 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2021-03-14 04:35
Mine's occasional voicing problems with full fingered lower clarion notes. D#5 is my nemesis.
Also, my left thumb can be nasty about not reaching closer to the ground when arriving at chalumeau register notes.
In my head I'm actually telling my left thumb to slide down a bit so that it lands where it is suppose to.
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I've played for 40 years and have covered most of the etude and solo catalog: okay not the Nielsen, and by no means am I ready, or will I ever be to solo with a professional orchestra; and yes, said in 12 step program fashion, " I am SecondTry and I have clarinet shortcomings."
What's your areas that could stand to be improved? Pitch, tongue speed, intervals, sight reading....
clearly there's no shortage of areas in which all of us can improve. I'm just curious to find if there is some pattern to it.
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Author: Matt74
Date: 2021-03-14 05:58
Anyone feel free to correct me...
I have noticed that more "seasoned" players (especially those that have not always been players), seem to have odd finger position issues. E.g. thumb doesn't work, hand position is wrong, can't reach, etc. There's too many of them for it to be a coincidence. I'm not sure if this is a flexibility issue or something else.
- Matthew Simington
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Author: BethGraham
Date: 2021-03-14 08:34
I've only been learning for two years, but my biggest struggle so far is figuring out how to get that inert slab of meat in my mouth to work properly. Good tonguing is out of my reach so far. (I had a speech impediment as a child that could be at the root of the issue.)
Improvement is slow, but happening.
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Author: Tom H
Date: 2021-03-14 08:43
My problem is I don't play anywhere near as much as I used to. Have been basically down to one professional band that I do a summer series with (well, not since 2019...). I play Principal and am a soloist about every 2 years. But soloing has gotten me a bit uptight since I used to do it more often. I think my technical and overall ability hasn't suffered (yet) due to age (67), but I compare my recent soloing to tapes from years past and I just don't feel the confidence I see in myself in those videos.
The Most Advanced Clarinet Book--
tomheimer.ampbk.com/ Sheet Music Plus item A0.1001315, Musicnotes product no. MB0000649.
Boreal Ballad for unaccompanied clarinet-Sheet Music Plus item A0.1001314.
Musicnotes product no. MNO287475
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2021-03-14 08:46
Two major issues had always been tongue speed (which I am currently combating with double tonguing techniques) and putting too much pressure upon a reed (otherwise known as biting). Within the last five years I have been getting better at both and finally have a Boehm mouthpiece that is allowing me to ease up considerably on my reeds and "just blow." Oddly it allows the pitch to be much more even across the horn as well.
.................Paul Aviles
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Author: SunnyDaze
Date: 2021-03-14 10:15
Hi Beth,
I know what you mean about tonguing. I started three years ago and really struggled with it, but something happened about six months ago and now tonguing just works for me. It wasn't like I suddenly figured it out or anything. My tongue just suddenly started working, and it's never been a problem since then. I just wanted to say, as it may be the same for you and just come easily one day. Good luck with it!
My constant problems is not being able to reach keys. I think my hands are not quite made right, but it's so much better than the violin or piano (which make my hands hurt a lot), that I don't mind. I like that extra bits can be glued on a clarinet to solve these problems. :-)
Jen
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Author: Matt74
Date: 2021-03-14 14:12
My technical problem has always been biting.
My "musical" problem is that I have neurological issues, especially memory, that make learning pieces extremely difficult. I've been able to learn 4 instruments fairly well, but I still can't play a single piece by memory.
- Matthew Simington
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2021-03-14 15:06
After about 50 years or so I think the tongue speed is about as good as it's gonna get. I have started experimenting on my students by introducing them to double tonguing and sure enough there was one out of a batch of four (prior to Covid of course) who said to me after giving a rapid sixteenth note exercise, "but how will you know if I'm double tonguing?" Adding a wry smile.
So, I'd say a majority of us have a slower upper limit. Too slow for the standards like Beethoven's 4th or Mendelssohn's "Midsummer Night's Dream." I think the slower tongue issue plagues quite a number of us who've been told to, "tongue lighter," or "tongue on the air."
Everyone should at least have double tonguing as a back pocket technique (even guys like Julian Bliss who say that they never double tongue.........because they don't like how it sounds. If only I had that luxury).
Small hands should not be a problem. Ever notice that the throat Ab/G# key is long and shaped like a banana? You CAN place your hands in and attitude where the fingers approach the horn perpendicularly. This way even tiny hands can reach the pinky keys with ease. I do this even with large hands and curl my pinkys......because I find that easier.
................Paul Aviles
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Author: BethGraham
Date: 2021-03-14 21:09
Thanks for the encouragement, Jen. It's getting better all the time.
Can I email you off the board? My new teacher has given me a diaphragm exercise I wanted to share with you, since you and I both seem to have similar lung issues.
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Author: Tom H
Date: 2021-03-15 01:23
There are several posts about tonguing. I agree with Paul in that it is logical that everyone has there own upper speed limit. In H.S. my tonguing was the usual sub-par. In my freshman college year Russianoff gave me an excercise that I probably have posted here before. Start low C. Go CCCDEEEFG-- hold the G if you like. Speed up. There is a section on it in my book. I can say that within maybe a month tonguing became my strongest point. The other guys in the college orchestra left the fast tonguing stuff for me (we had a rotating section). I THINK at age 67 my tongue has MAYBE slowed a tiny bit. I never really gave double tonguing a legitimate try. Or circular breathing for that matter.
The Most Advanced Clarinet Book--
tomheimer.ampbk.com/ Sheet Music Plus item A0.1001315, Musicnotes product no. MB0000649.
Boreal Ballad for unaccompanied clarinet-Sheet Music Plus item A0.1001314.
Musicnotes product no. MNO287475
Post Edited (2021-03-15 05:01)
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2021-03-15 13:32
Double tonguing:
The best primer is this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoInFr4b8kQ
To that I would add that I have continued to do better the higher I go (on the written staff that is) by NOT stopping air flow at each articulation. I execute both the "tah" and the "kah" on the roof of the mouth (eschew touching the reed as in normal single tonguing) and do more of a "thah-hah" (with the "th" being soft as in the word "think").
..................Paul Aviles
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Author: BethGraham
Date: 2021-03-15 18:59
Looks like you'll have to email me first, Jen; your email address isn't included in your profile. Just click on my name and you should get to a page with my email address.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
And thanks to everyone else for the information on tonguing. I'll present some of these ideas to my teacher and see what she suggests.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2021-03-15 19:52
Gurol's approach is like many who use double tonguing as "reinforcement" for technique. You can tell she has a fast tongue to begin with. If you can do to fast notes in a row in perfect rhythm (such as the "tah-tah-kah" triple tongue she demonstrates) then your in pretty good shape to begin with. You'll notice Gorokholinsky uses the alternate "tah-kah" for both double and triple rhythms.......he finds no advantage to doubling up on either one, a symptom of a slower tongue.
But yes, S-L-O-W practice is the key to establishing ANY technique.
................Paul Aviles
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