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Re: Upper Altissimo help

Author: Philip Caron
Date: 2016-05-10 21:39

See the fingering chart associated with this site: http://wfg.woodwind.org/clarinet/

Keep tongue arched to promote vibrancy.

Sit up straight to promote vibrancy lower down in your body. I.e., have the lung cavity slightly stretched. (You are your sound.)

Don't bite or jut the lower jaw, or otherwise strain. Nothing either rigid or limp. The right embouchure will allow everything to vibrate naturally. Said embouchure also allows good natural sound in all registers. The difference between "it works" and "it doesn't work" is narrower in the altissimo, so it may take some patience to discover the picky combination that works for you and your external equipment.

A good, well-balanced reed is necessary. A slightly stiffer one, or at least not a weaker one, seems to help.

Include altissimo in your regular scale and long tone practice and noodling around. Scales, thirds, octaves, any tunes in your head.

Work for a sweet sound, not just a piercing one. There's no point to any notes except to make music.

I'm doing pretty well these days up through E7, and include F & F#7 in daily practice. This isn't because I'm especially good; I've just patiently climbed the register in practice every day for some years now.

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