting cleanly" you mean flatness, you have probably not yet a strong enough embouchure and air support for this range. Especially, if you are playing double lip (not contacting the mouthpiece - or a pad - from above with the teeth), it will take some time to build up the necessary lip and breath control (notice the word "control" instead of "brute force"). If these tones are on pitch, but sound disturbed and nasty, your reed is too soft or too old. If they squeek, the clarinet may leak somewhere around the A key, or you have too much mouthpiece in your mouth.
In general, stay patient!
Rene
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 2001-06-18 07:56
Although a flutist, Michel Debost's page has very informative articles in
Flute Talks especially Isometric/Appogio singing method.
Different from what beginners think, air should be used effectively and economically. That seems what he tries to say.
http://www.oberlin.edu/~mdebost/
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Author: Dee
Date: 2001-06-18 11:21
In my opinion, you shouldn't be playing this high this soon.
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Author: jerry
Date: 2001-06-18 17:34
I have been playing (term loosly used) for 10 months and have not been officially introduced to the register key. I have experimented on my own, although I do try to avoid it and concentrate on the lesson at hand.
My teacher has seen (heard) Eddie Daniels play, and says that he has air leaks, etc. that can be heard, that are not removed electronically like they would be if you are listening to a CD.
However, like you say, this seems to be inefficient. But, if you have the lung capacity..........
~ jerry
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2001-06-18 19:33
Jerry,
That's a particularly long time to go before using a register key. I'm sure your teacher has a reason, but it still is longer than most.
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Author: jerry
Date: 2001-06-19 01:13
Mark,
There is a reason of sorts: I have changed teachers twice -- I'm on the third one. Each time, the new one starts me over. I've been with this teacher now since mid Feb. We move slowly in the Rubank Methods book because I have not yet been able to grasp the "counting". Hence, the lessons come very slowly. I think my teacher has given up on my counting though. He says I sound OK occasionally, by not tapping my foot. I'll get it though.
~ jerry
Still in Clarinet Boot Camp
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Author: Sara
Date: 2001-06-19 02:19
To Jerry~
I can't count to save my life sometimes! I've been with same teacher fro all four years that I've been playing and he still hasn't given up on it, but, you see its perfect after I've heard the rythms for the first time, and I can usually sit down at home and count and sing the rythms to myself and do fine, most of the time. Sometimes, I just play what I think will sound good, and it usually does but its nothing like what written on the page!!
Sara
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 2001-06-19 02:36
There are two segments of teachers.
One teaches everything to the students especially when he/she seems prospective. Another teaches step by step.
Maybe good teachers will mingle these two depending on the students. IMHO.
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Author: Mike Harrelson
Date: 2001-06-19 03:36
This may sound too simple but give yourself more time. Four months is only the start of your journey. If playing clarinet were that easy we wouldn't have anything to talk to each other about on this board.
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Author: Jim
Date: 2001-06-19 04:25
Jerry,
It sounds like you really could benefit from counting exercises apart from playing. If you tap or clap the patterns from the Rubank book at various tempi, you would be able to concentrate on time and not be bothered with the mechanics of playing. Get your teacher to count aloud with you. Lacking all of that, perhaps take a lesson with a percussion teacher. Its been a long time since I've seen the Elementary Rubank book (and I don't want to look for it!) but I don't remember the rythmns being all that difficult in the section before the register key notes are introduced. (The counting does get much more difficult later in the series.)
(Since you use the tag "Still in clarinet boot camp" perhaps you need a drill sargeant!)
Best to you and keep on playing!
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Author: jenna
Date: 2001-06-19 04:42
Jer -
Counting, bah.. clarinet players don't need that! Seriously, though, I'm a terrible counter. Like Sara, I often have to hear the rhythm, then I can mimick it with no problem. I once had a conversation with a guy, though, about how counting was all simple math (wow, huh?). That sounds dumb, but I can't explain it. You would have had to listen to this guy's explanation because he really made counting make sense. I'll see if I can get hi to write the whole concept down, then I'll email it to you. Good luck in the meantime, and I'm sorry I haven't mailed in awhile, things are busy busy!
And back to the subject at hand..
I can't imagine playing that high just 4 months into my clarinet experience. I started playing clarinet in like November of the year i was in 4th grade. It was a huge accomplishment when I was the first of the group to play over the break by the next Christmas (I played a solo that went all the way up to a D - You have no idea how proud I was). Maybe you should just give yourself some time. I find when I stop worrying so much about hitting a certain note, and just work on other things, I can go back and magically it works much better. Kind of the putting it away for a week method.
jenna
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Author: SALT
Date: 2001-06-19 08:36
The thing I don't like about mimicking a rhythm like Sara and Jenna said is that you're depending on someone else to figure things out for you and you yourself are just becoming, in essence, a trained monkey. If a rhythm always has to be told to you then you'll never move past that point because somewhere along the way a new rhythm is more than likely to pop up and you may need to figure it out for yourself but if you can't and nobody's there to help you then you're just stuck. That's my two cents.
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Author: jerry
Date: 2001-06-19 12:00
SALT, et al.
That's *exactly* the reason my teacher insists on the "counting" -- he does not want me to learn by rote. Since we are following the Rubank method, this makes sense because Rubank has not titled the music his book. You have to play it to recognize it.
Thanks for everyone's input but it looks like we are getting away from Wayne's topic.
~ jerry
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Author: JC
Date: 2001-06-19 18:11
I did have a teacher once who leaked a lot of air while playing ... he was a music student in college , I think a freshman or junior, so he wasn't professional or anything, but it does seem awfully inefficient to me too.
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