 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Gretchen
Date: 2001-07-24 03:14
Hey all,
I would love to learn how to play a big glisando up the clarinet, just like in Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue". Got any tips? I can slide between each note pretty well, but when it comes to putting it all together, it sounds really bad. I'd love to know what you guys do to achive a smooth glisando. got any tips? Thanks!
Gretch
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Author: clarinetfreak
Date: 2001-07-24 03:35
I think the most important thing is your voicing. Try bending high c, than b, and so far fourth. Keep going down (it'll get harder to do) and remember to control the whole gliss with you voicing. Saxaphones do this a lot (especially Donald Sinta's students)
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Author: Will Wysocki
Date: 2001-07-24 10:06
I've been working on my gliss for about 4 years all through high school, and even though it's not Benny Goodman quality, I can give you a few tips:
the most important thing is control of your embechoure (sp?). Without that, your gliss' will become nothing but mere squeaks, like I've suffered through so often on those high gliss' in Blue Shades. Basically, your embechoure should have a very fluid motion from firm, to limp, and back to firm again. It's really more of an experimental thing, much like tounging.
the secondary thing is what is commonly called "pickle fingering". Why it's called this, I have no idea, nor do I have a desire to find out =)
basically, I press down a little harder on the keys, and slowly slide my finger off in consecutive order, adjusting my embechoure accordingly so I don't loose control.
But I'm still working on gliss' over the break, so I will have a hard time explaining that one
but like I said, it's really an experimental thing. This was my experience of learning on my own for 4 years just goofing off here and there. Like all techniques, there's a certain way that works for different people, blah blah, yadda yadda, etc. But I hope I was of some help. ^_^
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Author: beejay
Date: 2001-07-24 14:53
Embouchure. The spelling is at the top of this page. Getting words right is as important as getting musical notes right.
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Author: kenabbott
Date: 2001-07-24 19:02
Will's assessment is correct, but I would add throat control as well. When you start to slide your fingers off of the tone holes, you will be able to prevent squeaking by changing the size of your throat cavity.
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Author: David Pegel
Date: 2001-07-24 19:25
I, personally, need help with my broken chromatic glissandos (Going up a scale chromatically so fast that it's almost a "true" glissando). My embouchure seems fine, but I have trouble getting my fingers to move quick enough. (I'm also the type of person that is so bad at speed that I have trouble playing a chromatic scale in 16th notes. My fingers fumble up.) Is there anything I can do to speed up my chromatic scale to the point where I can do things like this?
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Author: Will Wysocki
Date: 2001-07-25 03:15
Despite my bad spelling, I believe people know what I meant. Although I do find that a very interesting philosophy
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Author: Wes
Date: 2001-07-25 04:57
One must blow through the gliss with high, unwavering air pressure. In the first register, one can simply play a chromatic scale, while in the second register, one can slide the fingers off the keys in order. Air is perhaps the most important need.
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Author: Tim Sites
Date: 2001-07-26 19:51
Two points...
As you begin the glis, begin to "lip down the pitch". I know this seems counter intuitive, but as you drop your jaw significantly, the instrument becomes less sensitive to the irregularities of pulling your fingers off the keys. As you reach the midpoint of the glis you should be a 1/4 to a full 1/2 tone below the fingered pitch. Then as you reach the top, simply lip up the last note to its correct pitch.
On the Gershwin glis, it ends on a C. This creates a problem if you try to slide fingers 1,2 & 3 off smoothly in that you end up with either keeping your fingers on the rings (which makes for a flat C) or you must try to let the rings up smoothly enough so that you don't get a sudden change in pitch (not easy). What I do instead is to slide the 3rd finger and thumb (keeping the register key and thumb ring depressed) and keeping fingers 1 & 2 down. This will produce a good C on most instruments.
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