 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: mmatisoff
Date: 2016-07-30 04:26
I am working on Baermann Etude #18. For the most part, it's coming along swimmingly; however, when I try the leap from staff E to high D or above staff A to D, both notes suffer. When I play the notes slowly and legato, no problem. When I set the metronome at 80, things fall apart quickly. The lower notes are no longer centered and I have to push so much air through the mouthpiece to get high D that it's wispy and uncentered. I'm using the standard fingerings shown in Ridenour's "Clarinet Fingerings" to no avail. I've perused the book for resonant fingerings, too, that would make the leap easier or at least less difficult. No luck there either. I have received incredible feedback from the Bboard members. I'm hoping that someone can enlighten or turn me on to some technique studies that will get me over this hump.
Post Edited (2016-07-30 17:17)
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Author: kdk
Date: 2016-07-30 06:50
Your jpg file doesn't seem to open. What Baermann volume is the etude in?
Without being able to see the excerpt you're asking about, I don't know why all that you describe should be going wrong just because of a tempo increase. But, obviously, playing the notes slowly and legato (is the actual excerpt articulated?) isn't getting at the problem, so you need to find another approach.
In general you shouldn't have to "push" more air through the clarinet to get those leaps to high D to come out. It's more a matter of keeping your embouchure controlled and stable. Can you play the notes separately with good quality? You need to remember what the high D feels like and concentrate on reproducing the feeling after the lower note. If you slide your left index finger down and off the tone hole instead of lifting it straight up, it can smooth the leaps upward. I don't know that you will find alternate fingerings for high D that improve anything - the available ones tend to be not quite in tune and less refined-sounding than the standard one TR 0XX|X00 K.
Try again to upload the excerpt.
Karl
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Author: Philip Caron
Date: 2016-07-30 14:27
A lot of practice can be about particular intervals, making them smooth and clean. I would take time away from the piece and just practice the interval(s) that are giving trouble, and some similar or nearby intervals too. Work them in both directions, up and down. Along with what Karl said, it shouldn't take any more push or force or special effort to play the intervals you describe.
Maybe you are tightening up as sort of a semi-conscious habit when you get to them. That D can be a strident note . . . it could be that "extra" effort is trying to avoid a piercing D. If so, keep practicing intervals to and from that note. Mentally "watch" what your are doing, and try to keep things equalized. Ha, assume it's easy, then do THAT (which isn't quite a silly as it sounds.)
On the other hand, sometimes that D can be resistant or out of tune if the bridge between the halves of the clarinet is not aligned right or otherwise not working right (due to a worn cork on the lower part of the bridge or something.) When you are having the trouble you described, try just playing a forked Bb (2nd space above staff) - TR X00|X00 - if that plays hard or out of tune, then there is a bridge issue; otherwise, probably not.
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Author: richard smith
Date: 2016-07-30 16:41
My TR147s were particularly excellent in making a smooth transition from C to D, in the Roch 2, for example. My Leblancs, not as good. Check with Tom Ridenour for solid advice.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2016-07-30 18:31
Building on Karl's advice above is what helped me the most. I found and started practicing "half holing" for the altissimo. I almost never remove my index finger completely for the altissimo except for certain few notes, or if I WANT the altissimo to pop out and not have a smooth transition.
A good exercise would be to practice from F to altissimo D. This way you're minimizing finger movements and can concentrate on a good constant airstream and ONLY your left index finger. And I wouldn't remove your index finger up, or even slide it off. Try to "roll" it down towards your left middle finger. This will expose a little bit of the tone hole and should result in a very smooth transition to the D. Hold your index finger there (with the SLIGHT exposure of the tonehole) and check your tuning. If you're lucky, it'll be in tune. If it's not in tune, lift your finger all the way off and check the tuning.
Either way, try a slight "roll" of the finger the expose tiny bit of the tonehole and that could really smooth your interval leap (remember, do NOT change airspeed or embouchure). If you find you need to lift the finger to be in tune, you can extend the practice to two steps. First roll to make that interval leap, Second lift te finger off to make it in tune. Eventually, you will learn to make steps one and two into one smooth motion and that'll just be the way you get into the altissimo.
Seriously, half holing solved SO many issues.
Alexi
PS-you can also pop into the altissimo by half holing your left thumb and keeping your index finger down. It should result in the same smooth transition, but for me is more awkward than the left index finger which is already used to rolling up to hit the A speaker key, so changing directions and rolling down was easier that manipulating my thumb to half hole.
US Army Japan Band
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Author: kdk
Date: 2016-07-30 20:37
When I studied with Anthony Gigliotti, he taught that it was important to begin increasing the air on the lower note to prepare for the higher one. Not just from clarion to altissimo, but for any large legato interval. You can hear him doing this in many recordings, and it was even clearer in live performance. But the the cost seemed to be that the pitch would drop slightly as he played through the lower note.
I don't find this air increase necessary to get a smooth legato into the altissimo. It is important that you don't drop the air flow, but instead play *through* the interval. The problem most of my students have with these leaps is that they hold the air stream back and change their embouchure pressure, fearing a squeak or a bad connection, and the fear ends up a self-fulfilling prophesy. Keep your embouchure steady, keep the air steady and, if it helps, try the half-holing approach with the left index finger.
D6 is not a particularly problematic note on most clarinets. If you let the acoustics of the instrument work (generating the harmonic by opening the first tone hole), the problem is much less. Do as little as necessary to "help" it so that you don't end up doing something to get in the way.
Karl
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Author: Philip Caron
Date: 2016-07-30 20:44
In my "first incarnation" as a clarinetist - in high school - I used the half-hole technique a lot, and it really did seem to help. Oddly, now 10 years into my "second incarnation" (with 33 years in between), after having to relearn almost everything from scratch, I never half-hole. It wasn't a deliberate campaign to not use the technique, but the way I went about self-teaching things sort of went around a different way. I suppose timing all the fingers accurately produces just as good results.
So, try half-holing. If it helps, do it. It's easy. Just be aware it isn't really necessary.
The hole in question is sort of a second register opening, no? I'm stumbling around in my mind again trying to model why half-holing seems to help but isn't necessary. Maybe it involves the "small opening" thing again (ref. the other thread about dumb question.)
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Author: kdk
Date: 2016-07-30 21:55
It is a vent, like the register vent. Bass clarinets have a plateau with a small hole in the center covering the left index finger hole so that for altissimo notes you hold the key closed but don't cover the center hole. I suppose the full tone hole is too big for a stable harmonic.
Karl
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Author: Philip Caron
Date: 2016-07-31 04:54
Mmatisoff, wow, no thumb hole? That's odd, but if it works good for you, then problem solved. (I must try this tomorrow.)
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2016-07-31 09:40
Guy Chadash just sent me a set of clarinets he's now making. Not bad! They have a very nice sound quality. Some Buffets have problems with this Rose piece posted, other times it is the position of ones tongue, or a combination of both. Plus the mouthpiece. Players tend to bite as a habit going above high C. Marcellus and Gennusa often suggested use softer reeds to avoid biting and the tongue position was pretty important as well as using a lot of mouthpiece. Often players don't use put enough of the mouthpiece in their mouths, which cuts off the reeds main buildup of material. So the trick it to use use as much mouthpiece as you can until you pretty much squeak. Then back off. This is so important for double lip players.
Check out the lady that runs Clarinetmenters. She has some interesting video's recently about the high register regarding voicing. Also google Lee Morgan about tongue positions. He was a student of Fred Ormand and Bob Marcellus and offers lessens. He's pretty amazing and will solve a lot of your issues.
I just picked up a 1964 Bb Buffet R13. It's hardly been played on. Holy cow what a great horn. The altissimo is sweet and effortless, so instruments, barrels and mouthpieces do matter. I found the a larger bore mouthpiece and a shorter mouthpiece fits great. The M series Vandorens actually make the horn kind of stinky, so look for the right setups. Feel free in writing. If you are going to the clarinetfest stop by. Lets talk! Room 228 Steuer reeds.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
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Author: Matt74
Date: 2016-08-01 02:34
I agree about the sliding or half hole (left index finger), it seems to help the horn make the switch.
The mouthpiece can also make a big difference.
Sometimes in fast passages I also use an open thumb hole, with just my left index finger down and an open register key. There are several combinations for using the A/Ab and or trill keys to play notes in that area, using a "short tube" rather than the standard "long tube".
- Matthew Simington
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