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anyone have advice for alto clarinet playing

Author: acermak
Date: 2014-06-23 05:31

I take lessons (2nd year adult clarinet student) 1/2 hour per week on the soprano and half an hour a week on the contra (and the bass for a few months while the contra was being overhauled).

We decided to do Bach's 2 part inventions (instructor plays bass while I play contra alto), but my instructor did not like the inversions being created (our arrangement was made for 1 Eb alto sax and one Bb tenor). So he wants me to bring in my alto clarinet to play it.

The problem is I'm dreadful at alto clarinet. I found a site that suggests the pucker embouchure, and I'm trying, but I keep putting pressure on the bottom lip which both makes it sore and makes the clarinet squeak.

I'm using a 2 hooked strap to stabilize it and a plastic Legere alto sax #3 reed paired with a Hite Premiere alto clarinet mouthpiece.

I can play the soprano, the bass and the contra alto with no problem with their various embouchures (my bass has a Bay style neck which means its embouchure is just a large soprano one). Heck, I think I'm even better at the eefer at this point in time (as long as I don't go to the altissimos).

So does anyone have any favorite alto tips? Do any of those other instruments have a similar embouchure to what I should be reaching for?

The instrument itself is an Eisenhower era low E (not Eb) alto clarinet made by Bundy. It seems to be in good mechanical order and has been repaired once by my tech so he has looked it over and gotten her working.

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