The Clarinet BBoard

Trouble in the altissimo

Author: Kontra  Date:   2011-03-16 00:07 This is probably a beginner's problem, but I'm starting to take Bb more seriously now and am realizing how much of my technique has been neglected. When I play the higher notes such as or and I get this, I can't really explain it, some kind of empty sound and then the note plays. It is really annoying. Also, I can hit and but they are really screechy, resistant, and disgusting. Sometimes. I mean sometimes they sound good. I'm also having trouble playing really fast, because sometimes the notes crack. I can slightly feel my embouchure move, but other times it just happens without warning. (especially going from a higher note to .) I think this is mostly my fault, but I'm gonna have the horn looked over just incase... But like I said I think its me. Is there anything I can do with my embouchure/technique that will help? Post Edited (2011-03-16 00:08)

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Re: Trouble in the altissimo

Author: mrn  Date:   2011-03-18 18:29 Kontra wrote: > I can get the rhythms, I can play the parts, it's just my > voicing on certain notes that I can't get. And I do sound good. > It's these notes I have trouble with. It does sound like you need to work on voicing. Voicing is also one of those things that changes when you move from one size clarinet to another. I don't play bass, but I can speak from experience in getting used to playing an A clarinet (which is just a tad bigger than a Bb) that you have to learn to voice the notes properly to get smooth connections between notes, especially across registers or in big leaps to/from short-tube and long-tube notes. My teacher used to have me do that can help a lot is to learn to bend pitches. When you can bend pitches, it's easier to transition from notes at the top of the clarinet bore to those at the bottom and vice versa, because you employ the same sorts of movements with your tongue and oral cavity (i.e., the same sort of voicing). One exercise she'd have me do was to start on a high C and holding that note out, bend the note downward as low as I could go and then back again. What you do, essentially, is make the front of your tongue go forward and down--kind of like what you do to go lower when you whistle. You ought to be able to go down to about a G or an F this way. It sounds a bit unpleasant to the ear, but it will give you experience in controlling the vibration of the reed with your oral configuration (which is what voicing is). She also had me practice slurring individual intervals until I could make the transitions without any crack or break between the notes. Another thing to look at is your embouchure. Because clarinet requires a relatively firm embouchure (compared to, say, a saxophone), it's quite easy for us to get in the habit of "biting," which can interfere with reed vibration in large intervals. What I do to keep my embouchure firm without biting is to think of putting pressure downward on the mouthpiece with my upper lip and upper teeth and to avoid letting my lower jaw bear any of the weight of the instrument. The right thumb should bear the weight of the instrument, with only the upper teeth/upper lip applying a counterforce to the thumb's upward force to keep the instrument stationary.

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Re: Trouble in the altissimo

Author: mrn  Date:   2011-03-20 17:04 Another useful technique you can sometimes use with good results is to employ alternate fingerings. Some fingerings make for smoother transitions than others (although sometimes at the expense of being a bit awkward to finger). There's a nice video by Tom Ridenour covering some long-pipe fingerings for the upper clarion that can make big leaps easier. See the following... http://www.youtube.com/user/billyboy647#p/u/7/UHaOCBwLVkw Incidentally, Ridenour wrote a really nice book of alternate fingerings (with commentary!) that I think every clarinet student should consider purchasing. It's gotten me out of a lot of jams. Also I'm a big fan of open thumb-hole altissimo fingerings. Although they are a bit awkward to use, and hence don't lend themselves that well to rapid passages, these fingerings can make slurring across the upper break much, much easier. They also tend to sound a little nicer in a lot of contexts. Here are a few I use from time to time: for C# : R (no thumb) x x x | x x x Eb/Ab for D : R (no thumb) x x x | x o x Eb/Ab for Eb : R (no thumb) x x x | o o x Eb/Ab Another favorite fingering of mine for F , which isn't open-thumb, but works just as well is: RT (A key) x x x G#/C# | o o o Similarly, a really stable (although dangerously powerful ) fingering for E that works off the same principle is: RT (G# key) x x x | o o o It's not practical to use these fingerings all the time, of course (especially in rapid technical passages), but in the right context they may be just what you need.

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Re: Trouble in the altissimo

Author: LegendClarinet  Date:   2011-03-21 00:00 " or and I get this, I can't really explain it, some kind of empty sound and then the note plays. It is really annoying. Also, I can hit and but they are really screechy, resistant, and disgusting. Sometimes. I mean sometimes they sound good." If I understand correctly what your saying, I think i have the same problem. Sometimes I can get the notes out sounding OK, but sometimes I get the noise you described. I've been working on this with my private teacher and the best advice he has given me is to just have really good air, and it helps! So, maybe start there; just practicing having really good air flow. Good Luck!

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Re: Trouble in the altissimo

Author: kdk  Date:   2011-03-21 00:42 Kontra wrote: > ...When I play the higher notes such as > or and I get this, I can't really explain it, some > kind of empty sound and then the note plays. It is really > annoying. Also, I can hit and but they are really > screechy, resistant, and disgusting. Sometimes. I mean > sometimes they sound good. > This can be caused by any of several problems. Poor air support is one. It can also result from applying too little embouchure pressure around the reed and mouthpiece, which in turn can be caused by using too soft reeds. It can also be caused by a register tube that juts too far into the bore of the clarinet. It can be a voicing problem - an inefficient tongue or internal position that can result from using a vowel concept that doesn't resonate well with the pitch you're trying to produce. Again, t may be more than one of these (or other causes I haven't thought of as I'm typing) in combination, and changing any one of them alone may not make matters better or may even make them worse. If it's a problem with the instrument, you almost certainly need to have someone with more experience (your teacher, for example) try your entire setup to see if he/she has a similar problem or can at least produce it more easily than on his or her own setup. Karl

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Re: Trouble in the altissimo

Author: Kontra  Date:   2011-03-21 01:35 Thanks everyone. My teacher helped me with voicing and it sounds A LOT better. He helped me with my overall voicing as well. He played my clarinet and said it sounded stuffy to him, and resistant, so Ill get it looked over. I bought a Fobes Debut mpc as well and am trying a new brand of reed. I'm going to start applying more air support and experiment with my embouchure and how much mouthpiece I put in.

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Re: Trouble in the altissimo

Author: Kontra  Date:   2011-03-23 02:51 Well, I got the Fobes Debut piece. I notice these differences: It does sound better. It is brighter. But you know what? It doesn't help. Every single note still cracks. The tone is still so bright I need sunglasses. I cannot play to save my life. always results in a squeak unless I pause before I play it. It is still stuffy... I cannot think of anything else to do. It's just frustrating. I did sound this way on my marching band beaten Yamaha, until I put on the Fobes, which eliminated all squeaks and cracking of notes on that horn. I dont know what to do. It almost makes playing not fun anymore.

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