 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Michael Lemper
Date: 2002-04-04 03:04
Hello, I've been lurking on this forum for a couple months,
and I finally decided to post a message. I have been playing
clarinet for one month (flute for 8 years before that). Things
have been going OK, until today.
Suddenly, I can't hit the notes in the chalumeau register. All that
are coming out are squeaky notes in the extremely high register.
I'm not touching the register key. I find that if I slur a scale
down from the clarion register into the chalumeau, I can get the low
notes. Then I stop for a second, don't change my embouchure at all,
and again, high sqeaks. Sometimes I find that the notes coming out are a 12th above what I'm trying to play, as if the register key were open. There is no problem with the pad on the register key, because I can sometimes get the low notes. The sudden appearance of this problem is puzzling, because since day 2 or 3 of playing, I haven't had any problems at all hitting the low notes.
I haven't changed my embouchure and I have tried several different
reeds (Vandoren 2). I am intending to find a teacher when I can get a little time (busy student), but for right now I'm on my own. Any suggestions?
Thanks for your time,
Mike
lemper@dolphin.upenn.edu
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Author: David Pegel
Date: 2002-04-04 03:16
The first thing to do, I think, should be to check your horn for leaks. A small leak in the register key may cause these motes to be more unstable. Just my 2¢
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Author: Jim E.
Date: 2002-04-04 04:10
And not just the register key, look at G#, A, and the side keys very carefully as well. It does "sound" like a leak.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2002-04-04 06:01
If a visual inspection does not identify the leak....
Top section of the clarinet. Put a cork in the end. Close the keys. Close the lips around the other end and 'squirt' (throat blocked with tongue) a mouthful of air gently into the bore. You will probably HEAR the leak. If not, do this while using the other hand to squeeze keys hard shut, in turn. If there is a leak then squeezing the key will probably reduce it.
This is an aid only to identification of the location of the worst leak. There could be dozens of causes.
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Author: Brian
Date: 2002-04-04 09:25
Yes it sure does sound like a leak...possibly the adjustment screw on the G# key. This has happened to me several times until I finally got a new screw.
Good luck with your problem!
Peace!
Brian
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Author: bob gardner
Date: 2002-04-04 21:01
also try adjusting the reed. Just a wee bit up or a wee bit down may do the job.
that's the first thing i check. I know i have no leaks.
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Author: classy
Date: 2002-04-04 23:55
Try adjusting your reed as bob said, because I had the same problems that you did and that usually works, it's either that or that you need the reed size smaller.
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Author: Kristen D.
Date: 2002-04-05 05:11
All of these are great suggestions, and if you still haven't solved the
problem by checking the horn's adjustment or moving the reed then read on...
The problem MAY not be the clarinet. Most beginners are able to "work their
way down" to the low notes. The problem is usually they're not covering the tone
holes completely. So, check yourself in the mirror for this. However, the other
technical issue could be associated with your tongue placement. To create the
cool/fast air speed that we want on the clarinet, we want our tongues to be
high and back in our mouths. You can get a feel for this placement by saying the
words "Key" or "Kick". However some players go to the extreme with their
tongue placement, meaning that their tongues are actually too high. So, my
2nd theory is that you may be "voicing" the lower notes too high. As you articulate
the note, experiment a bit with your tonguing vowel. The ideal tonguing syllables
are "Tee" or "Dee", but to get the lower notes to speak without getting the upper
partial, you may have to voice down a bit by changing the vowel to "Tay" or "Day".
My only warning is to not go to the extreme by using "Tah" or "Dah". If this doesn't
work, make sure that you are not adding any pressure to the reed with the
lower jaw/teeth. Upward clamping from the lower jaw (i.e. biting) could also be
the cause for the 12th "squeaks". You can pull the lower lip down and away by
thinking of pointing your chin downward. I tell my students to pretend there is
a string on the end of their chins and when I pull the string for them, their chins
always flatten and come to a point.
I hope these suggestions clear up your problem. If not, then the information may
help you in other aspects of your playing.
Good luck!
Kristen Denny
GTA: Clarinet, UNL
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2002-04-07 10:09
Just an aside. For me a 'tee' become a 'too' when my lips are pursed as in clarinet embouchure. If that is truue for all, then 'tee' could be a confusing concept.
BTW I find 'day', 'dah', 'dee' confusing terms because they differ from 'tay', 'tah', 'tee' only in that the vocal chords are vibrated, i.e. the latter are whispered forms of the former. Seeing the vocal chords vibrating is not a normal part of clarinet playing these terms could be confusing also.
Or have I missed something?
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Author: Kristen D.
Date: 2002-04-08 05:05
"Tee" is the generic ideal. I mentioned "Dee" for general legato tonguing purposes.
I should have specified. I agree with Gordon's further detail about the "Too"
syllable as well. Again, I was just being general in my previous post.
Thanks for catching me!
Kristen Denny
GTA: UNL
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Author: Dee
Date: 2002-04-09 02:35
Gordon (NZ) wrote:
>
> ... BTW I find 'day', 'dah', 'dee' confusing terms because they
> differ from 'tay', 'tah', 'tee' only in that the vocal chords
> are vibrated, i.e. the latter are whispered forms of the
> former. Seeing the vocal chords vibrating is not a normal part
> of clarinet playing these terms could be confusing also.
The placement of the tongue is different on "dah" than it is for "tah" for example. The tip of the tongue is more forward in the mouth than it is for the latter. Thus the former gives a softer, more legato sound while the latter gives a more distinct separation allowing a very crisp articulation if desired. Both are useful.
English has many variant ways of being pronounced. In the versions that I'm familiar with, the vocal chords vibrate the same for the "dah" as they do the "tah" and the only difference is in the tongue tip placement.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2002-04-09 16:18
For 'dah' the vocal chords vibrate BEFORE the release of air past the tongue.
For 'tah' the vocal chords vibrate AFTER.
Hence, if the syllables are whispered, with NO vocal chords invoved, the sounds are the same. Isn't that true of any variant of English?
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