 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: ellipses
Date: 2011-07-09 15:01
Hi everyone. I'm a high school senior that's been playing for a few years (no private lessons, though). Recently I feel that my tone has been getting worse (or maybe I just never noticed it before). It would have a really 'airy' sound, like there was a lot of saliva or condensation inside the clarinet. I can't seem to get rid of it.
In addition to that, I'd like to just generally improve my poor tone, but I don't know how to go about doing that. Something I keep hearing is "play long tones", but that's not exactly very helpful. What should I be focusing on while I "play long tones"? Is there something specific I should be listening for? What else could I be doing to improve my tone?
Thank you in advance! All help is appreciated.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2011-07-09 18:09
A teacher would be REALLY helpful, but some ideas are:
As the weather gets warm and humid, the conditions may be making some things worse sounding. Airiness is usually a sign that your reeds are a bit too hard for the mouthpiece (plus your embouchure in combination with it). So try a strength half size softer for starters.
The long tone exercise is meant precisely FOR your problem.....TONE. You are not only listening to your sound as you hold a note, you are also building up your breath endurance and breath pressure which ALL add to a better sound.
For me the main key to sound is AIR AIR AIR. The more you can provide a STEADY, FOCUSED, CONSTANT flow of air, the better the tone.
And just as a check. You should be able to feel the clarinet vibrating under your fingers as you play when you ARE producing a good tone.
.........................Paul Aviles
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: LJBraaten
Date: 2011-07-09 18:25
I notice an airy sound on some of my less responsive reeds.
(Mr. Laurie J Braaten)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2011-07-09 19:04
Best thing to do is to take lessons with a good experienced teacher. You may be playing wrong. There are many factors that go into getting a good sound. Embouchure, throat and tongue positions, breathing and breathe support. Then there's finding the right mouthpiece for you and the best reed combination. ESP eddiesclarinet.com
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Grabnerwg
Date: 2011-07-09 20:59
In addition to the excellent comments above, I think the most important thing is to listen, listen, listen! Listen to as many recordings of great clarinetists that you can come across. Attend live performances, attend Master Classes.
Get a real concept of what you like best and strive with every note you play to sound that way.
The time in my life that my tone improved the most was when I was playing assistant to a really world class clarinetist. I tried in every way possible to achieve the same sound I was hearing on a daily basis. It worked wonders.
Walter Grabner
www.clarinetxpress.com
World Class, Hand Crafted Mouthpieces
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: sonicbang
Date: 2011-07-09 21:27
In addition to the very important air support-question and listening and everything else I found very useful to play the long tones with double lip even if I'm a single lip player. I can maintain the same feel when playing SL and it improves both embochure and tone.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: sfalexi
Date: 2011-07-09 22:21
sonicbang wrote:
> In addition to the very important air support-question and
> listening and everything else I found very useful to play the
> long tones with double lip even if I'm a single lip player. I
> can maintain the same feel when playing SL and it improves both
> embochure and tone.
One of the things I find really works well for tone is REALLY making sure you don't bite. This is what double lip embouchure works at. Cause it HURTS to bite on double lip! I don't do double lip embouchure exercises anymore, but when playing long tones, I focus on REALLY squeezing the corners of my mouth in around the mouthpiece, and trying to keep everything as steady and perfect as possible. Tongue locked in good position with the tip of my tongue as close to the reed as I can without touching it, keeping air constant, etc. etc.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: ellipses
Date: 2011-07-12 02:07
Thanks to everyone for the replies! Hopefully they'll help.
Two additional questions I have now, though, are:
1. How can you tell if a teacher is "good", necessarily? Are there questions I should be asking before I take lessons with them?
2. I was always taught that I should be resting my top teeth on the mouthpiece to keep the clarinet in place. Is that wrong? What's the difference between that and biting?
Again, help is appreciated.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2011-07-12 02:35
Unlike resting your top teeth on the mouthpiece, biting is pressing your bottom teeth (covered by your bottom lip) with unnecessary force against the reed, resulting in pressing it upward against the mouthpiece rails and closing the aperture, preventing the reed from vibrating enough to produce a musical sound. It's too much upward jaw pressure.
It isn't so much, by the way, that your top teeth rest on the mouthpiece. It's more a case of the mouthpiece resting against your top teeth. Your top teeth wouldn't be going anywhere whether the mouthpiece were there or not. For most players the mouthpiece rotates downward over (around) the bottom jaw and the teeth act as a limit to the rotation. The mouthpiece presses against the top teeth, not the other way around. Which is why pressing upward too much with the lower teeth pinches the reed. The top teeth don't - can't, unless I misunderstand - move. The lower half of the jaw moves toward and away from the upper half, which, it seems to me, is immobile.
Karl
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: sfalexi
Date: 2011-07-12 22:09
1) It's hard to tell if a teacher is "good" at first meeting. Certainly you can see what their former students have accomplished, but really I think the best teachers are those that you can work with and you can understand each other. Really, a good teacher is about being able to help you accomplish your goals and increase your skills in ways that are CLEAR to you.
2) For your second question, if you look up "double lip" on the search on this board, you'll find it can be a test to see if you're biting too hard.
3) (I know you didn't ask a third question, but here's my advice). Find a teacher. I was in the same boat as you for many years. No lessons, just worked with what I found on THIS bulletin board and other places. But when you take a few lessons and find a good teacher, it makes it much easier and quicker to improve with goals and (admittedly) someone you see on a regular basis who will KNOW and call you out if you haven't been practicing to attain those goals!
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: ellipses
Date: 2011-07-12 23:42
That's really useful about the double lip, I'll be sure to give it a test to see if I'm biting.
The thing about a teacher is that I don't plan on pursuing music as a career. I want a teacher, but I would only be with them for maybe two or three months because of university applications soon (more time devoted to studying + saving up for tuition fee).
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: sfalexi
Date: 2011-07-12 23:55
I improved more in the first 10 lessons than I have the year previous. Even intermittent lessons are worth it.
US Army Japan Band
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: clariniano
Date: 2011-07-13 01:05
Hi ellipses, I'm in Toronto too, what area? I'm on Don Mills Road. I would be happy to take you for 2 or 3 months, I have done this with several students, especially students looking to earn a spot in the Toronto Youth Wind Orchestra family of ensembles. Please contact me offline; email is clariniano@hotmail.com.
Meri
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: ellipses
Date: 2011-07-14 21:12
Hi clariniano. I'm sorry, but I didn't check this thread until now and I've already contacted another teacher so at the moment I'm not looking for one. Again, I'm sorry and I wish you the best. If my current arrangement doesn't work out, I'll know who to email, though.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: clariniano
Date: 2011-07-15 02:59
ellipses, may I ask who you are considering study with? I know a number of the teachers here in Toronto, but some of them are very busy, especially those who teach at the university music programs. And not to sound egoistic, but a LOT of people, even musicians on other instruments, say I have a beautiful tone on the clarinet... (I also know who some of the not so good ones are, since I've gotten people who have come to me)
Meri
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: fargus
Date: 2011-07-16 13:32
People say the same about me. They also say I have lovely ankles
Long tones might be boring but they definitely work in improving your tone. You need to play some long tones then try and reproduce that nice tone you get in whatever you play next. Also if your tone has been getting worse then that's probably a sign it will get better soon. Once you start to correct your mistakes you begin to get more critical of your playing. That's a good thing!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2011-07-16 18:04
This thread has listed a large number of things that affect your tone. Some have to do with your hardware, some depend on your body, and many depend on details of how you play the horn.
At risk of missing some, lets try to list them:
Hardware:
Mouthpiece
Tuning Barrel
Instrument
Reed
Reed alignment
Ligature
Body:
Mouth volume
Teeth configuration --including jaw shape
Throat
Larynx
Lung volume and bronchia
Playing:
Set-up: proper reed, balanced reed, left/right positioning, up/down positioning
Mouthpiece insertion --more is better up to the point where you squeak.
Amount of lower lip wrapped over lower teeth. A little may be better than a lot.
Lower jaw extension
Angle of clarinet. Changes airflow path into mouthpiece and can pinch off the reed against teeth
Tongue position --high in back
Tongue position --tip of tongue to tip of reed? Or someplace else --probably lower than the tip.
Cheeks -flat against sides of teeth so air is focused on the mouthpiece
AIR AIR AIR. Support for the airflow. Try standing on one leg so that your core is tense
Lips wrapped clear around the mouthpiece and reed
Chin dropped and tensed --flat
Voice: eee ahhh, try them all
Throat open
With all this in mind, forget about the hardware (pick a mouthpiece as a separate project --later), play long tones and slow slurs, experimenting with all of the playing variables you can find and think of.
When you find something that works, adopt that, keep it; and bring in another factor.
For me, these days, after having made some progress, tone quality depends most upon:
Air support
Mouthpiece insertion
Clarinet angle --I need to move it away from my body
Cheeks not bulging
Lips tight all around the mouthpiece and reed.
When I sound weak, those are the first things I try.
My teacher can tell in an instant what I need to do and has been a big time saver in improving my tone, but it is still very helpful to me to understand where I'm in error.
Patience and diligence!
Bob Phillips
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: doclaw
Date: 2011-07-16 23:29
Love this forum-- so many great pros willing to give advice.
With respect to practice hints for a great tone
1. Long tones (I know-- a given) and a strobe tuner
2. Overtone studies
3. Double lip
4. Combine all three above!
#2 above is underestimated IMHO
Richard Nunemaker (now retired after 30 years with the Houston Symphony) has a section in his book "THE EFFORTLESS CLARINET" (really a short treatise but packed with great lessons and advice --and inexpensive) provides many examples of clarinet overtone exercises. Do them with a double lip (practice only) and your throat and tongue will get in shape quickly. Best 15 minute practice investment you will ever make
www.abrahamwatkins.com
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Bassie
Date: 2011-07-18 09:09
First up:
1.) Reed strength. Most young people play too hard a reed. I know I did.
2.) Amount of mpc in mouth (just part of the whole 'embouchure' thing).
A teacher will be able to get you started on these basics very quickly, just by listening.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
