 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Stingerbee5000
Date: 2015-05-19 08:26
Hello!
I was listening to Sabine Meyers and Eddie Daniels and found their clean resonant playing to be really attractive and was wondering what might be the 'trick.'
Right now, I feel as though my sound is a little unfocused and immature and I'd like to fix it.
Is it just supporting the air properly or is there more behind it?
I'm usually very sharp (about 20 cents on a normal day) for whatever reason and end up pulling out quite a bit- could this be a factor?
I am also of a nervous disposition and noticed that I tend to get very tense with my chest and lips, drawing both of them very tightly- could this also be a factor?
Thank you in advance!
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Author: JHowell
Date: 2015-05-19 16:31
You can only compare so much from your live sound to their recorded (closely miked) sounds, not to mention that you have to account for their years of work and artistic growth. And we can only tell so much from your description, and you will only learn so much from a shotgun scatter of opinions.
1. Find a good teacher whose sound you really like. Do your best to find the right teacher, who may not be the cheapest or most conveniently located. Not every teacher who hangs out a shingle can play, and sometimes great players don't make good teachers. I haven't looked at a map, but don't rule out traveling an hour or two if necessary.
2. Follow his/her advice, of course, but beyond that, get him/her to play as much as possible in lessons, and go to every performance you can. Play duets. Get that sound in your ear, and while you are practicing, ask yourself, "How must it feel to sound like that?" If you have an ear, trust your body and give it a high quality image, you will find a way.
3. Be patient, and do your work. Nobody is born playing like Sabine Meyer or Eddie Daniels, it will take time.
You can do the same thing with a recorded sound, and there's nothing wrong with that, but live feedback is a quicker path, especially playing duets.
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Author: TomS
Date: 2015-05-19 18:39
Ditto on recorded sound. As an on-location live recording engineer for the local orchestras for many years, I can attest that even the best recordings and played back on a great system, is a pale approximation of the real thing.
Nuances, ambiance and a sense of projection/size/power that you hear in person, don't record well.
Judge other players when you hear them live.
Tom
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-05-19 19:58
The "drawing in of the lips" could account for pitch going higher than you may intend.
The "drawing in of chest" is NOT a good thing at all. You need to be able to take in a good, relaxed, lung full of air. THEN you need to be able to accurately control how it is expelled via your abdominal muscles and to a lesser extent, the intercostals (located between your ribs).
I went on an on about air pressure in previous posts, but it is really all about maintaining a very even flow of air at ALL speeds and volumes (dynamic levels). The ONLY way to do this properly is to have constant opposition set up between your abdominals (the PUSH) and your diaphragm (the "PULL"). Only in this way will you be able to make quick transitions from loud to soft with a good resonant sound for all your notes.
The problem is that you don't really feel the diaphragm so much in the equation because it is so big and it is well exercised. So you really only feel the "pressing" or tension of the abdominals as you actively press the out of your body.
Key points:
o At ALL dynamics you must feel the pressing in your mid-section.
o As you expel air, the stomach region stays out.
o A check on proper technique is to feel the clarinet vibrate under your fingers.
............Paul Aviles
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Author: Stingerbee5000
Date: 2015-05-29 18:09
Thank you all for the responses. A great problem was that I think I would gradually pull my stomach in and puff up my chest rather than keep my stomach pushed out. My sound is much better now
However, I still hear a slight buzzing when I play a few notes like open G. Any ideas on what could cause this?
Thank you
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-05-29 20:44
AHHH,
Buzzing is pushing TOO hard on the reed (biting or bitingish) for that note at that volume. You need LESS jaw pressure (honestly, any conscious jaw pressure is TOO MUCH) and more engagement of your cheek muscles. That area, about a half inch on each side, should be taught, preventing the chomping down on the reed.
Keep in mind you have two extremes of embouchure posture that are both WRONG. One is too much pressure on the reed (biting) which causes a thin, wheezy sound if it doesn't just choke off the sound all together (also causes you to play too sharp). The other no-no is to let the embouchure get too flabby for that note at that dynamic. This causes the sound to be really diffuse (like the old time jazz players), and allows the pitch to sag (lower). Of course if you want that sound, then it's fine.
Always strive for the CENTER of the note (at any given dynamic).
..............Paul Aviles
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