clarinet and clarinet

An interesting article about whether or not the material of an instrument makes a difference in how it plays. Both from musical and scientific standpoints.

Does Material Affect Tone Quality of Woodwind Instruments?

Image: graur codrin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Tonguing. Another one of those things with the clarinet. Improper tonguing is one of the most common playing problems among clarinet players of any skill level. Pros and beginners alike are continually trying to improve their tonguing both in terms of speed and cleanliness. Something that my teachers always told me finally clicked and when it did, it was amazing! Quality tonguing really is possible!

The realization was that tonguing is the interruption of the air stream, not the stopping of it. Think of it this way. Imagine a full balloon. If you don't tie the end all of the air shoots out at a high speed because of the pressure. When you pinch the end of the balloon, no air is escaping, but the pressure is still there, waiting to escape once you stop pinching it.

The balloon represents our lungs, filled with air from a deep, healthy breath. When we play the air flows from our lungs through our instrument, causing the reed to vibrate and create a sound. Articulation is putting our tongue on the reed, stopping the air and sound, but what we need to remember is that the pressure should still be there! Too many clarinet players, myself included, get into the habit of "bouncy" tonguing. And this is literal bouncing! If you are playing staccato and you notice your body bouncing or your stomach bouncing along with the staccato you are "tonguing" with your air and not your tongue.

Make an ooooooo shape with your mouth. Now blow through it. Now stop the air with your tongue and make sure you keep the pressure behind your tongue. Is your stomach tight? It should be! If it helps, keep a hand on your stomach to check. Now remove your tongue and feel the air escape. Your stomach should feel the same as when you were holding the air back.

This is a hard concept to try to get across with words alone, but hopefully this confusing article has at least helped you understand a little more about proper articulation on the instrument.

And now for Eb!



And bass!

Image: Maggie Smith / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Ahhhh the high register, also known as the altissimo. The bane of many a clarinet player. Most clarinet students won't get any higher than a high D or E, but those of us pursuing more advanced study have experience playing notes high in the stratosphere of the instrument.

So what is the key to playing in the high register? A harder reed, a more open mouthpiece, a more expensive barrel? These things may help, but it really all comes down to, as is almost always the case, AIR.

Air is the absolute most important thing when it comes to playing in the altissimo. You can practice your fingerings all you want but without proper support the notes will not speak.

Too often clarinet players beginning work in the high register resort to biting in order to get the note to speak. While this is somewhat effective, it results in a pinched and strident sound and is not at all reliable.

The key is to use as little jaw pressure as possible and a lot of air! Don't be afraid to play loud in the high register. There will be MANY MANY squeaks but don't worry! That's what practicing is for. Heaven knows that any good clarinet player has squeaked thousands of times and will continue to do so for the rest of their lives. Squeaks can be frustrating, but they are a natural by-product of practicing and trying out new things.

Players that have been relying on jaw-pressure alone will have a lot of trouble moving to an embouchure that allows the reed to vibrate freely on these high notes, but it will pay enormous dividends. Let the squeaks of progress resound!

Just posted to Backun Musical Services Facebook Page. They sure are beautiful!

Ricardo Morales playing on the new MoBa clarinet. Taken from
Backun Muscal Services Facebook page. (head on over and make sure you are a fan!)

I got two notes from people this week that I wanted to post here as an example of when you might have trouble with your instrument, or when you just need to practice more.First from Facebook:Hey, i have a soo festival next thursday and all of a sudden my high notes (b-f) wont come out iif i am playing quiet. all i get are squeeks. is there anything i can do to fix it?To which I replied:My first stop would be a repairman. When you're playing quietly, you're not forcing as much air through the instrument. Often, when you have a leak, pushing more air through the horn will overcome that leak, but quiet playing will be a problem. I would bet that the problem lies in your F key (clarion F; top-line of the staff) isn't closing completely. One way to check this is to rotate your bass clarinet top joint so that the bridge key doesn't connect. Then try those notes again. If they come out, then the problem is in your bridge key. Other than that, someone might have to look at the horn.When your instrument is simply not speaking a note, or squeaks all the time, it is most likely the instrument -- ESPECIALLY if it is a school bass clarinet. Having your band director look at it is a first line of defense, but even seasoned repairmen don't often see a bass clarinet, so expecting your band director to see the problem is pretty unlikely. I recommend taking the instrument to a good repair person (with your band director's blessing, of course), and then see what s/he says.Now, to a text message I got off my site:I'm a 9th grader and I have been playing b.c for 5 years. How can you switch smoothly from different octaves?Well here's what I replied: Thanks for your note. Well, I hate to say it, but the real way is by practicing a lot. What you need to understand is that when you play an A (second space in the staff) and then play a B (third line in the staff) you are going from playing about 16 inches of bass clarinet (where the A-key hole is -- it's high up on the bass clarinet) to 3 feet of bass clarinet (where the B-key hole is). So, when you go from playing that A to playing that B, you have to get all your air all the way down to the bottom of the bass clarinet INSTANTLY! That comes from making sure you have a consistent and well supported air stream.The way I like to think of it is blowing all the way to the bell of the bass clarinet *all the time* -- it helps when you have to make these register leaps (or, as you call it, "octave switches").Sometimes it's hard to tell if it's you or if it's the instrument. I'll make a video soon to help tell which is which. But in the mean time, I hope this helps.