 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: RonD
Date: 2014-01-01 21:38
Hello,
Firstly, I wish everyone a Happy New Year and all the best.
I have started to learn from the Chalumeau to the Clarion.
Starting on G and a few others going up.
There is a lot mention here and YouTube about going from the Chalumeau to the
Clarion, but nothing on going back from the Clarion to the Chalumeau.
I have no problem engaging the register key and obtaining the Clarion.
But going from the Clarion back to the Chalumeau ( back to the thumb key only
is also not a problem) I stay on the Clarion register.
In order to get back to the Chalumeau I have to stop the note and start to blow again.
Is it possible to play from the Clarion back to Chalumeau in a legato manner.
Of course the answer is probably yes. But I can't do it without restarting the note.
Please help.
Thank You
Ronald
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-01-01 17:02
It's definitely not as easy to slur down across registers as it is to slur up - you will most likely have to legato tongue when dropping down so you don't end up staying in the upper register.
It's easy on flute and oboe, but not so easy on clarinet.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: RonD
Date: 2014-01-01 22:17
It's a lot easier on Alto sax also.
At least so it seemed when I played it years ago.
So even though it is legato tonguing, do you still actually stop the note?
Ronald
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Author: Bruno
Date: 2014-01-01 22:31
There can be a small grunt and/or a less-than-legato sound when going across the break. Alto sax doesn't come into it. They are two entirely different instruments by reason of the conical bore of the alto and the cylindrical bore of the clarinet.
Practice makes perfect.
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Author: RonD
Date: 2014-01-01 22:42
What I meant, if I remember right, is that when I was on the Alto, I could go from
octave key engage back to the lower octave a lot easier. So it seemed.
I am not too sure what is meant about the legato tonguing, but I just looked it up
in the clarinet for Dummies book which I just got yesterday.
Something about a softer stop and different vowel sound. Anyhow, I managed to go from the clarion note ( some of the time) back to the chalumeau.
There is a break in the note, however, it is not an abrupt break like the tonguing that they teach
at first. Very subtle and hardly touch the reed , just enough to manipulate it back to the chalumeau.
Do you also try and decrease the diaphragm speed? I have noticed that the reed sounds best when I can
feel it vibrating on my lower lip, is this about right?
Thanks
Ronald
Post Edited (2014-01-01 17:47)
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-01-02 00:04
You are talking about moving a 12th, going directly from a "G" sitting on top of the staff to a "C" just under the staff?
Yes, this is a tricky situation on the clarinet, and requires exactly what you describe, which is lessening of the air speed (which I do by immediately lessening the push from the abdominal muscles).
Even descending octaves can be tricky. I recommend, as you already found, that you can re-articulate the lower note. As you do this be VERY conscious of the feel (energy requirements vs sound produced) of this lower note versus the higher one. Gradually soften your articulation (and shorten your pause between notes) until it is absent...........this takes practice.
..................Paul Aviles
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Author: JonTheReeds
Date: 2014-01-01 19:58
Keep your airflow going at all times to keep the reed vibrating, support your air to give you more control, and keep your left index finger very close to the A key at all times so when you drop from B to A it just lightly touches the A key without having to move
--------------------------------------
The older I get, the better I was
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Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2014-01-01 20:55
I first came up against this problem in C M Weber's 1st Clarinet Concerto where there is a slur from Eb (top space) down to Chalumeau low F#. I can 'fake' it somewhat by 'half' tonguing the F# and relaxing the embouchure.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-01-02 02:08
While going back and forth from B to A is relatively easy, larger intervals and drops of a 12th can't easily be done by slurring straight from eg. upper register C to low F by just releasing the speaker key - the low F will have to be tongued lightly to make it sound low F instead of upper D if it's meant to be legato.
If the notes are all tongued, then there shouldn't be a problem with the lower note speaking as it should.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Liquorice
Date: 2014-01-02 04:04
Barry- Weber didn't actually write it that way. He wrote the slur only down to the "throat" F-sharp, which is much easier. The slur to low F-sharp was put in by Baermann, who obviously just wanted to show off!
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Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2014-01-02 04:15
Thanks for that tit bit of information Liquorice. Now that's very interesting to know.
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Author: RonD
Date: 2014-01-01 23:49
Thanks all of you,
I suppose I am somewhat on the right track.
What I am practicing is a full twelve interval as I do not know the other notes.
It is encouraging to know that from clarion to chalumeau in twelve interval
are some of the harder ones.
I am starting with double lip right away, good, bad, ?
About the importance of pressure on top of the mouthpiece; I notice that there is
not enough pressure from the top the notes are too flat.
Have to stop now, my lower lip is sore, not from where it touches the teeth but
where it touches the reed.
Ronald
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Author: Steven Ocone
Date: 2014-01-02 11:49
You may have a leaky pad near the top of the instrument. That would make it harder to go back to the chalameau.
Steve Ocone
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