Author: brycon
Date: 2021-01-30 02:39
Leaps downward--especially moving through different registers--can be difficult. I'd ignore Paul's voicing suggestion above. The upper register tends to be more focused; brilliant; and, all things equal, higher in pitch than the throat tones. If you exaggeratedly relax the voicing, then, like Paul recommends, you'll have a saggy and tubby G that doesn't sound anything like the clarion register. The register-key thing will also alter the pitch (especially in the upper clarion) and will slow you down in terms of technical facility.
You could be experiencing difficulty with downward leaps for a number of reasons. The best thing to do is check with a teacher whom you trust and who knows your playing.
Some things that might not fix the problem but might help you get on the right track:
1.) Try slowly singing the problematic intervals, with the correct pitches. Can you make the upper and lower pitches sound the same in terms of timbre? Can you make the connection smooth and elegant (if smooth and elegant is what you're going for, of course)? When you can do these things at a level that satisfies you, take note of what your air and support system are doing. Then play the same interval on the clarinet and try to match the sound of your playing to your singing. (I say "sound" because when we sing, we often manipulate our lips, tongue, oral cavity, etc. in a way that might not work as well on the clarinet.)
2.) If the throat-tone G goes into a higher partial when you leap down to it, rather than stopping, hold out the higher-register D squeak and then purposively drop the pitch back to the throat-tone G without stopping the sound. Take note of what you needed to do physically to make the G come out--probably some combination of several small things with your embouchure, air, voicing, etc. Over time, you'll build up the muscle memory of what you need to do to make G come out instead of the higher partial.
3.) If downward leaps are a problem for you, work on them on a daily basis. Get some exercises from your teacher that are tailored to your playing and build downward-interval practice into your regimen.
Post Edited (2021-01-30 02:49)
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