 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Kim Parsons
Date: 2001-07-23 04:20
I am a third year university student that was recently told that I use my air like a wet sponge. I completly understand the concept - that I basicaly release everything at once - but I am at a loss at how to fix it. I have read articles on the difference between using "warm" air and "cold" air, changing the tonge position and pushing from the diaphragm but I can't seem to get any of these things to make a difference on the instrument. Any advice or different techniques would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks :-)
Kim
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2001-07-23 13:15
More AIR PRESSURE, and more lip (dare I say a wee tiny support form the teeth also) pressure, so that the reed spends more time more closed and hence lets less air past.
For more air pressure you need strength in abdominal muscles. More blowing up balloons, then blow up water balloons, then blow up the long skinny ones - Ah that's a challenge for many!
Shout more. Cough more, Sneeze more. Expell anything more!
More situps, or whatever they are called now.
Hang from a branch and repeatedly bring your knees to chest.
If these muscles and your diaphragm are strong it is no problem to have somebody stand on your belly while you lie on your back on the floor with your mouth and throat open. Talk while they are standing there.
Heard of Kiri Te Kanawa. Her teacher made her sing lying on the floor with a huge, old, heavy tape recorder on her abdomen. Her teacher was made a "Dame" for her success at teaching singers. (Dame Sister Mary Leo)
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Author: Jerry McD.
Date: 2001-07-23 14:14
I think what you need to do is concentrate on focusing your air stream. Think about blowing out birthday candles on a cake......that is 10 feet away! Or (this is a visual from my three year old) put a straw between your lips and see how long you can blow bubbles in a glass of milk through the straw. Also, try doing some breathing exercises. Use your metronome at about 60 and breath in for four counts, and exhale through pursed lips for four counts. You must completely expell your air in those four counts. Then inhale for 2 counts and exhale through pursed lips for 6 counts. Then inhale for 1 count and exhale through pursed lips for 7 counts. The eight counts is not a magic number, it is just a benchmark for paying attention to your metronome. I personally use some type of variation on 16. This works well on practicing long tones too.
Good luck!
Jerry McD.
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Author: David Pegel
Date: 2001-07-23 15:06
I haved the annoying habit (tuba-lungs) of taking in so much air that I suffocate before I use it all. I still have a half-lung full of air, but that was a few minuites ago. (This is exaggerating, I know, but the idea is the same.)
One director I knew had the band practice a technique on timing. She gave four counts at approx. 100 bpm, and the band was to inhale. They then had to exhale EVERYTHING in exactly 15 seconds. Then 30. Then a minute. (A few tried a minute and a half and almost killed themselves.) I never tried that through a straw, but when I took up clarinet that's what it felt like compared to low brass. So now I'm trying to adjust.
I guess my contra playing isn't helping much, is it? ;P
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Author: David Kinder
Date: 2001-07-23 16:20
Take a piece of paper and hold it against a wall. Then blow on it. Only use your air to keep it on the wall. This will help you focus your air stream. Don't repeat very quickly or you'll get really light headed.
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Author: Jim
Date: 2001-07-24 03:47
I've done many of these exercises as part of warmups in various choirs. It has always amazed me that instrumental directors generally don't do this even though breath control is as crucial to wind instrumental players as it is to singers.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2001-07-24 13:32
Kim, don't be fooled by people who tell you that yhou get flow by relaxing. They have not studied fluid dynamics.
It is absolutely basic to the dynamics of fluid flow (Bernoulli was the guy who clarified it all) that you cannot have flow without pressure to drive it. It is pressure that creates the flow.
Some people are not actually conscious of the pressure they exert so they think it does not exist.
Or else they distend their belly so far (from LACK of muscle use) that the soft tissues of front of the abdomen just give (uncontrolled) support (i.e. hold the gut from bursting out) while the player aquires air pressure by tightening (NOT relaxing) intercostal (i.e. between the ribs) muscles.
Remember: No air pressure - no flow. A fact of life. Ask any physics/mechanics graduate.
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Author: ClarinetBoy
Date: 2001-07-25 00:04
of course there is pressure and tension as well, but doing excercises like squeasing and building up abdominal muscles only superimposes it. It should be natural and the only 'pressure', resistance, should come from the reed not the body... More importantly getting stuck into all this only takes away from what we are trying to do which is create music! Sing!, and play music.... don't get stuck and get 'paralysis by analysis'.
It is true you cannot play without some form of tension and or pressure but the less the better....
make the music come first....
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Author: David Pegel
Date: 2001-07-25 03:11
Gordon from New Zealand, ClarinetBoy, In my own odd insane way I agree with you both simultaneously.
I guess, to clear that up... In a way that is nearly impossible to explain, I found out that you both were speaking the truth about the same topic.
So here's my adivce.
Kim,
Don't be fooled by extremists. Just look at all of the advice, practice ALL the things above, and find what's best for you. Every person is different after all. (Hey, maybe that was the whole basis of my insane compromise.)
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2001-07-25 05:58
"building up abdominal muscles only superimposes it." Superimposes... I'm not sure what you are getting at. Bt many people have very weak abdominals indeed. The DO need to build them up. Perhaps you use yours, Carinet Boy, without knowing it. After all you seem to think analysis is paralysis. Yes, some people float through life with no analysis or understanding, just relying on chance to find what works, but for many people the knowledge that comes from some analysis is the road to power in solving a huge array of problems efficiently, leading to life in a far more enriched plane. They may even enjoy their 'singing' and 'playing' more as a result. 'Paralysis by analysis' may be a cute cliche but all of us are absolutely dependent on analysis to live in this modern world. So was thge cave man in his world.
Kim originally said "Any advice or different techniques would be greatly appreciated" if your answer is to "Sing and play music" it is possibly not so helpful. The request was for HOW to sing and play.
"It is true you cannot play without some form of tension and or pressure but the less the better.... " Tension is the condition in the muscle(s) which causes the pressure of the air in our bodies to be raised. This pressure is transferred to our blood and hence most parts of out body. There are many. many, muscles involved in preventing this pressure from making soft parts bulge all over our bodies, the most notable perhaps being the cheeks. This IS tension and it is in all muscles concerned. Without this tension NO air pressure would exist inside the mouth and NO air would pass the reed.
I think what we can agree on is that there is no point in having any more muscle tension than is NECESSARY fo any given task. I assert that considerable tension IS necessary for good clarinet playing, simply because at least some notes need considerable air flow through a rather small gap.
The word 'tension', unfortunately has negative connotations, which is why I used the word 'pressure'. 'Tension', when refering to an airflow system means the 'pulling' forces in the container that stop it from stretching or bursting. All other parts are under compression. Every player plays has this tension. Perhaps your meaning for 'tension' is worry and muscles fighting eachother. Because I understand what to do to get a result, and am not paralysed by analysis, I have none of this tension.
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 2001-07-26 07:40
Buy a Breath Buidler. ttp://users.cybercity.dk/~dko11505/introduction.html
This was invented by a famous Tuba player at Chicago.
p.s. I am not a Breath Builder salesman.
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 2001-07-26 07:44
As ClarinetBoy refered to his site. No language necessary, just try to keep the ball float. Simple and cheap.
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 2001-07-26 07:55
If you like to know the anatomy of breathing. This page is recommended written by a professional hornist. In short there are two muscles related. If one is relaxed, the other should be relaxed.
http://freespace.virgin.net/pip.eastop/html/breath.htm
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2001-07-26 16:42
An excellent explanation in this site, Hiroshi.
The only thing that is missing (perhaps deliberately) is the role of the intercostal muscles. But a couple of things written make me wonder if the author actually understands the role of the intercostals in inhalation, i.e. I believe, from studying my own body, that the rib cage can be expanded usiing intercostals WITHOUT the use of the diaphragm. I would like a second opinion on whether the diaphragm is responsible for lifting the rib cage. To me it does not SEEM to make mechanical/pneumatic sense, and the system is essentially a mechanical/pneumatic one.
And you will all be relieved that I agree also with his final paragraph. But that does not seem to be what Kim asked for.
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Author: ClarinetBoy
Date: 2001-07-27 06:04
By the way the Breath Builder was invented/developed by Bassoonist Harold Hansen of Las Vegas, Nevada. Not Jacobs, Jacobs did promote and use the Breath Builder a lot during teaching, as well as using other numerous devices.
see: < http://www.windsongpress.com/use/Use_Devices.htm>
ClarinetBoy
p.s: I am not a breath-builder salesman either although you can buy it here
http://store.yahoo.com/omi/breathbuilder.html
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2001-07-29 15:14
The qualities that can be possessed by moving air, using long established and defined terms, are density, speed, flow, pressure, and turbulence (and cavitation, which does not apply here). I don't think I have missed any. They are all related in known and well-documented ways.
It is a shame that the writer of the windsongpress site above has confused the issues by not using these terms, but introducing other non-recognised terms ("....a much thicker quality of air. Very frequently the air column is just too thin...".
These are not defined by the writer in terms of recognised terms, hence making some statements quite ambiguous or meaningless.
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