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Re: Pinky Tuscadero

Author: SecondTry
Date: 2021-03-05 01:38

> Hi Second Try. A lagging left pinky isn't going to cause a squeak when moving > from D to C#, it will just cause C# to be late.

Hi Phillip. Thank you for your thoughts and time. You know, the problem I describe rarely manifests itself on more resistant reeds: so maybe I am closing off the reed in ways that manifests itself more on notes I'm having issue with.

I'm of the belief that clarinet is hard enough that playing on reeds that are too strong for me isn't the solution. I'm kind of a of a Vandoren 3 kinda guy in strength, and that's on a relatively closed Vandoren M15 mouthpiece. One of my favorite quotes if from Mark Nuccio, who promotes playing on the softest reed that doesn't interfere with your artistry. Making it up to C6 is impossible, even if sometimes I have to snug a bit more mouthpiece to do so.

Speaking of mouthpieces I've tried more open facing ones with some success addressing this issue, but like stronger reeds, I don't want to work harder to make my sound, particularly because I like to play double lip when a significant amount of rest time (to recover) occurs in ensemble work, as opposed to etudes and solos practiced on my own time, which are single lip played.

I should have added up front, but wrongly forgot to, that assuming a double lip embouchure temporarily can help alleviate these issues...and yet, I really don't think I am biting. Perhaps I can take in more mouthpiece and that might address this, but I am already taking in the most I can (and I can take in more without squeaking if I remember to grab the mouthpiece on all sides) without squeaking or tonal compromise.

> You said you're satisfied that the ring finger doesn't move off the hole when
> the mishap occurs. Check your other left hand fingers, particularly the index
> finger. If your hand is rotating or otherwise moving, that can also slide a little
> bit off its hole. It's happened to me before.

I'm so glad you brought this up because it reminds me to include a detail I didn't initially. I can 100% guarantee you (and this anecdote may help you help me) that hole coverage is not at issue. I say this because if I pause, not moving a muscle in my hands, (including keeping the clarinet motionless in my mouth) and rearticulate a note that just squeaked, it voices without issue. Maybe my embouchure is subtly failing such that such brief rests I describe here are the difference between success and failure on producing some notes.

> Ideally the left hand remains in pretty much the same position at all times,
> though in practice some little changes tend to creep in. You might watch
> yourself in a mirror and see if that offers any clues when the mishap occurs.

I've tried and had family (albeit not clarinet players) watch.

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