 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: MsRoboto
Date: 2001-09-15 22:27
Well I looked around the board to see what people have to say on this subject and I couldn't find that much.
I am having a bad problem squeaking badly in the high register.
I am currently playing a B-45 lyre, Rovner ligature, Rico Grand Concert 3 1/2's (i've tried other reeds), and Buffet R-13.
My teacher played my clarinet last week with her moutpiece and she had no trouble getting up there. So I have to conclude that it is not the clarinet.
So any thoughts...
Thanks
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Author: Dee
Date: 2001-09-15 22:47
One possibility is that you may be trying to get the notes by biting rather than embouchure and breath support. High notes need a firm embouchure and strong air (even when played soft).
A firm embouchure does not mean biting. Think of the difference between mattresses. One is firm and the other is soft. Neither one of them squeezes you when you lie down on it but the firm one supports you while the soft one lets you sink in.
"Flabby" air support will make it difficult to get the air column vibrating correctly for the high notes. Then a person starts to bite or pinch trying to get the note out. That will tend to generate uncontrolled squeeks rather than proper notes.
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Author: Todd H.
Date: 2001-09-16 00:24
Maybe you are just barely opening a trill key or possibly not covering a finger hole fully, thus unintentionally venting and making it too easy to "squeak". This happens to me mostly from inattention!
What was your teachers' conclusion as to why you've gotten the squeaks?
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Author: MsRoboto
Date: 2001-09-16 00:52
I think the conclusion so far is that it's embouchure problems. I am supposed to be doing some register floats to try to help that.
Will try to pay more attention and strengthen up the embouchure - watching out not to bite.
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Author: Christoffer
Date: 2001-09-16 08:22
When I make unintentional squeaks, it is almost always because of lack of air support. Sometimes there is a vicious circle here: if I'm afraid I'm gonna squeak, I don't blow so hard, and to compensate for the weaker airstream, I start to pinch and bite. So blow, and do it properly; that means, not huffing and puffing like the big bad wolf, but blow with a concentrated, focused and determined airstream, firmly supported by the diaphragm.
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Author: Anji
Date: 2001-09-16 17:32
Like Gordo says, as much mouthpiece as feels comfortable, not so much that it produces squeaks.
May I suggest the Larry Guy series on intonation and embouchure training?
They detail a mental exercise of aiming the airstream and the necessary variance to get some of these notes to sound.
What would happen if you clipped the merest tip off one of your better reeds?
(Cheap experiment, anyway.)
anji
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Author: Peter
Date: 2001-09-18 15:27
I found that taking a llittle more of the mouthpiece in (not much) and firming up my embouchure when I go onto the higher registers helps me not to squeak. Ditto on the air issue.
I know others who told me an Optimum ligature has also helped them.
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Author: Feminist J
Date: 2001-09-18 22:29
Blame it on the reed!!!
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Author: Meri
Date: 2001-09-18 23:24
Two things:
1) Air--in both speed in support.
2) The angle of your instrument--you might be bringing it too close to your body or too far away, with the result that you end up altering your embouchure so that you get the squeaks..
Meri
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Author: MsRoboto
Date: 2001-09-21 22:16
Thanks everybody - I will keep trying and follow some of this advice.
Hey maybe it's the reed - lol
I think it's probably air / weak embouchure (or at least not staying steady).
I am also getting over my anchor tonguing problem which might not be helping here either.
Thanks all for the advice.
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