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Re: Why does my clarinet sound like this?

Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2016-05-16 01:48

I tried to re-create this sound and the only thing I can come up with is that the reed is being tasked to do something it does not want to do. And I think that perhaps you are on or beyond the point where the reed joins up with the mouthpiece and you have no control over the vibration of the reed.

Firstly just play an open 'G.' Play as close to the the tip of the mouthpiece as possible (taking in almost no mouthpiece). Then, as you continue to play the open 'G,' continue to introduce more and more mouthpiece until you come to a point where you get a big "SQUAWK" (or you should get a squawk). Now you back off slightly from the "SQUAWK" point and that is where you should always place the mouthpiece in your embouchure (you can back off further but at the expense of losing the efficiency of your particular length of facing).

The other thing about your sound is that it is very flaccid. You are allowing the reed to vibrate without any control on any of the notes. If you experiment with adding more embouchure control (which is using the musculature ALL around the mouth: cheek muscles coming in, and upper lip muscles pushing (slightly) downward) you will find that the sound can become pinched and wheezy at this OTHER extreme.

What you need to do is settle IN THE MIDDLE, where the sound is a pure, round, resonant quality; neither flabby nor squeezed.

This should help.

....................Paul Aviles

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