 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: JPMarcellus2011
Date: 2011-10-30 15:02
I use 4.5 Rico grand concert select evolutions, and I adjust the tip and balance them, so they probably end up being about 3.5s. If I have a new reed I can play up into the stratosphere with the usual pitch problems, but when I find a "Bonade"-soft reed (his students often characterized his reeds as too soft), I can't seem to play in the lower altissimo (e, f, f#, g) without having to bite the pitch up. Since the reed is "soft", the sound gets choked and sometimes the reed closes off. What should I do to maintain the clarity and control soft reeds provide, while also allowing the strength I need to control the pitch?
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Author: johng ★2017
Date: 2011-10-30 15:26
You could try:
1) a bit more mouthpiece overall.
2) a higher tongue position as you get to those notes
3) different fingerings ( for playing Eb, I have to add the right hand sliver key to these notes to get them in tune, for example)
John Gibson, Founder of JB Linear Music, www.music4woodwinds.com
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2011-10-30 16:10
I agree with Johng about using the sliver key, and or the G# throat key as well, but I suggest that you should not be using such a "soft" reed if it creates those problems. You should use what's most comfortable for you in all registers. I don't believe that there is any advantage to using too soft a reed the same way I don't think there's any advantage to using too hard a reed. Use the "just right" strength. ESP eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: sonicbang
Date: 2011-10-30 16:18
Are you playing on a closed mouthpiece with long facing by any chance?
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Author: concertmaster3
Date: 2011-10-30 16:58
to go along with sonicbang's question, what mouthpiece are you using? This will aid in ease of playing some notes just as much as the reed.
Ron Ford
Woodwind Specialist
Performer/Teacher/Arranger
http://www.RonFordMusic.com
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2011-10-30 17:37
In the last month or so, I had the revelation of finding the high tongue position "trick." I mash the back of my tongue against my upper molars, and it helps dramatically with the reach into the altissimo, intonation, blending with the preceding and following notes, ...
I have to bring my high tongue down to slur down from the altissimo to the clarion.
Oh, and Ed is right: avoid fighting soft reeds in the high register. The reed has to be able to vibrate faster than the pitch of the note you want to play; and that means stiff reeds.
Bob Phillips
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Author: Buster
Date: 2011-10-30 17:56
Just know that moving the tongue higher only refers to the front portion.
As has been proven, the rear portion must move progressively lower the higher you play in tessitura. It may sound counter-intuitive, but is proven fact.
Thus, forcing the rear of the tongue up in a futile attempt to raise pitch can actually cause the notes to "choke off", or not be produced; just as biting the reed into the mouthpiece can do.
-search the archives for the Raymond Wheeler (spelling?) article(s)
-Jason
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2011-10-30 22:08
Quote:
In the last month or so, I had the revelation of finding the high tongue position "trick." I mash the back of my tongue against my upper molars, and it helps dramatically with the reach into the altissimo, intonation, blending with the preceding and following notes, ... Right on. High air speed helps me. Taking in more mouthpiece helps too. And using the proper reed size for the mouthpiece.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
Post Edited (2011-10-31 22:56)
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2011-10-30 23:40
Buster,
I'm finding the opposite. I'm lifting the rear of my tongue into firm contact with my upper teeth.
Of course, this is clarinetting; and we have to try everything (several times) to get another thing to work; and that, in turn, may cause something else to quit working.
At any rate, I'm NOT cutting off my air flow.
... and, as I said, this is new (and working very well for me)
Bob Phillips
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Author: kdk
Date: 2011-10-30 23:54
I'm sure Jason will have a response, but I'm not sure you're really contradicting each other. Your tongue goes a good deal farther back than your top molars, so the part of your tongue that touches your molars *is* in that sense the front part. Maybe Jason meant something even farther forward - he can comment on what he meant better than I.
Karl
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Author: Buster
Date: 2011-10-31 03:44
I only have a moment, but will write more later if needed....
By "choke off" I did not literally mean to imply that the air flow was being mechanically cut off, hence the quotation marks. But having the in-correction rear tongue position for the partial in which you wish to play, in this case the 5th, will not allow the note to sound. Perhaps the 3rd partial will sound; or perhaps the 5th will speak, but feel very thin or unstable- something that could be mistakenly attributed to "biting" to the less trained.
Elevating the rear of the tongue, even if you think it is only near the molars, could actually be raising the tongue much further back- as Karl stated the tongue goes much further back than most envision.
The image of "mashing the tongue into the molars" (which is a bit overstated or violent for me) to an untrained clarinetist could be quite misguided with out better qualification- that's all. This action may be helping you, but is not speaking of the actual mechanism that allows the note/partial to sound. i.e. another could inadvertently be reading your post and be caused problems that they are unaware of.
I have found that I can play in the 5th and 7th partials in tune with my forward portion of the tongue in varying positions- but perhaps I am just weird.
But take heart. If you have your tongue in what you feel is an elevated position (using whatever personal image you yourself need) and the proper note/partial is sounding, then the rear portion Must be in the proper place.
However, please read the Wheeler article as it speaks much better of the correlation between tongue position/partial selection that I am speaking of.
-Jason
that's all I have for tonight. at least the Cowboys lost!
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Author: justme
Date: 2011-10-31 06:15
Buster said: " that's all I have for tonight. at least the Cowboys lost!"
We still have the best cheerleaders!
"A critic is like a eunuch: he knows exactly how it ought to be done."
CLARINET, n.
An instrument of torture operated by a person with cotton in his ears. There are two instruments that are worse than a clarinet -- two clarinets
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