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Re: Learning to cross the break easily

Author: nellsonic
Date: 2024-03-02 00:41

Approach it from above, rather than below. Be sure you are using fast air and a high tongue position so that the upper register notes speak clearly and are not more than a little flat. This is a good time to review embouchure basics as well.
A well formed embouchure that doesn't move around when changing registers is important. The upper register is more picky about how well you cover the tone holes. The notes won't speak if your fingers are even a little bit off.

You may need a higher reed strength then you started with, but tread carefully there. A reed that is too hard will make the high notes easy but will also cause you to use too much jaw pressure, which makes for lots of problems down the line. You want a reed strentgh which helps support the high notes without being all airy sounding in the lower register.

Michelle Anderson (Clarinet Mentors) on Youtube is excellent in dealing with these issues.

Learning your major scales and arpeggios (and chromatic scale) is the best training on how the pinkie keys work best. You'll never have to slide between notes in any of these if you are using your pinkies correctly. There are times in actual music that you will, but they are fairly rare and you probably won't see any for awhile if you are playing music that is appropriate for your level right now.

(There's nothing wrong with trying something hard sometimes, but especially at the beginning you should mostly be playing things that progress slowly and evenly in difficulty.)

For adult self learning, the Rubank Clarnet Method books are pretty thorough in helping you through the process of learning corerct fingering habits. Hope that helps!

Anders

Post Edited (2024-03-02 00:45)

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