 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Emms
Date: 2001-11-06 17:40
i've had a problem for quite a while with altissimo notes. I've been taught to bite to get them, but find this really hurts my lip. I've read the threads here, which say to relax to play these notes, but when i do, the notes sound really flat. Help!
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Author: Kyle
Date: 2001-11-06 20:35
My band dudes tell us to keep the same embocher (sp?) thing the same when we play high notes and low notes. And the area where the reed starts to not touch the mp is where out bottom lip needs to be, and also to push the mp with out top lip, I don't really get that though.
~Kyle~
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Author: Alphie
Date: 2001-11-07 22:51
Dear Emms, whatever you do, DONT BITE. It will dammage your lip in no time. When you say "it hurts", you're right. If you bite a thin piece of flesh anywhere on the body it hurts, right. Trust that body signal. So, something must be wrong if you concider yourself having a decent embouchure and play regularly.
Have you checked your mouthpiece/reed setup recently. Maybe you play too soft/hard reeds to your MP's tip opening/facing. The harder reed you can play, the easier it brings you up in the altissimo register. A medium/hard reed also produces a round and more even sound than a soft reed. The secret is that it shuldn't feel heavy so the reed strength has to be balanced out with a smaller tip opening or/and a longer facing.
The formula is:
Small tip opening/long facing = hard reed
Big tip opening/short facing = soft reed
This diagram: http://www.vandoren.com/Product/vanMID.htm gives you a good idea about the relation between Tip opening-facing-reed strength. It goes even for non Vandoren MPs.
If your problem is your set up I strongly recommend Ken's method.
Good luck,
Alphie
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Author: Sandra Franklin Habekost
Date: 2001-11-08 13:31
Ken's exercise is good. The main issue, in my opinion, is breath support. The embouchure should never change. Exercises to improve you breath support will improve your playing in all registers. It will also help you have a clear, balanced sound from ppp<fff in dynamics. I'm sure that there is much information on exercises to help you with this.
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Author: Mark Jordan
Date: 2001-11-08 13:53
I've got an exercise which is worth a try to help high notes.
The idea is to be able to control which harmonic is going to come out from any particular fingering without biting too hard.
Play middle line B, all fingers plus speaker key, and by changing the position of the pressure (push jaw forward) try to make it squeak without tightening up. Hold on to the higher note and practise changing between the original B and the squeak. Now do whatever you did a bit more and try to find a higher squeak. Practise moving between the 2 higher notes. Eventually you'll find the notes, going up from the B;- G, C, E, G, A, D.
When you can control these you can play bugle calls without moving your fingers.
If you can control which harmonic will come out, how much easier is it to find those high notes with the proper fingering. I can play top A while fingering middle B so it feels easy with the right fingers. I can't find a better fingering for super top D.
Best of luck
Mark Jordan
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2001-11-08 14:02
Mark -
A similar exercise appeared in the Leblanc Bell magazine about a year ago. You stuff a cotton swab or handkerchief up the bell tight, finger third space B and blow like the wind. You'll get the Eb a third above, which you can move up several harmonics. You practice jumping up and down the harmonic ladder, which is good for learning the proper voicing for the altissimo.
This exercise is also great for air control. As Sandra points out, this is key. After you do the exercise and take the swab out of the bell, you'll find yourself able to play half again as loud as you ever could before, because you've raised the air pressure and loosened any tightness in your embouchure to let the air through.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Mark M
Date: 2001-11-09 07:26
Here's one that I remember.. Don't bite and smile more. The more you bite.. the more you inhibit the reed from vibrating. The reed has to vibrate. Spend some time with reeds that "don't work" and you'll be amazed at what you can do with your embrochure (smile) after awhile. A lot of players spend a lot of time going through reeds and blaming them. Albeit, there are bad reeds, with a good/controllable embrochure, most of them can be played with some work. (embrochure and some physical reed work)
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Author: Emms
Date: 2001-11-09 13:58
i do find that with harder reeds, the higher notes are easier, but then the throat notes are fluffy. I find it hard to find the balance. My set up is Vandoren B40 with a v.d 21/2 or 3.
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