 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Alta
Date: 2001-10-16 21:02
I've thoroughly enjoyed this site for about a year now and as I gain more confidence with the clarinet, I'm finally ready to come out of "lurkdom".
In September 1999, my husband and I started a community band in the southwest suburbs of Chicago. After a year of doing adminstrative stuff (attendance, signing out music, designing flyers, posters, programs, doing fund-raising, etc), I realized that the musicians were having lots more fun than I was. With a clear need in the clarinet section (and having played piano for many years), I decided, at the ripe old age of nearly 48, to learn the clarinet, with my personal goal to play in the band's holiday concert for my 50th birthday (Dec 2002). I was too ignorant of the instrument to know any better (I think it's much more difficult than piano ever was) but I love the looks, the sound, the range, just everything about it.
Except those high notes. Right now, I can get to G6 but it's not a clean, clear sound. From about F6 up (based on the little pic at the top of this BB), I hear sort of airy sounding low overtones, subtle but enough to drive me crazy. My teacher says I'm biting down but I've tried to become very conscious of this and I don't think I am. If I could get those notes clear just once, I could figure out what I'm doing.
Any ideas? Thanks for your help. And by the way, I've learned tons from all of you here since I began a year ago. You're all pretty nice folks.
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Author: Filipe
Date: 2001-10-16 22:57
I don't know if you tried it already, but do a search on the words "high notes"
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Author: Dee
Date: 2001-10-17 01:51
If you are already hitting the F6 you are very much farther than most people would be. In general, notes above C6 wouldn't be tackled until sometime in your second year of study. It takes time to develop the necessary stability of both embouchure and air support to play these notes well. So I think it is more a matter of just more time before they play well for you. However focus on good air support with a focused air stream. Also play a lot of long tones on the lower notes to develop good control that will eventually lead to good high notes.
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Author: Jeanne
Date: 2001-10-17 03:15
I'm confused. I read on the fingering chart off of this site that clarinet can only got up to G5. The way you are talking, it can go up to G7. HUH?
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Author: Richard Fong
Date: 2001-10-17 06:58
Try these 2, first to get a harder reed. Next, play the note octave lower... remember the tone, try to "think" the octave higher, then, play the octave higher.
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Author: Alta
Date: 2001-10-17 14:40
There always seems to be so much confusion about note naming conventions, that I decided to use the picture at the top of this BB page as a reference. So, the F that I'm talking about is the F that would be 4 spaces above the staff.
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Author: Stephen Froehlich
Date: 2001-10-17 15:00
Alta, if you're getting any tone above High C at this point - you're doing great in that department. In terms of range, you're in good shape to take on the 3rd clarinet part in the community band, IMO. If you don't feel safe playing concerts, at least rehearse, there's no quicker way to learn what you need to. Besides, playing the chalmeau (low) range at the volumes 3rds have to will teach you good intonation, breath, and embouchre support. Forget this Dec, 2002 stuff, let's aim for Dec 2001! Who says you have to be 50 first?
For the moment, I would concentrate on other goals, such as improving tone, practcing scales, and cleaning articulation. I can't remember - what's the scale book that everyone likes because it isn't just plain boring? Also can people recommend a good etude book for Alta?
Alta, do you have a teacher? Have you asked the top players in your community band if they could help or recommend someone?
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Author: Alta
Date: 2001-10-17 16:01
Thanks for your kind words and encouragement, Stephen. I do have a great teacher, a professional here in Chicago, and we never get very far from scales, arpeggios, thirds and sixths. He's rather brutal when it comes to those exercises - I'm using Baermann 3 for that, and when the notes are so high that I can't reach them cleanly, we just cut a chunk of notes out for now. Truthfully, I'm the one putting the pressure on myself for those high notes but I just hate having to cut out at the high D on a G major scale.
Actually, I just began rehearsing with the band at the beginning of September. It's very difficult learning an instrument and learning how to play in a band at the same time but I'm doing OK with Grade 3 pieces - more than that is a struggle. My biggest problem is hearing everything else going on around me, especially when 3rd clarinets are doubling the trombone or sax parts - it gets very confusing. My next biggest problem is speed but I just don't play those pieces - I know that will come in time.
Recommendations for a good etude book are more than welcome. Also, I learn a lot doing duets with my teacher so if anyone has some good ideas for that, please let me know.
I'm lucky enough to have a lesson at lunchtime on Wednesday right across the street from where I work, so I'm off shortly.
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Author: Stephen Froehlich
Date: 2001-10-17 19:53
If you have a good teacher - you're pretty much set. There is no quicker way to learn than jumping in over your head. The high notes will come with time. You'll learn good breath support playing the lower notes. The scales and arpeggios are more key to clarineting than hitting the high notes. This is why your teacher is concentrating on them.
It will take some time (took me years) to get to the point where I was doing all of the following OK in ensembles:
- Playing the written notes
- Tuning to those around me
- Looking ahead in the part so I have time to look up at the director and anticipate things like dynamics and phrasing
- Finding where I was when I look back down (its its own skill)
I stopped playing for a couple years and found that I've backslid on many of these skills more than just fingering the notes. I'm picking them up again, but slowly. The point of the community band you founded is to edify the community and the players. You seem to be at a point where you can begin to make a contribution to the music. You will quickly find that you are able to make better and better ones. Also, don't be afraid to bring your parts to your lessons if you're having trouble. Your teacher is there to help you with the day-to-day problems too, not just make you a better player in the long term.
As you have a teacher who can hear your sound and work with you, trust their advice over this board's. What this board provides, besides a community of encouragement, is a sanity check on any biases your teacher might have. (Clarinetting is not an exact science, and there are plenty of half-truths running around - I have seen most of them dispelled here.)
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Author: Sandra Franklin Habekost
Date: 2001-10-18 16:10
Re: High notes. Practice using a consistent embouchure at all times and with all notes. Keep chin flat and pointed. Try playing a lower note and simply moving your register key up and down with "consistent embouchure" in mind. (ie playing low e below the staff to middle line b and back up to e). Also, concentrate on your breath support. If you can practice a few minutes every day, it's better than 1 or 2 x's a week until your muscles (embouchure) are toned. If you are fatigued, stopped. You will "bite more" when you are fatigued. Good luck!
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2001-10-18 17:07
Also, be sure you're using a good mouthpiece. Get one from Greg Smith and you won't regret it. A good mouthpiece setup makes all the difference in playing those high notes well and in tune. They're worth every penny.
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Author: Rene
Date: 2001-10-19 06:13
You started clarinet at about the same time I did and I am just a little bit younger. I can play up to the F6 you mention with the problem being the C6-D6 transition, wich I rarely do really smoothely. The trick is to keep the reed open and blow hard enough at the same time. To do these tones pp is much more difficult, and a long way to learn. I can't really yet.
You won't need anything higher than F6, not even in first chair (I have to play that part in a community band in Germany). If you can get C6 in tune and nicely (check!), consider yourself as a fast starter. The problem in second or third chair will be the break from chalumau to clarion. So you should concentrate on that learning do triads over it, fast and smooth.
Have fun (I certainly have),
Rene
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Author: Alta
Date: 2001-10-19 15:01
Thanks to all for your help. Somehow, I'm very fortunate to almost naturally play in tune (at least as my teacher measures me against a tuner). C6 to F6 are in tune and then I go 20 cents flat (beats me!) at F# and then back in tune at G6. Still don't like those airy sounding tones up there but I'm trying all your suggestions.
Rene, how do you play first chair in only a little more than a year? Have you played other wind instruments? We've had people in our band quit because the section leader put them on third but I'm thrilled to play any part.
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Author: Brad
Date: 2001-10-21 05:11
Dear Alta,
I think I should be able to comfort you in that you have learned practically all the notes that I have to play in concert band. I'm the 1st chair in my high school band, and the first part this year (I think we play standard concert repertoire) doesn't require any notes above G6 (that is, the highest G normally played on clarinet). If you are able to get up there, even most first clarinet parts should not give you trouble. We're playing the Esprit de Corps, so the highest part for us anyway is a 5 note run from C to G and back down. Yeah, it's pretty fast, but manageable, along with a couple of high F's thrown in quickly. You definitely will be in shape for 2002!
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