 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Charlie
Date: 2002-11-22 09:02
Many of you on this site seem so knowledgeable about things pertaining to clarinets that I have decided to seek your help.I am on the wrong side of fifty, and a month or so ago took up the clarinet again after a lay-off of many years. I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly it all "came back" to me. However, that old bugbear "crossing the break" has just entered the equasion again. I just can't seem to do it as it should be done! Do any of you know of some techniques or exercises that might help me get to grips with this problem? I really would appreciate your advice. Thanks in advance. A brilliant and informative site!
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Author: bob gardner
Date: 2002-11-22 14:04
Sorry to hear that you are on the wrong side of fifty. What are you forty Not to worry in ten years you will be on the right side of fifty.
You have to learn to sneek up on the break, and once you have it you will keep it. try playing a C and then slide your thumb up ever so slowly and open the register key, or have someone else do it for you. I think a lot of crossing the break is mental. If this still doesn't work go to a softer reed.
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Author: Ralph G
Date: 2002-11-22 14:18
Practice whole note long tones chromatically from open G up to C. Keep your right hand fingers in position just over the keys so they'll be ready to come down when you go over the break.
Make sure your left hand thumb covers the thumb hole at a slight angle so you can just roll it to open the register key. Same goes for your left index finger on the throat A key -- make sure it's rolling smoothly down to cover the F# key when you go over.
(This reminds me of a girl I played against in high school who never really learned to roll her index finger between the throat A and F# keys -- she actually picked up her finger each time while moving between them. Despite that, she was an all-state candidate every year and beat me regularly until she graduated. It blew my mind how she could pull that off.)
Or do whole note long tones between Bb and B, keeping your right hand in position over the keys. As long as you do that and roll your left hand thumb and index finger smoothly, it just takes practice to get all your fingers down simultaneously.
Oh, and make sure you're using the left hand lever for the B instead of the right hand paddle key. I play every day and I'm still kinda klunky crossing the break using the right hand key.
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2002-11-22 14:43
Dee Hayes Flint came up with a great way to learn to cross the break. Approach from above. Play third-space C and then start a slow descending chromatic scale, to B and then to the throat Bb.
Make the least possible movement between the B and the Bb. Keep your entire right hand down, and also keep your left ring finger and little finger down. Just "nudge" the throat A key with the side of your left index finger.
When you get this smooth, reverse the process, going from the Bb to the B.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: William
Date: 2002-11-22 14:45
I will assume that getting to the clarion register is not a problem for you, but rather you are having difficulty going *smoothly* from a lower note to B or C across the "break." A "trick" that will help you smooth the transition "over the break" from any note between F4 and Bb4 (to B4 or C5) is, while playing the left hand note, keep the right hand fingers down. Then, to go over the break, all you have to do is reposition your left hand fingers and add the register key (your right hand fingers will already be in place). Unfortunately, it doesn't get much simpler than that and the real solution to smooth transition between the registers is slow, careful, relentless practice until you "get it right." BTW, it is my humble opinion that playing smoothly between notes--and in particular, between the throat and clarion registers--is the hardest technical proceedure to master in clarintestry and the technique that is most often ignored in our quest to become technical masters of our clarinets. Slow, careful practice is needed--AND, be certain to move only your fingers and not your hands--there should be only minimal (if that) movement from your hands and arms while playing any passge of notes on your instrument.
There are countless clarinetists who can play all the correct notes in tune with the correct rhythmns. But what separates those "good" clarinetists from the "greats" is how artisticly they connect the notes to each other and how effortless and smooth--and therefore, musically effective--their note-to-note connections are. It takes absolute breath, finger and artistic discipline to effectively "put it all together" and make the difficult "sound easy" and musical. (and years of careful, relentless practice) So, try the right hand down technical "trick" (for now) and good luck smoothing your "over the break" blues.
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Author: HAT
Date: 2002-11-22 15:04
Robert Marcellus on crossing the register break:
"We have to practice it."
David Hattner, NYC
www.northbranchrecords.com
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Author: earl thomas
Date: 2002-11-22 16:26
If one has one's fingers slanted slightly towards one's shoulders, and maintains contact between the left-hand index finger and the very tip of the 2nd space "A" key PLUS maintains contact between the upper "cuticle" of the left thumb and the very tip of the register-key, one will find that the slightest twist of the left wrist will aid in crossing the break. Permit me to clarify the word "contact": I do not state pushing on the keys. There is a difference between "contact" and pushing or opening a key.
It is not anatomically possible to perform technical passages by finger-action alone. Very slight action (twists) of the wrists have much to do with rapid technical passage success. Just consider the last page of Mozart, K.622 or the over-the-break clarinet passage in Strauss' "Gypsy Baron" Overture. There are hundreds of other examples that require fluid cooperation between the fingers and the wrist(s). Keeping the right-hand down is, of course, very important in ascending and/or descending between open "G" up to 3rd space "C".*
Again, I emphasize the word "slight" in recommending a natural flow from the wrist(s), originating from the radius of the elbow.
Hope this helps.
Sincerely,
Earl Thomas
* "The Clarinet", Vol. 20, No. 3: pp. 18 - 21.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2002-11-22 16:57
Charlie- Like Bob G said, many of us are on the High Side of the big 50, both loving it and hangin' in there. When I have a student "corralled", like after a repair, I demonstrate and recommend playing a bit of 76 TMBS starting on open G, over and over till its second nature. Great advice above. Don
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Author: ~ jerry
Date: 2002-11-22 17:29
My former teacher, Dr. Cox, did not like calling this procedure "crossing the break." He said that for students, it had negative conotations and resulted in a kind of a mental issue to deal with as well.
To him it was simply changing registers. But don't forget air speed - that's where I have the most dificulty.
~ jerry
Still in clarinet bootcamp.
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Author: John Elison
Date: 2002-11-22 19:03
Hi Charlie,
I’m an amateur clarinetist who recently returned after a long layoff and I’m also on the other side of 50. I agree with you that this website is one of the very best. After reading all of the responses, I just wanted to add something that might be a factor in the problem. Perhaps your clarinet needs to be checked for leaks. It is very important to have your instrument in tiptop playing condition to make going over the break an easy transition. Other than that, have fun practicing.
Best regards,
John Elison
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Author: bob gardner
Date: 2002-11-22 20:13
I agree with John. When something is wrong I want it to be me and not my horn. I can deal with me, but it is hard to deal with a leaking horn.
above all enjoy what you are doing.
"Are we having fun yet?????"
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Author: Brenda
Date: 2002-11-22 21:37
How I got practice in changing registers was an initiation by fire. While assisting the band director with clarinet sectionals in the Grade 7/8 band, we were playing - believe it or not - San Saans' 'Dance Macabre'. The band director wanted a strong 1st clarinet to play at the school concert so I got the part. During the spring concert the kids naturally fell apart because of the difficulty of that part, and the crossing the break didn't happen so well. After assisting with that school semester I had far less difficulty crossing from the throat notes to B and C!!
As was mentioned above, if you're starting with the throat notes, keep your right hand in position for the B or C of the second register. That way you'll only have to move the left hand. This won't work with other combinations of notes, but practice will smooth out the rest. Aren't there exercise books that cover this? If not, write out your own exercises. I warn you, you arms will hurt for awhile.
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Author: super20dan
Date: 2002-11-22 21:46
why is crossing the break so much eaiser on an albert system?
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Author: Jeff Forman
Date: 2002-11-23 02:58
I think that the key to crossing the break cleanly is concentrating on the airflow. If you know the fingering, you need to trust that your hands will will do what they are supposed to. So if you consciously think about forcing more air (or at least a strong steady stream) and don't even think about the fingering, you'll be surprised at how proficient it becomes.
In contrast though, if you think about the fingering, your embouchure slips, your mouth loosens, you try to make those instinctive adjustments and it all goes to hell.
Try it.
Jeff
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Author: TDC
Date: 2002-11-23 19:08
Tired of listening to his exhortations,, someone once asked Andres Segovia, "What's so great about scales?"
Segovia's response? "They will solve all your problems."
Truer words were never spoken!
And they will incidentally solve all your problems with the break as well.
TDC
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Author: super20dan
Date: 2002-11-24 12:49
yes crossing the break is indeed eaiser on an albert.
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