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Re: smooth attack on middle B

Author: seabreeze
Date: 2022-09-30 06:46

Try other clarinetists' instruments. Do they give you the same trouble making smooth entrances on middle B?

If the trouble is with your clarinet, it could originate in leaky pads as others have suggested or it could be some debris clogging the register key vent. A good tech can best judge that.

If the rowdy entrances on B occur on all the clarinets you try, then you need, with the help of a good teacher, to track down 1) what you might be doing wrong, and 2) what you could be doing right to remedy it.

Just calling the B entrance an "attack" might be one thing you are doing wrong, The misnomer might have you tonguing too hard or on the wrong part of the reed, or not using the right syllable starting the tone. Experiment with "du," "dee," "thee," and "lee" to see if any of those brings about a friendlier entrance rather than an assault or attack.

On some clarinets the resonance and focus of middle B can be improved by opening the throat A key just a bit. if you anxiously expect the B to enter with a poor sound, you may be trying to compensate in some way that overstresses the note. If the B sounds better with the throat A open, you may relax more when you play it and the entrance may consequently sound softer and less abrupt.

Post Edited (2022-09-30 07:50)

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