 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Clarinet_Dad
Date: 2001-11-28 22:47
My Daughter just started playing the Clarinet. Everyonce in a while she will make the instrument screech. Could someone tell me what she is doing to cause this noise?
Thank You
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Author: spf
Date: 2001-11-28 23:02
LEARNING!!!!
She will squeek less as time goes by. Getting her a good teacher will minimize the squawks and maximize her progress.
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Author: Kirk
Date: 2001-11-29 00:27
Dad,
What makes mine screech, I have noticed is when the reed is drying out or if I haven't FULLY covered the tone holes. It could also be she is stopping the note by touching the reed with her tongue instead of just stopping the breath.
hope this helps
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Author: Dee
Date: 2001-11-29 01:50
Kirk wrote:
>
> Dad,
>
> What makes mine screech, I have noticed is when the reed is
> drying out or if I haven't FULLY covered the tone holes. It
> could also be she is stopping the note by touching the reed
> with her tongue instead of just stopping the breath.
>
> hope this helps
You are supposed to stop the note with the tongue. It is virtually impossible to play good clean fast staccato stopping it with the breath. Get thee to a proper teacher and learn correct tonguing technique!!
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Author: William
Date: 2001-11-29 02:21
Probably too much mouthpiece in the mouth and too loose an embouchure--common problem with beginners. If he tone becomes suddenly soft and hard to blow, then the problem is most likely too little mouthpiece in the mouth. Somewhere in the middle of "too much" and "too little" is where the true sound will begin and the squeeks (we have all been there, done that) will subside.
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Author: Jim E.
Date: 2001-11-29 04:38
Hang in there, it does get much better in a fairly short period of time. Be sure to encourage her! You might tactfully put a closed door between her and you while she practices, or turn up the TV. It is easier to take than a beginning violin (which sounds like a mis-treated cat!) or a drummer (they seem to need to drum constantly on everything!)
My beginning clarinet teacher liked to remind parents that this is not like buying a phonograph. (it WAS a long time ago!)
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Author: Dee
Date: 2001-11-29 11:49
Yes beginning clarinet players do sometimes sound like a ruptured duck. Saxophones sound the same but LOUDER. So be thankful it is not a sax.
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Author: janlynn
Date: 2001-11-29 13:23
if she is a beginner it could be a number of reasons. she is learning how much pressure she should use, how much air to blow, where to put fingers, when to breath......a finger may slip, she might bite the mouthpiece trying to get a note out, or blow too hard, ......squeaking is a normal part of learning how to play. as she makes progress it will get better.
JL
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Author: Kirk
Date: 2001-11-30 02:04
Dee,
So right !!! Arrgh, I typed one thing while thinking another....
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Author: ron b
Date: 2001-11-30 21:52
Clarinet Dad;
Screeching and squeaking is part of the woodwind learning process. She isn't doing anything wrong, just discovering overtones. Right now they happen occasionally out of context. Eventually, with patient practice, she'll get them under control and place them at will where they belong.
I like to think of the process as somewhat similar to baby birds. They do a lot of squeaking and screeching when they're young. But, all too soon, almost before we're fully aware of it, they're out on their own making beautiful music and those earlier times of our parental patience-straining tolerance is but a faded memory as we enjoy their wonderful songs that gladden our hearts 
...clarinet tootin' dad of an aspiring percussionist :|
- ron b -
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Author: Micaela
Date: 2001-12-01 14:53
Ron is absolutely right. At first, students don't have enough experience to always get the right note, then they concentrate for a long, long time on only getting one note out of each fingering, and then eventually go back to playing different notes on the same fingerings, but with more control. Students don't worry about that until they come to it. Practice really does make perfect here. Make sure she keeps her chin down, too.
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