 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Steve
Date: 1999-06-17 23:56
An earlier thread about squeaks suggested embouchure exercises. Can anyone suggest some? I don't have a teacher to ask for advice.
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Author: Dee
Date: 1999-06-18 03:31
One of the best is simply to play long tones.
Pick a scale, any scale.
Play each note and hold it as long as you can before taking a breath and going to the next note.
While you play the note, LISTEN to its sound, pay attention to breath support, try to feel your embouchure and keep it steady. Get the most beautiful sound on that single note that you can that day.
As you advance, you can do the same thing but add crescendo/decrescendo to the note.
LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN as you hold these notes.
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Author: paul
Date: 1999-06-18 14:22
Adding to Dee's note above...
Long tones are the foundation of so much of the clarinet, I'd recommend her exercise for a bunch of other things, such as tuning, air support for notes, phrasing the music, etc. I especially recommend long tones for the first warm-up drill for both the player and the clarinet.
As for another embouchure exercise, I'd also recommend the three register drill. Go from low chalemeau E to middle B and play long tones, with the only change being the register key as a starting point for warm-up. Gradually step up and down through the chalemeau and clarion registers to be thoroughly warmed up. Play each note from ppp to mf and back down to ppp. Hold the embouchure absolutely rock steady. Then, once you are warmed up, try three registers, both up and down. I use the chalemeau Bb to clarion F to altissimo D (slowly rolling down the left index finger and simultaneously pressing down the Ab/Eb key) and then back down drill (ditto chalemeau C, clarion G, altissmo E) a lot to help me get the low altissimo to speak well. I concentrate on not changing the embouchure at all, but give enough air support to get the notes to gradually play from ppp to about mf in loudness. You will find that this drill is a wonderful embouchure exercise, fingering exercise, diaphram exercise, tone builder, and intonation builder.
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Author: STuart
Date: 1999-06-24 16:34
These are exercises I will probably do my whole life!!
I would just liek to reiterate the importance of listening to yourself without judgement. Building this awareness will develope a unique sound that is a product of your whole person. I'm talking about the Inner Game of Tennis by W Timothy Gallway (I think). Have you checked this out?
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