Music 733. Clarinet Course Pack

Transcription

1 Music 733 Clarinet Course Pack Professor Kennen White Central Michigan University

2 HISTORY OF THE CLARINET REGISTERS OF THE CLARINET MEMBERS OF THE CLARINET FAMILY ASSEMBLY OF THE CLARINET HOW TO HOLD THE CLARINET (RIGHT HAND) HAND POSITION AND FINGER MOTION EMBOUCHURE BREATHING FUNCTIONS OF THE TONGUE IN CLARINET PLAYING ARTICULATION HOW TO PRACTICE RECORDINGS REEDS MOUTHPIECES LIGATURES BARREL JOINTS INSTRUMENTS INTONATION TONE PROBLEMS FINGERINGS CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF CLARINET CLARINET STUDY REPERTOIRE SELECTIVE REPERTOIRE LIST CLARINET RESOURCES IMPORTANT CLARINET PLAYERS MUS 733: Clarinet 1 Professor Kennen White

3 History of the clarinet The forerunner to the clarinet (pre-1690) was the chalumeau, a simple single reed instrument with no keys and a range of about an octave. In 1690 Johann Cristoph Denner of Nuremberg invented the clarinet by adding a register key to the chalumeau. This expanded its range by allowing it to overblow the notes of the lower register by a twelfth. 1 He also added two keys to bridge the gap between the two registers. The clarinet was now a serious instrument, though it wasn't widely used until 100 years later, in the latter part of the 18th century. The earliest repertoire that is commonly performed now is from about the time of Mozart. The Classical period clarinet had three to five keys. Because of this, facility was limited and it was difficult to play in more than a handful of key signatures, so clarinets were built in different pitches (Bb, A, C, D, Eb) so that the performer never had to play in more than a few sharps or flats. The parts were transposed by the copyist so that the performer always used the same fingering for a note on the page, regardless of its sounding pitch. This meant that the performer could play a clarinet pitched in any key and read and finger the notes the same way. Thus, in a clarinet part, the note on the second line of the treble clef is always called an open g and fingered the same, regardless of which clarinet it is played on. The sounding pitch will depend on the key of the instrument, but the player will always call it an open g and finger it the same. This system is very convenient for the performer because it means he or she can play any member of the clarinet family without having to transpose. In 1810, Ivan Mueller, a German clarinetist, developed a clarinet with 13 keys, which made it possible to play in any key. The Bb clarinet became the standard, although clarinets in A and C continued to be used, partly out of tradition, partly to facilitate technical passages, and partly for their different tone qualities. Modern players usually transpose C clarinet parts to Bb clarinet. Many modern orchestral players transpose certain Bb or A clarinet passages to the other instrument when they feel it will sound better or be easier to play. The modern clarinet is based on the principles developed by Theobald Boehm ( ) for the flute. These principles, which involve acoustically ideal size and placement of tone holes, were applied to the clarinet by Klosé (a famous French clarinetist) and Buffet (a famous French woodwind maker) by means of various mechanical innovations. The Boehm system clarinet was completed around Klosé traveled widely, performing and promoting his new instrument, which soon became very popular. To teach the new system, he wrote a method book that is still widely used. The Boehm clarinet system (descended from French Klosé/Buffet design of the mid-1800 s) is used almost exclusively throughout the world, except in Germany and Austria, where descendants of the Mueller system clarinet are used. Adolph Sax modified the Mueller clarinet into an instrument that became the basis for the Albert System clarinet. The Albert system clarinet was played 1 The term overblow in musical acoustics simply means using the lips, oral cavity and wind stream to cause a fingering to produce one of its overtones rather than the fundamental note. On woodwind instruments, a register key is opened and/or a slight modification of the fundamental fingering is frequently used to facilitate the register change. The clarinet overblows to odd numbered partials only, because these are predominant in its timbre. MUS 733: Clarinet 2 Professor Kennen White

4 by German immigrants to the United States around the turn of the century and existed along side the Boehm (French) system clarinets for awhile, before the Boehm system began to replace it. Old editions of the Rubank Elementary Method include a fingering chart for both Boehm and Albert system clarinets. Albert system clarinets and their more modern descendants, the Oehler (German) and Wurlitzer (Austrian) clarinets are more complicated mechanically than Boehm clarinets. They have a different fingering system, different size bore, and use mouthpieces and reeds that are a different size and shape than French clarinets. They attempt to achieve superior tone quality and intonation, perhaps at the expense of technical facility and flexibility of tone. The modern Boehm clarinet usually has 17 keys and 6 rings and is made of grenadilla 2 wood with keys made of nickle-silver alloy. Student instruments are sometimes made of plastic or another synthetic material. As a music teacher in the U.S. Boehm 17/6 clarinets are all that you are likely to deal with unless you have an exchange student from Germany or Austria, or unless you come across a very old Albert system clarinet at an antique store or garage sale. Be aware that some large music stores offer reeds for German clarinet mouthpieces and these are not compatible with French style mouthpieces. French Style Clarinets (Boehm) Widely used everywhere except Germany, Austria Based on design of Klosé/Buffet, mid 1800 s Modern makers: Buffet, Leblanc, Yamaha, others Associated with easier technique, flexible tone quality. 17 keys, 6 rings. German Style Clarinets Use is mostly limited to Germany, Austria Based on Albert system, which was based on Mueller s design, early 1800 s Modern makers: Oehler (German) Wurlitzer (Austrian) Yamaha, others Associated with consistent, stable tone quality, good intonation. Different mouthpieces, reeds, fingerings than Boehm system 2 This is a somewhat general term used to refer to the wood from any of a number of tropical hardwood trees, usually grown in Africa. MUS 733: Clarinet 3 Professor Kennen White

5 Registers of the clarinet Chalumeau Low e to f# (first space) Name comes from predecessor to clarinet, which had no register key and only played low notes. Throat tones Open g, g#, a, Bb (within the staff) Least resonant notes on clarinet. Tendency to sound thin and weak. Very flexible in pitch. Clarion B (third line) to high c. Fingerings correspond to the chalumeau register (plus register key) but sound a 12 th higher. High c is usually the highest note for beginners (1-2 yrs). Altissimo High c# and above. High g is usually considered the highest note, but advanced repertoire sometimes goes all the way to super high c (on the space above the 5th ledger line). Many alternate fingerings are available to control pitch, tone, and facility. Members of the Clarinet Family Eb clarinet-'piccolo' clarinet. Bright tone quality. Challenging to play in tune. Requires a good ear and well-developed embouchure and technique. Sometimes used in band. Frequently called for in orchestra, especially in 20 th century. Clarinet choir often calls for 2 Eb clarinets. D clarinet-mostly obsolete. Called for in some pieces by Mahler, Stravinsky (Rite of Spring) and Richard Strauss (Til Eulenspiegel). Usually transposed to Eb clarinet. C clarinet-mostly obsolete. Called for occasionally in orchestral repertoire all the way through the late Romantic period. Usually transposed to Bb clarinet. Orchestral players must be able to transpose C clarinet parts to Bb clarinet (up a whole step) at sight. Bb soprano clarinet- The standard clarinet. Most solo, chamber music and band music is for Bb clarinet. A clarinet-used often in orchestra and for a significant number of solo and chamber pieces. Uses the same mouthpiece and fingerings as Bb clarinet. Has a slightly darker sound than Bb clarinet. Slightly harder to play in tone and with a consistent tone throughout the registers than a Bb clarinet. Few high school players own their own A clarinet. Music performance majors must own A clarinet. Basset clarinet in A- (Very rare) This is an A clarinet with an extension down to low C (written). Mozart wrote his Concerto and a few other important works for his friend Anton Stadler, who had one of these instruments. The instrument died out with Stadler, but in recent years, most major manufacturers have begun making these instruments, although there is an extremely limited repertoire for them. Not to be confused with basset horn (below). Basset Horn in F-Sounds a fourth lower than Bb clarinet. Goes down to written low C. This instrument was fairly popular in the Classical and early Romantic periods, but never became a standard part of the orchestra. Mozart used it in several important operas and chamber pieces. Mendelssohn wrote two charming Concert MUS 733: Clarinet 4 Professor Kennen White

6 Pieces for clarinet, bassett horn and piano. Richard Strauss included prominent bassett horn parts in several of his operas. Many large orchestras and universities own a pair of bassett horns for those occasions when they are needed. Alto clarinet in Eb- Goes down to written Eb. Used only in band music and clarinet choir music. Parts are often optional. Not used as much now as it was years ago. Bass clarinet in Bb-One octave lower than Bb soprano clarinet. The bass clarinet is a standard member of the band and orchestra. Fairly delicate mechanism and must be in good mechanical condition to be played well. The standard range of bass clarinet is down to low Eb. Extended range models, which are larger, more complicated mechanically, and more expensive, are available down to low C for certain important orchestral works from the early 20 th century to modern times. The low C instrument is not needed for public school music programs.. Some schools start beginners on bass; others switch them later. Some students do better on bass than on Bb, so a student who is not excelling on Bb clarinet after a few years may benefit from switching to bass clarinet. It is not unusual for a high school student to play bass clarinet exclusively, but most universities require a student to audition on Bb to major in music. Contrabass clarinet in Eb-One octave lower than Alto clarinet. It is also called the contra-alto clarinet. Some instruments made of wood, some of metal. Sometimes used in band and clarinet ensemble music. Lowest note varies by model (Eb, D, or C) Contrabass clarinet in Bb- One octave lower than Bass clarinet. Sometimes used in band and clarinet ensemble music. Very large, heavy and expensive instrument. Often made of metal. Lowest note varies by model (Eb, D, or C). Sometimes used in band and clarinet ensemble music. Contrabass clarinets and Contra-alto clarinets come in two styles, the straight design (which sometimes requires to performer to stand or sit on a tall stool to reach the mouthpiece), and the more compact paper clip design. Most clarinet choir music calls for either a contra-alto or a contrabass clarinet. Usually both are not required. MUS 733: Clarinet 5 Professor Kennen White

7 Assembly of the clarinet Soak reed in mouth or water for about 60 seconds. This may be done while the clarinet is being assembled. Apply cork grease to tenon corks if needed. This may need to be done often with new clarinets (or corks), but on older instruments will only need to be done occasionally. Assemble from bottom to top to avoid damaging reed, mouthpiece. Bell, lower joint, upper joint, barrel, mouthpiece, ligature, reed Gentle twisting motion, not a rocking motion. Avoid bending any keys. Important: when putting lower joint onto upper joint, the rings on the upper joint should be depressed in order to raise the connecting lever and avoid damaging its cork. Proper alignment of the connecting lever (bridge key) from lower joint to upper joint is essential. The ligature is placed on the mouthpiece so that screws are facing right. With standard ligatures this places the screws on the bottom; with inverted ligatures this places the screws on top. The reed is carefully slid under the ligature, thick end first, so that the flat part of the reed is against the flat part of the mouthpiece. The reed should be placed so that only a sliver of the mouthpiece shows above the tip of the reed and the reed is centered left to right on the mouthpiece. Improper placement will impair tone quality. The ligature should be slid down so that it is slightly below the cut part of the reed and the screws tightened until moderately tight. Disassemble the clarinet from the top down in order to protect the reed, ligature, and mouthpiece. Swabbing The clarinet should be swabbed at the end of a playing session and periodically during a long session. Swabbing removes the moisture from the bore of the instrument. This is important in order to prevent wood instruments from cracking, to preserve the pads, to prevent water build-up in the tone holes (which causes a gurgling sound), and for hygienic reasons. Advanced students can swab the entire instrument (minus mouthpiece) at once. It should be swabbed from bottom to top (bell to barrel joint) in order to avoid pulling the moisture down the instrument. The swab should be carefully spread out before pulling it through the instrument in order to prevent it getting stuck. Younger students should swab each piece individually because of the danger of pulling the instrument apart if the tenon corks are loose. The mouthpiece should not be swabbed because of the danger of scratching or dropping it. It may be wiped clean with the swab or another soft cloth. Once a week it should be washed in warm, soapy water. Q-tips can be used to clean the inside of the mouthpiece. MUS 733: Clarinet 6 Professor Kennen White

8 How to hold the clarinet (Right hand) It is possible to play the clarinet for hours every day, without using a neckstrap and with no pain. Many people do! However, quite a few students have trouble supporting the weight of the clarinet and as result develop strange habits with the right hand which interfere with smooth technique and eventually cause significant pain in the hand and arm. There is no reason for there to be any pain associated with playing the clarinet. It is simply a matter of understanding some basic aspects of the structures and mechanics involved in supporting the clarinet. Below is a discussion in some detail of the important factors involved in supporting the clarinet. Where to place the thumb on the clarinet The thumb rest should lie on the right thumb, just to the side and to the right of where the thumbnail meets the flesh. For many players, more of the weight will be coming from the left side of the thumbrest than from the right side (in other words, the thumb will support the thumb rest from a 10:00 position rather than a 9:00 position). Some students will mistakenly put their thumbs too far around the clarinet (thumbrest to the right of the joint) in an attempt to get extra support. This is unnecessary and can cause undesirable compression of the wrist and limit the mobility of the fingers. The side of the thumb (not the back of the thumb) should contact the thumbrest for maximum strength. You can demonstrate this by pressing with your finger against the thumbnail side of the thumb and noticing how much muscular effort it requires for the thumb to resist that pressure. Then rotate the thumb so that the pressure is on the inner side of the thumb and notice how the pressure is now resisted by the structure of the bones rather than by muscular tension. Structure of the thumb It is important for students to understand the structure of the thumb. Many people have mis-mapped the thumb as beginning at the prominent second joint rather than all the way back at the wrist. If a student thinks this way, he or she is likely to use excessive muscular effort and tension to support the weight of the clarinet. It also greatly limits the mobility of the left thumb. The thumb actually begins all the way back at the wrist and it from this joint that the greatest range of movement is possible. Mechanics and structure of forearm It is important for students to understand that the forearm is organized around the ulna (the bone on the pinky side) rather than the radius (the bone on the thumb side). In pronation and supination (turning the hand over without moving the upper arm) the axis of rotation is the ulna (imagine a line from the pinky to the outside of the elbow). This may be easily seen by laying the forearm on a desk, palm facing up, and turning the hand over, keeping the pinky in place. Notice that as the pinky stays in place the thumb traces a large arc through the air. As this rotation occurs, the radius crosses over the stationary ulna. Students who attempt to rotate their forearm around the thumb are at greater risk of injuring themselves (tendinitis, tennis elbow, golfer s elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, repetitive motion syndrome, etc.) not just from playing the clarinet, but from a number of other activities including playing the piano and using the computer. Neutral position of wrist The neutral position of the hand has the pinky lined up with the outside of the MUS 733: Clarinet 7 Professor Kennen White

9 arm, and the thumb pointing slightly away from the hand. The wrist is mostly flat (in other words the back of the hand is in a line with the back of the forearm). This is the position of maximum strength. Weight is transferred from the pinky to the ulna (outer bone of forearm), to the large upper arm bone and to the torso. To understand this better, try or think about the following. Hang from a bar. Notice that the strongest grip has most of the contact with the bar on the pinky and ring finger. The thumb is not even necessary. Now imagine how much more difficult it would be to support your weight with just the thumb and forefinger. When babies go through the stage of gripping whatever they can reach (hair, clothing, a finger), notice that their surprising strength of grip is achieved mostly with the pinky, ring finger, and middle finger. When swimming, maximum strength is obtained when the pinky is lined up with the ulna (outer forearm bone). In martial arts, students are taught to escape from a grip on their forearm by rotating against the adversary s thumb. This will always work, no matter the discrepancy in size and strength. Notice the position of your hand when carrying a heavy suitcase. This anatomically neutral position of the wrist has minimal compression of the eight bones that comprise the wrist, allowing for easy, pain-free movements of the digits and no unwanted compression of the carpal tunnel, which is formed by the bones of the wrist. Through it pass the median nerve, blood vessels, and numerous tendons that control finger movement, so it is crucial that there be no compression of the carpal tunnel. Students who have mis-mapped the forearm as being organized around the radius (thumb side) rather than the ulna (pinkie side) tend to think of neutral as having the thumb lined up with the radius. This compresses the wrist and the carpal tunnel and is not a good position to stay in for very long. Some computer keyboards take this into account by being split in the middle (shaped like a flattened v ) so that the anatomically neutral position of having the pinky in line with the outside of the forearm is easily achieved. When the clarinet is held properly and the structure of the thumb, wrist and arm is understood, the weight is transferred easily from the full length of the thumb, through the eight bones of the wrist to the ulna (pinkie side of forearm), to the upper arm, then to the torso. Ability of muscles to automatically adjust to weight The body is very good at automatically adjusting to various weights or amounts of pressure. To demonstrate this, have a student hold a hand out, palm up and another student push down, varying the pressure while the first student keeps his/her hand in place. Notice that the muscles adjust automatically to the various amounts of pressure. However, if you have a preconceived idea of the amount of force needed, it may be inaccurate. Think of the experience of lifting an empty box that you thought was full. Some students have the idea that the clarinet is very heavy and requires much effort to hold. They will tend to tense their wrists and arms and work too hard. Additional support for the clarinet Some students will find it more comfortable when seated to support some of the MUS 733: Clarinet 8 Professor Kennen White

10 weight of the clarinet with the bell between the knees or on top of one of the thighs. Although this should not be necessary, it is acceptable, especially when playing for very long periods of time, as long as the head and upper body can be positioned in a comfortable and efficient manner. If a student has pain, numbness, or some other difficulty with the right hand, a neckstrap may be used. This helps some students, although the danger is that it will create pain or tension in the neck, back, or shoulders. As neckstrap is best thought of as a temporary solution until the injury is healed or a better way of holding the clarinet can be discovered. Perhaps a better (though more expensive and less convenient) answer is one of the various devices that rest on the floor or chair and support the weight of the clarinet at the bell. For some students, an adjustable thumb rest may allow them to find the optimal position for supporting the clarinet. Most advanced clarinets come with an adjustable thumb rest, but one can be added to any clarinet for less than $100. The Kooiman professional level thumb rest is a bit more expensive, but is highly adjustable and transfers the weight to the base of the thumb. Some tips on preventing clarinet-related injury: Stretch the entire body before playing, Warm-up gradually at beginning of playing session. Strive for a relaxed comfortable playing position. Cultivate whole body awareness when playing. Notice your neck, shoulders, and back when playing When repeating a passage, avoid tension. Change position frequently when practicing. Take frequent 30 second breaks to stretch and move around when practicing. Pain The clarinet should not be played in pain. Any numbness, pain, or tingling in the fingers, wrist, arms, or shoulders that lasts more than a few days should be investigated by a health care professional. MUS 733: Clarinet 9 Professor Kennen White

11 Hand Position and Finger Motion Both hands Fingers slightly curved (as if holding a grapefruit). The motion is from the back knuckle. The middle knuckles maintain their curve and do not straighten (see exceptions below). The tips of the fingers slightly overlap the rings so that the fleshy pads of the fingers cover the holes. Right Hand Fingers Fingers nearly perpendicular to body of instrument (but curved), maybe slightly tilted toward the side keys (only if this can be done without compressing the wrist). Fingers slightly curved (as though holding a grapefruit). The motion is from the back knuckle. The middle knuckles maintain their curve (see exceptions below). The tips of the fingers slightly overlap the rings so that the fleshy pads of the fingers cover the holes. The little finger, when not in use should lightly touch or hover over the low F key. Left hand thumb 1) Unlike the fingers, the thumb is flat when in playing position. The left thumb should lie across the thumbhole at a 45 angle, lightly touching, but not pressing, the register key. The corner of the thumbnail should be aligned with the tip of the register key. The fleshy pad of the thumb should cover the hole. For movements away from the hole it is important to move from the beginning of the thumb (where it joins with the wrist), not from the second knuckle. 2) Depressing the register key while closing the thumb ring (as on all notes above the throat tone register) is achieved by a very slight motion of the thumb (assuming the thumb is already overlapping the register key, as it should be). It is important for beginners to learn proper thumb position (with the thumb overlapping the register key) from the very beginning or they will have a big adjustment to make when the clarion notes are introduced. 3) To depress the register key and allow the thumbhole to open at the same time, as when playing throat tone Bb, a significant movement of the last knuckle (by the thumbnail) is required. The thumb should go from being basically flat (normal playing position) to being cocked at almost a 90 angle for the throat Bb. This angle is necessary to allow air to escape from the thumbhole so the throat Bb will have a clear tone. The thumb must not be allowed to merely slide up the register key when playing throat Bb or technique will be greatly limited. This motion is not natural to all students, but is easily learned. It must be insisted upon as soon as the note is introduced. Students should practice the finger motion initially without playing, so they can watch what happens. MUS 733: Clarinet 10 Professor Kennen White

12 Left Hand Fingers The little finger should lightly touch or hover over the low E key. The remaining fingers should cover the tone holes at a slight oblique angle to the body of the clarinet. 3 This will place the index finger over the throat g# key and close to the throat A key. The tips of the fingers slightly overlap the holes so that the fleshy pads of the fingers cover the holes. The fingers should be slightly curved, as though holding a grapefruit. This curve is maintained when the fingers are moved (except for the exceptions noted below). Exceptions to the rule of keeping fingers curved: 1) When playing throat tone G#, l.h. index finger will be straightened. This minimizes wrist motion and keeps the other fingers better in position. 2) Right hand side keys-r.h. index finger will be straightened to use the side keys. This minimizes wrist motion and keeps the other fingers better in position. 3) Throat tone A-Although the finger remains curved, a special motion is required to get to this key. The l.h. index finger rolls to the key, contacting it with the side of the knuckle. Almost all of this motion occurs at the joint where the finger connects to the metacarpals. This allows the rest of the hand to stay in neutral position (pinkie hovering over the low e key, thumb hovering near thumbhole) and minimizes wrist rotation. This motion is not natural to all students, but is easily developed. It must be insisted upon as soon as the note is introduced. Students should practice the finger motion initially without playing, so they can watch what happens. One teacher refers to the common mistakes when playing throat tone A as five finger A because the other fingers are stacked on top of the index finger and the thumb is pressing on the back of the clarinet, below the thumb hole. It is not unusual to see students play A this way, even in high school! 3 Students with very short fingers may have to modify this angle so that their ring finger and little finger can reach the appropriate holes and keys. MUS 733: Clarinet 11 Professor Kennen White

13 Embouchure The term embouchure refers to the lips, teeth, muscles and jaw and their position relative to the mouthpiece and reed. The clarinet embouchure is passive rather than active. In other words, it is not directly responsible for generating the tone, as it would be on a brass instrument. The clarinet embouchure simply allows the reed to vibrate and controls it to produce a beautiful tone. The clarinet embouchure must not move when articulating. The embouchure remains the same in all registers of the clarinet. There should not be a sense of the embouchure having to work harder to play high notes on the clarinet. There should be no visible motion of the embouchure when playing the clarinet. Concepts Details Like a rubber band stretched around mouthpiece Like a drawstring bag gathered inward Imagine smoking a cigar Lips shaped as though saying "o." Lower lip has wrinkles, forms a cushion for the reed Corners in Chin firm, flat and pointed down, as though applying lipstick. Not bunched up Avoid the smile embouchure (corners pulled back). This embouchure was taught in the past but is no longer widely used. It tends to produce a brighter, harsher tone. The embouchure should be formed before beginning a note and should remain still while playing First sounds are usually produced only on the mouthpiece (should produce a concert C), or on the mouthpiece and barrel joint (should produce a concert F#). The mouthpiece-barrel is a better choice, since it is easier to blow, easier for the student to hold, and easier for the teacher to see the embouchure. A Procedure for Teaching Embouchure: Say "oh". Drop jaw until line separating lip from chin is directly in front of top edge of teeth Insert mouthpiece, allowing lower lip to be pushed over teeth. With many people, this will put about half of the red part over the teeth, although this varies depending on the shape of the lips. Upper teeth should be directly on mouthpiece, about 1/2" from the end of the mouthpiece. 3/8" to 1/2" of the end of the reed should be clear of contact with the lip in order to vibrate freely. This can be checked by feeling with the tongue. Make sure the chin is firm and flat (as though applying chapstick) with a slight feel of pulling downward Corners should be pushing inward Mouthpiece should come out of mouth at an angle of 30 from the vertical The clarinet should be centered on the body unless the student s teeth are significantly crooked. MUS 733: Clarinet 12 Professor Kennen White

14 The jaw should be in a natural, comfortable position, neither pushed forward, nor pulled back. Variables for beginners: Amount of mouthpiece in mouth Amount of lower lip over teeth Air speed Firmness of embouchure It is crucial to insist on a flat chin for the first several years so that this habit is well established. Be sure that the chin stays flat as high notes are introduced. Many students begin bunching their chin and biting the reed when they first learn high notes. This is not necessary to play high notes and causes a thin, bright sound, sharp pitch and limits the dynamic range. The top lip is actually important in the clarinet embouchure. The upper lip should be slightly curled against the top teeth and there should be a feeling of pushing down on the mouthpiece with the upper lip. This helps prevent biting and gives a more resonant, darker tone. Watching the embouchure in the mirror daily is very important for students of all ages. Double-lip embouchure refers to playing with the upper lip curled over the top teeth. Although a small handful of great professionals play this way, it is not widely used or recommended for students, because endurance is more difficult and it is rather uncomfortable until one gets used to it. Be sure that your beginners have their teeth on the mouthpiece. Occasionally, someone learns to play with their upper lip curled over the teeth and the teacher does not notice it! Advanced players, however, may sometimes benefit from practicing high notes for a few minutes each day with a double lip embouchure. This helps them learn to play without biting and with a more open oral cavity. MUS 733: Clarinet 13 Professor Kennen White

15 Breathing There are several important things to know about breathing: the location of the lungs, the skeletal and muscular structures involved in breathing, means of controlling inhalation, means of controlling exhalation, and some problems with the way breathing is often taught to musicians. When reading the following, it would be useful to have a good illustrated anatomy book, and a model of a skeleton available. To truly understand the structures and motion involved in breathing, you may want to copy the relevant illustrations and put them in your clarinet case, tape them to your music stand, refrigerator, bathroom mirror and anywhere else where you are likely to see them and think about them often. The lungs are located in the thoracic cavity, which is about the upper third of the torso. Some things to notice: the top of the lung is above the collarbone, the bottom at about the bottom of the sternum; the nipple is at about the widest part of the lung; the rib area that houses digestive organs is not continuous all around, but sports the inverted V that is the very handsome upper abdominal wall; the diaphragm is NOT the same as the upper abdominal wall the bottom of the lung is at the same level as the bottom of the breast. 4 This is much higher than most people have their lungs mapped. Some people believe their lungs correspond roughly in size and position to the entire rib cage. This is not the case. Look in an anatomy book if you need convincing. Many musicians, encouraged by their teachers, believe that when they breathe deeply, air rushes into the abdominal cavity, perhaps as low as the belly button! This is clearly not possible. Later we will discuss why some teachers think this is a useful image. The lungs are located high in the torso and are protected by the shoulder blades in the back and by ribs, the sternum, and the collarbone in the sides and front. One additional thing to know is that the lungs partially surround the weightbearing portion of the spine. Many people think of their lungs as occupying the front of their chest cavity and their weight-bearing spine in the very back. This simply is not true. The core of the spine is centrally located (think how hard it would be to hold ourselves up if this were not so!) and the lungs partially surround it. Every musician needs to know about the movement of the ribs in breathing. There are twenty-four ribs, each of which makes a joint with a process on a thoracic vertebra in back (every thoracic vertebra has ribs joined to it; the seven cervical vertebrae above it do not; the five lumbar vertebrae below it do not). Twenty of the ribs attach to cartilage in front; four do not (they are called floating ribs, two on each side, the lowest ribs). The ribs are wonderfully mobile bones, having joints on one end and springy cartilage on the other end. We breathe at the joints. On inhalation all the ribs move up and out. On exhalation all the ribs move down and in. Physiologists call this movement the ribs excursion. Full rib excursion is our goal. 5 The motion of the ribs in breathing may be compared to a bucket handle 4 How To Learn the Alexander Technique: A Manual for Students. Barbara Conable, William Conable. Andover Press, P.O. Box 6838, Columbus, OH This book is a wonderful resource and is highly recommended. 5 What Every Musician Needs to Know About the Body: The Practical Application of Body Mapping and the Alexander Technique to Making Music. Barbara Conable. Andover Press, P.O. Box 6838, Columbus, OH This book is a wonderful resource and is highly recommended. Very useful illustrations and an entertaining, nontechnical style. MUS 733: Clarinet 14 Professor Kennen White

16 swinging out and up. The motion of the ribs is probably the most important thing to be aware of in breathing. If this motion is interfered with in any way, breathing will not be as free, easy and deep as it could be. Another aspect of the skeleton s motion in breathing to be aware of is the motion of the spine. On inhalation it gathers slightly as the ribs rise. During exhalation the spine lengthens as the ribs descend. These motions are subtle and may not be obvious to you at first, but they are important to proper breathing. To become aware of the spine s movement in breathing lie face down on a large pillow or two and you should be able to detect the slight gathering of the spine on inhalation and lengthening on exhalation. If a student interferes with this spinal motion, whether because of having the wrong concept (wrongly thinking that the spine lengthens on inhalation), or by improper body position (excess rigidity or allowing downward pull to compress the spine and collapse the upper body), free, easy natural breathing will not occur. The diaphragm is a large, flat muscle parallel to the floor and separating the thoracic (chest) cavity from the abdominal cavity. In its relaxed state it is dome shaped (visualize a tent). When it contracts, it flattens downward, creating an area of low pressure in the lungs, which causes air to rush in. As the diaphragm contracts and flattens downward, it displaces some of the organs in the abdominal cavity, causing the abdomen to expand in the front, sides, back, and downwards (pressing on the pelvic floor). It is important to know that you can not directly feel the motion of your diaphragm or control it directly. It is similar to the heart muscle in this regard. According to Barbara Conable, you are better off looking for the movement of breathing than the work of breathing. If the proper motion is occurring you may be sure that your diaphragm is doing the right thing. If the proper motion is not happening, you need to figure out why and no amount of trying to control your diaphragm is going to help you. While you cannot directly feel your diaphragm, you can certainly notice and enjoy the motion out and up (sideways) of the ribs, the slight gathering of the spine, and the expansion of the abdominal and pelvic cavities on inhalation. On exhalation you can notice the downward motion of the ribs, the lengthening of the spine, and the return of the abdominal and pelvic cavities to their neutral position. Full breaths (if the body is free and relaxed) will result in the abdomen expanding all around and down, and the torso expanding all around as the ribs move out and up (like bucket handles). There are many muscles involved in breathing, however you will breathe best if you simply work on achieving a free, relaxed body position with a dynamic head poised over a lengthened spine and be sure to allow the motion described above (ribs up and down like a bucket handle, natural expansion of abdominal and pelvic cavities, and spine gathering and lengthening). The intercostal muscles between the ribs (what you eat if you eat spare ribs) do much of the work of raising and lowering the ribs. The muscles of the abdominal wall (actually more of a cylinder than a wall) are involved as well, but not in an active, tense way. On inhalation, the descending diaphragm pushes the viscera against the abdominal wall in all directions (assuming the muscles are relaxed and this motion is allowed, not resisted). On exhalation, again assuming the abdominal wall is not tense, the muscles will spring back to position as the diaphragm returns to its domed position. I hope it is clear from the above, that any tension in the muscles of the abdomen is counterproductive to effective, easy, natural breathing. Some students resist the abdominal expansion that is part of natural breathing because they don t want their MUS 733: Clarinet 15 Professor Kennen White

17 stomach to stick out. I don t know what to say about that, except that the expansion is temporary, and is not unsightly, especially given the simultaneous motion of the ribs and expansion of the thoracic cavity. Anyway, the abdominal expansion that occurs in normal breathing is more attractive than the tense appearance and sounds that will result if it is resisted. Some students may have been told (wrongly, I believe) or come to believe on their own that the stomach muscles need to be hard and firm when playing. This is not true. According to Barbara Conable any tension in the abdominal wall will impede its movement and limit the ribs excursion and the diaphragm s excursion, so abdominal tension must be weeded out like crabgrass from a garden. Tensing the abdominal wall is destructive to exhalation because tense muscles can t spring back as the diaphragm returns to its domed position. This loses a significant source of support and the movement of breathing becomes chaotic rather than organized. Breathing loses its tide-like quality. 6 Only when it is necessary to use every last bit of air that you have access to will the abdominal muscles be used in an active way. When you get to a point where you feel you have used all of your air, you still have the ability to get more air by contracting your stomach muscles to push the diaphragm up higher than its neutral, dome-shaped position and get a bit more air out of your lungs. You won t usually have to do this; only for exceptionally long phrases. When possible, it is best to avoid this situation by taking a bigger breath at the beginning of the phrase, because it disrupts the natural, tide-like quality of breathing that is possible in clarinet playing. Breath support. I am not sure how useful this term is, at least the way it is often used. Often when you hear the phrase you need to use more breath support! what is meant is something like use more air or blow faster air or take a bigger breath. If you look up support in the dictionary, notice that almost all of the meanings are passive rather than active. You see phrases such as the act of supporting, upholding or sustaining or that which maintains or preserves from falling, yielding, sinking, giving way, or the like or to uphold by aid, back up; second. So, quoting Barbara Conable, What supports are available? For bearing you up: for the whole of you the floor, your bony structure, and your postural reflexes; for your torso your legs; for your thorax your lumbar spine; for your head your whole spine. What supports are available to aid or back up your breathing? The lengthening and gathering of your spine (BIG help); the resiliency of the abdominal wall (BIG help); the resiliency of the pelvic floor (BIG help) and engaging the deep musculature of the pelvis as you move into length on exhalation. 7 Breathing is a series of movements. Air is what is being moved; support is the structure that allows and aids the movement of breathing to occur. As teachers, it is good to be clear about what we mean. If we want a student to take a bigger breath, blow faster air, or play louder, we should tell them so directly rather than use the confusing phrase use more breath support. In clarinet playing, it is necessary to match the amount of air taken in to the amount needed for the phrase. Although it is usually desirable to begin a phrase 6 What Every Musician Needs to Know About the Body: The Practical Application of Body Mapping and the Alexander Technique to Making Music. Barbara Conable. 7 What Every Musician Needs to Know About the Body: The Practical Application of Body Mapping and the Alexander Technique to Making Music. Barbara Conable. Andover Press, P.O. Box 6838, Columbus, OH MUS 733: Clarinet 16 Professor Kennen White

18 with a full breath, there are times when that is too much air. In a piece with many short phrases with little time between them it is possible to accumulate too much air. If you never get rid of most of your air, stale air accumulates in the lungs, making you light-headed, increasing the heart rate and giving you a strong urge to breathe, even though the lungs are already full. Sometimes this phenomenon is worse when we are performing and slightly nervous. This can be avoided by matching air intake to phrase length. Sometimes it is useful to find a place to exhale, so you can start with fresh air. Talk to good oboe players about this. They do it all the time because playing the oboe requires so little air. Common instructions about breathing (and what is wrong with them): Fill from the bottom up. Breathe low. Visualize air going into the stomach area, Visualize putting water into a balloon. I think what teachers are trying to communicate here is that it is natural for the abdominal cavity to expand outward in all directions when inhaling as a result of the downward movement of the diaphragm. This expansion should be allowed and not resisted. That much is true and useful information. Dangers of these statements: may encourage over involvement of stomach muscles in inhalation, may cause the natural motion of the ribs out and up on inhalation to be resisted. This is especially true for the water balloon image. Gases do not behave like liquids, so this image does not give a true picture of what happens in normal inhalation. If one tries to breathe according to this image (filling a balloon with water) the result may be to emphasize the abdominal expansion (especially in the downward direction) and not allow the rib movement out and up on inhalation, thereby losing access to part of the lungs air capacity. Rather than try to trick students into breathing properly with these types of images, it is better to acquaint them with the structure of the breathing apparatus and its movements and remind them that the outward expansion in all directions of the abdomen as well as the excursion of the ribs on inhalation is normal and essential and must not be inhibited or resisted in any way. Another common teaching about breathing: shoulders (or chest or sternum) must not move when breathing. I think what teachers are getting at with these statements is 1) you should not try to breathe by hauling up your ribs and sternum (a spinal movement) or by raising your shoulders. 2) you should not hold your body in such a way that the shoulders interfere with the normal rib movement of breathing. Both of these things are true, however the instruction that students must not allow movement of the chest or shoulders in breathing is damaging because it prevents the full excursion of the ribs in breathing. In a person with good upper body position, there will be a slight movement of the chest and ribs near the end of a full inhalation. If a person has poor upper body position, the chest and shoulders will have to move significantly to allow full motion of the ribs on exhalation. The solution to this situation is to correct the upper body position, not to tell the student they can t move their upper body when breathing. Until they can learn a more comfortable body position, the motion in the shoulders and chest is necessary in taking a deep breath. MUS 733: Clarinet 17 Professor Kennen White

19 Functions of the tongue in clarinet playing Tip of tongue Middle of tongue Back of tongue (throat) Used for articulation Controls tone quality and Controls register pitch Not usually consciously Tip moves short distance vertically to articulate High position ( eeh ) gives best focus. Speeds up air and directs it toward tip of reed controlled Tongue goes down (open throat) for high notes Tongue goes up (closed throat) for low notes The motion of the tip of the tongue will be discussed in the section on articulation. The middle of the tongue has a lot to do with controlling the focus and tone quality and also affects the intonation. A high middle tongue (like saying eeh while keeping the throat relaxed) gives the best classical tone quality. Sax players doubling on clarinet and jazzers sometimes play with a lower middle tongue (like saying ah ) giving a more open, diffused sound. The back of the tongue can be thought of as part of the throat region. This is where the register of the clarinet is determined, though it is not usually controlled consciously. Lowering the back of the tongue (opening the throat) favors the upper register. Raising the back of the tongue (closing the throat) favors the lower register. If you are playing in the correct register with a good sound, you don t have to think about the back of your tongue; it is doing the right thing. Sometimes, however, it is necessary to control it directly. An example of consciously controlling the back of the tongue is when trying to control undertones. If you have trouble playing a high note (say high c) softly without the lower partial (thumb f) creeping into the sound (undertone), it probably means the back of the tongue is doing the wrong thing. If you are producing the lower partial, it means the back of the tongue is in the position that favors low notes (in other words, it is too high). Therefore, to correct for an undertone, you would consciously keep the back of the tongue down (throat open). One way to do this is to think the syllables eeh, a, oh, ah during a diminuendo in the upper register. This should counter the natural tendency of the tongue to creep into a higher position as it relaxes during a diminuendo. Another example of consciously using the back of the tongue would be in a downward slur from high b to 3 rd line b. Many players tend to get a squeak, or higher partial, when doing this slur loudly. This means the back of the tongue is too low (throat too open). Therefore, to correct for this, you would think a syllable such as eeh to keep the tongue high in the back. You could also have some one press up with their thumb under your chin, close to your neck while you play the interval. This will give you the feel of keeping the back of the tongue up. MUS 733: Clarinet 18 Professor Kennen White

20 Articulation Proper understanding of the functions of the various regions of the tongue is crucial to good clarinet articulation. Only the tip of the tongue is used in articulating on clarinet and its motion should be mostly vertical. If the middle of the tongue moves in articulation, the tone and pitch will change and if the back of the tongue or throat move, squeaks are likely. The embouchure must not move when tonguing. Likewise, the throat should not move. Only the tip of the tongue moves in clarinet articulation. Clarinet tonguing is usually taught using the syllable tah. Dah or Deeh also work well and have the advantage of keeping the tongue more relaxed. The top of the tip of the tongue contacts the reed just below the tip of the reed. The tongue should move no farther than necessary and should remain as relaxed as possible when tonguing. It is important to realize that what initiates the sound on clarinet is the tongue being withdrawn from the reed. Understanding the tongue as a valve that controls the flow of air to the reed is important. Sometimes students mistakenly think of the tongue as being like a mallet striking the reed. This can lead to harsh, inconsistent attacks and sometime squeaks. Especially for initial attacks, it is important to have the embouchure set, the tongue already on the reed, and the air pressure behind the tongue. Then the tongue is simply released from the reed to start the sound. This is the most secure way to begin a note on clarinet: 1) Form embouchure 2) Tongue on reed 3) Air behind tongue 4) Release tongue to begin note In normal playing, the sound is ended with breath decay (stop blowing but don t close the throat) or in some cases by returning the tongue to the reed (staccatissimo, or clipped articulation). To increase tonguing speed, daily practice with a metronome is useful. Practice 5 note bursts (four 16ths + a quarter note) on a single note, then on five note scales. Then practice 9 note bursts (2 groups of 16ths + a quarter note). Keep track of your progress with the metronome. Keeping the tongue close to the reed and relaxed will help velocity. Generally, the faster you tongue, the longer the notes should be. When playing fast there isn t time to play very short notes. Duh-duh-duh-duhduh works much better than tat-tat-tat-tat-tat. Some people find that it works better in fast articulation to tongue very near the tip of the reed. Some even prefer to tongue with the underside of the tongue for very rapid articulation. Double Tonguing is possible but uncommon on clarinet. Flutter tonguingtongue is sometimes called for in modern music and jazz styles. It is produced either by fluttering the tip of the tongue, as in a rolled r, or by making a gargling sound with the soft palate. Either method is acceptable. MUS 733: Clarinet 19 Professor Kennen White

21 How to Practice Few students love to practice. Understandably, they would rather perform in band or ensembles than spend hours practicing alone. However, daily, individual practice is essential to musical development. Without daily, focused, intelligent, mindful, solitary practice, students won't fully develop artistically or technically and won't have the capacity to express what they feel musically. What we must do is make the practice time as efficient and effective as possible so students progress noticeably. Then practice will be enjoyable. As music teachers, one of the most important things you can do is to teach your students how to practice well. The practice skills and discipline they acquire on their instrument will serve them well in many areas of life. Here are some ideas for improving practice skills. Goals. Have short term and long term goals clearly established, preferably written down. Plan. Have a plan and goal for each practice session. Don't try to do too much at one time. Try to improve a few things every day. Avoid merely playing through something mindlessly. Football players don't have daily scrimmages, ballet dancers don't dance entire ballets every day, and marathon runners don't run a marathon each day. Practice selectively and intelligently. Be sure that you work daily on fundamental skills. Be persistent. Large breakthroughs are rare. Incremental progress is your goal. Try to move in the right direction each day and you will be amazed at the results. Be aware, however, that there will be plateaus. Don't get discouraged when you are on a plateau. Rather, enjoy it and keep practicing the right things, realizing that before long you will move to a new level. Analyze. Identify the problem areas. Isolate and focus on them. Practice slowly. Listen and analyze. Don't practice mistakes! Your body will remember them and they will become habit. If you make a mistake in a technical passage, divide it into small sections, slow way down and play each section five times in a row with no mistakes. This is very important. Even if you have to go very slowly to play it accurately, that is much better than practicing mistakes at a fast tempo. The most common error made by students is practicing too fast! Stay relaxed. If you experience pain, numbness, or tingling in your hands or arms, take a break. Do not continue to play if you are in pain! It could lead to physical damage that is difficult to overcome. Pretend that you are a teacher and give yourself advice. It is amazing how often we know what to do, but forget to do it until reminded by someone else. Be your own practice coach (in a supportive way). Avoid negative self-talk. MUS 733: Clarinet 20 Professor Kennen White

22 Daily Practice Routine-this will vary from person to person, but the general principles below may apply to everyone. Warm up. During this part of your practice, you gently warm up your lips, breathing, fingers and ears. Long tones are very useful for this. Reinforce. Reinforce and maintain the fundamental skills you already have. Scales, articulation studies, finger exercises, high note studies may be part of this. Time spent doing this is a good investment because it enables you to sight read better and learn new music more quickly. Improve/learn. During this time you work on any new pieces or skills that you are trying to learn. It is important to be focused and organized. Avoid simply playing through an entire piece, hoping it will eventually improve. Rather, use all of the skills mentioned on these pages (and any others you can think of) to practice efficiently. More ideas: Different rhythms-practicing difficult patterns in different rhythms, articulations, and note groupings are very efficient way to learn quickly. Overlapping groups-practice a difficult passage in small units, always linking to the next beat. Thus, a sixteenth note passage might be practiced in 5 note groups (4+1). Once two small units are perfect, combine them into one larger unit. This is also a good way to review difficult passages before a performance. Movable fermata-practice putting a fermata successively over each note of a difficult passage. Often this will show which note is problematic in a passage and allow you to focus on getting cleanly to that note. Forwards and backwards-practice difficult passages in short groups forwards and backwards. Always link to the next beat. Thus, a sixteenth note passage would be practiced in 5 note groups (4+1). This should be done starting on each note of the passage. The length of the groups can gradually be increased. Add a note-play the first note of a difficult passage, then the first two notes, then the first three, etc. This technique may also be used starting from the last note of a passage. Write your own exercises-compose your own exercises based on what is difficult for you in a given passage. Don't restrict yourself to the specific notes of the passage, but try to strengthen whatever aspect of your technique is causing the problem. Analyze the structure of the phrase. Be able to play the 'skeleton' (main notes) of the phrase. Understand which notes are most important musically, and also which notes need the most attention technically. Theory-Analyze a passage so you understand what is happening harmonically. Mark chord progressions, scales, sequences, and any other patterns so you recognize them at a glance. Memorize difficult passages. Practice them mentally without your instrument. Record yourself. Practice with a tape recorder. Even if you don't have a high quality machine, this is useful for rhythmic accuracy. Keep a notebook of passages that you have found especially difficult in the past. This will give you something productive to practice when you have extra time and will help you determine the parts of your technique that you especially need to strengthen. Imagination-Try to hear and visualize yourself playing the way you want to play. It may help at first to imitate the playing of someone you respect. Put into words the MUS 733: Clarinet 21 Professor Kennen White

23 qualities you are trying to achieve and stay focused on those qualities. Try not to be harsh and judgmental of yourself, but always strive to move in the right direction. Love the plateaus-realize that you progress will not always be steady. Sometimes you will be on a plateau for a while before a breakthrough occurs. Don't let this discourage you. Continue to work and enjoy where you are. Several times each day. If you are trying to learn something quickly, it is a good idea to divide your practice time into several shorter sessions each day, rather than one long session. Also, within a practice session, come back to a difficult passage several times, rather that doing it all at once. This will help avoid burnout, frustration, and tension. Practice without playing. 1) Finger a difficult passage without playing and observe your fingers. This is often helpful. 2) Problematic passages should be memorized and mentally practiced (without the clarinet) many times each day. Most great musicians and athletes are very good at this type of mental practicing and use it often. Good luck and happy practicing! MUS 733: Clarinet 22 Professor Kennen White

24 Recordings Some recommended clarinetists are Sabine Meyer, Paul Meyer (no relation to Sabine Meyer), Eddie Daniels, Larry Combs, David Shifrin, John Bruce Yeh, Karl Leister, and Robert Marcellus. There are many other fine clarinetists who would be inspiring for students to listen to for a basic concept of sound, style, and technique. For musical inspiration it is also good for students to hear to a wide variety of music including fine singers and violinists. Below are some recommended recordings, but there are many other fine CD s available. Title Blues for Sabine Chamber Music of Carl Maria von Weber for Clarinet Cohler on Clarinet Ebony Concerto French Clarinet Art Märchenbilder: Schumann Clarinet Works Mozart W.A., Concerto in A Mozart, Brahms Clarinet Quintets Orchestral Excerpts for Clarinet Performer Sabine Meyer, Eddie Daniels, others David Shifrin, The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Jonathan Cohler John Bruce Yeh Paul Meyer Paul Meyer Robert Marcellus Harold Wright, BSO Chamber Players Larry Combs Stamitz Concertos, Johann Sabine Meyer & Carl CD Label Comments EMI Three Pieces for Clarinet, Stravinsky; Sonata for Two Classic Clarinets, Poulenc, and others s Delos DE 3194 Ongak o Record s Refere nce Record ings Denon CO Denon CO CBS Philip s Summi t Quintet, Grand Duo, Seven Variation, op. 33, Intro Theme And Variation (Kuffner) Sonata in F, Brahms; Grand Duo Concertant, Weber; Adagio, Baermann/Wagner Ebony Concerto, Igor Stravinsky; Hillandale Waltzes, Victor Babin, arr. for cl and wind ensemble; Derivations for Clarinet and Band, Morton Gould; Prelude, Fugue and Riffs, Leonard Bernstein; Concerto for Clarinet, Artie Shaw Saint-Saens: Sonata, Chausson: Andante et Allegro, Debussy: Petite Piece, Premiere Rhapsodie, Milhaud: Sonatine, Duo Concertant, Poulenc: Sonata, Honegger: Sonatine includes the Fantasiestücke and some transcriptions The most popular recording of the Mozart Concerto. Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell. Quintet for Clarinet and Strings, Brahms; Quintet for Clarinet and Strings, Mozart. Most standard audition excerpts are included. Combs discusses each excerpt before playing it. EMI Concertos #3 in Bb, 10 in Bb, 11 in Eb by Carl Stamitz; Classic Concerto in Bb, Johann Stamitz s MUS 733: Clarinet 23 Professor Kennen White

25 Reeds The clarinet reed, along with the mouthpiece, is the critical piece of equipment in determining tone quality. Even an advanced player won t be able to sound very good on an inferior reed. Advanced players spend a significant amount of time selecting and adjusting (and complaining about!) their reeds. Younger students will benefit from some simple training and advice about reed selection, adjustment and storage. Being made from a natural product (cane from the arundo donax plant), reeds are affected by moisture, weather, saliva and the stress of being played. Clarinet reeds are not consistent, even within a box made by the same manufacturer. The quality of the cane varies depending on the conditions in which it was grown and how it was aged after harvest. Traditionally, the best cane was from the Var region of southern France, or from Spain, although lately some fine reeds have been manufactured using cane from South America and Australia. Beginner reeds, such as Rico, often use American cane. There have been various attempts at making synthetic reeds. Mostly, these have not been satisfactory. The most successful (and most recent) are the synthetic reeds made by Guy Legere (available over the Internet). Some professionals have begun using these as practice reeds, back-up reeds, or in situations where they are doubling and don t have the time to work on reeds for multiple instruments. Synthetic reeds are much more expensive than cane reeds, but hold the promise of lasting much longer and being more consistent. For the most part, clarinetists, unlike double reed players, do not make their own reeds, relying instead on commercial reeds. A handful (maybe 5-10%) of professionals do make their own reeds, starting either with tube cane (several special tools are required for this), or commercial reed blanks, which look like a reed with all the bark intact. Some make their reeds entirely by hand, using a combination of files, knives and sandpaper, and others use one of several machines (such as Reedual) that copy the dimensions of a model reed onto the blank. Usually, those using a machine will do the final finishing by hand, for greater control. Although making reeds is fun and is an educational process, most students, even advanced ones, are better off using commercial reeds and devoting the time saved to practicing. Those who do make their own reeds feel that they have more control over the quality of the finished product and that handmade reeds last longer than commercial reeds. Clarinet reeds are graded according to their strength. The numbers range from (in half strengths from most makers). Lower numbers mean softer reeds and higher numbers mean harder reeds. A soft reed is one that requires relatively little embouchure strength and air pressure. A hard reed requires a stronger embouchure and more air pressure. The strength of a reed is a result of the dimensions of the reed and the qualities of that particular piece of cane. As a basic rule, clarinetists should play the softest reed that allows them to get a beautiful tone at all dynamic levels over the entire range of the instrument and to articulate clearly, rapidly, and easily. Some high school players play on reeds that are too soft, thereby limiting their tone quality (thin, bright, buzzy, or shrill), dynamic range (can t play loud enough), high notes, and intonation (flat when loud and flat in high register). Others mistakenly believe that hard reeds are always better, and end up unable to play softly with a clear tone, unable to articulate clearly, and have limited MUS 733: Clarinet 24 Professor Kennen White

26 endurance. Soft reed Good reed Hard reed Thin, buzzy sound Requires very little breath and embouchure pressure Flat when played loud, especially in throat tones High notes flat or unable to be produced Full attractive tone in all registers at all dynamics Normal intonation in all registers at all dynamics Fairly easy to play Flexible tone and intonation Heavy, hard, coarse tone, especially in low register Requires excessive breath and embouchure pressure Difficult to play softly with clear tone Sharp when played softly Important- A new reed which is slightly too hard will often be just right after it is broken in a played for a few days. The dimensions of the mouthpiece affect how hard or soft a given reed feels. [A mouthpiece with a large tip opening requires softer reeds and a mouthpiece with a small tip opening needs harder reeds]. For example, a #4 reed might be just right on one mouthpiece, yet be too hard on another. Recommended reed strengths Beginners- 2.5 (Rico, Lavoz or Vandoren). Some teachers start students on #2 reeds, but I believe this is a mistake and that these reeds are too soft to allow proper muscle development. #2.5 is soft enough even for the untrained muscles of new embouchures Intermediate- #2.5,3 or 3.5 (Rico, Lavoz, Mitchell Lurie or Vandoren). Advanced- #3,3.5 or 4 (Vandoren is most popular brand. Mitchell Lurie premium is also an option for the less advanced) Rico reeds are thought by some to be fine for beginners. Almost no one recommends them for high school students. Vandoren reeds are the most widely used by advanced students and professionals. They are less consistent and more expensive than many other commercial reeds (such as Mitchell Lurie and LaVoz), but the good ones are much better and last longer. Mitchell Lurie Premium and LaVoz might be good choices for the less advanced high school students, but the better players should use Vandoren. Vandoren reeds are available in three styles, Classique (blue box) and V-12 (silver box) and the recently introduced Rue L Epic 56. The Classique design has been around for a long time and is still used by some. They are less expensive than V-12. The V-12 design has become very popular since it was introduced about 15 years ago. It is made from a thicker piece of cane and hence has a steeper slope from the bark to the tip. Although most players prefer V-12 s, it is really a matter of personal preference, so students may want to experiment with both styles before deciding. The Rue L Epic is even thicker than the V-12 and comes in a sealed box. All players should store their reeds in a reed case to protect the reeds and MUS 733: Clarinet 25 Professor Kennen White

27 minimize warpage. Lavoz and Vito make inexpensive cases that hold 2 or 4 reeds. The reeds are held against a flat, grooved surface (to prevent mold) with the tip area protected. There are more expensive cases available, but they do not function any better than the less expensive ones. In the winter, many players store their reed cases in a sealed plastic bag (sometimes with a bit of orange peel or a moistened piece of sponge) to prevent the reeds from drying out too rapidly. The large change in humidity from being played to being stored in conditions of low humidity that are typical in winter causes reeds to warp. A warped reed will not sit flat against the table of the mouthpiece and may squeak, chirp, sound thin and buzzy, or vibrate unevenly, as though the reed is not balanced from side to side. It will also be inconsistent, depending on where it is placed on the mouthpiece. Proper storage is one way to prevent warpage. A reed that is properly broken in is less likely to warp. To test for warpage, place the reed on a flat surface and notice if it can be rocked back and forth, side to side. If so the back is warped and should be flattened. To flatten the back of a reed, place a piece of # Wet-or-Dry sandpaper on a flat surface and sand the flat side of the reed. Take care not to sand under the tip area as this part is already very thin and anyway it does not have to sit flat against the mouthpiece. The sanding motion should be in the direction of the reed fibers, not sideways or in a circular motion. Some players prefer to use a file or a reed knife to flatten the back of the reed. Most clarinet teachers have a preferred method of breaking in new reeds and maintaining existing reeds with the idea that this adds to the longevity and consistency of the reed. Some of these systems are quite complicated and detailed. However, the most important aspects can be summarized quite simply. I. Don t play the reed much at first A. Play new reeds a maximum of 2-5 minutes per day for the first several days, avoiding excessive high notes or articulation. B. Gradually increase playing time C. Don t waterlog the new reeds. They don t need to be soaked for more than 1-2 minutes before playing. II. Take steps to ensure the back is flat A. After playing, dry reeds with flat side up for a minute or two. B. For first several days, after reed is thoroughly dry, lightly sand flat side of reed (avoiding tip area) with #600 Wet-or-Dry sandpaper or scrape lightly with reed knife. C. Store reeds in proper reed cases. Use baggies if needed to prevent rapid drying out in winter. D. If a reed isn t going to be played for many days, it is a good idea to soak it every several days, so it doesn t get too dry. E. Avoid letting reed dry out on mouthpiece. III. Seal the pores A. Some advocate rubbing new reeds with thumb or piece of paper from the beginning of the cut toward the tip to seal the pores and prevent excessive retention of moisture B. Some advocate polishing the back of the reed by vigorously rubbing the flat side of the reed on a piece of paper, the back of a sheet of sandpaper, or a very fine sandpaper (#2000) to get the back absolutely smooth, hard and shiny. This is done after the reed is dried for the first several days. However, some feel that MUS 733: Clarinet 26 Professor Kennen White

28 this makes the reed sound overly bright. IV. Keep the reed clean A. Some believe that saliva has an adverse effect on reeds and advocate always soaking reeds in water, both before and after playing. The belief is that mineral deposits from saliva build up on the reed and affect its vibrations. This may vary from person to person depending on the composition of the saliva. B. Old reeds that look dirty often benefit from being soaked in water, then very lightly scraped with a reed knife or fine sandpaper. C. Old reeds may also be cleaned by soaking them in a mild hydrogen peroxide solution for several minutes, then lightly scraping them if needed. V. Rotate among several reeds A. Try to have four usable reeds and rotate among them. This adds to the longevity of the reeds and adds great piece of mind to the performer. B. Problem with using one good reed exclusively until it dies, then replacing it: as the reed deteriorates gradually over time, the player unconsciously adapts to the declining reed without realizing it. When the reed finally dies, the embouchure, breath control, etc. have altered to compensate for the declining reed. Now the player is not only desperate for a new reed, but his/her basic fundamentals are messed up from playing on a sub-standard reed. Mouthpieces The mouthpiece is critical in determining tone quality, intonation and response. Some desirable characteristics in a mouthpiece are: beautiful sound throughout all registers, wide dynamic range, easy tone production, accurate tuning, good response, and it should be easy to fit reeds to the mouthpiece. Mouthpieces are usually made of hard rubber or plastic. [Occasionally mouthpieces are made of glass, crystal, metal, or wood.] Plastic mouthpieces are associated with beginner instruments and may be acceptable for the first couple of years. All students who have played for more than a couple of years should have a name brand hard rubber mouthpiece if at all possible. If the cost of a hard rubber mouthpiece is prohibitive, there are some plastic mouthpieces listed below that are acceptable. Selecting a new mouthpiece. It is best if a student has the assistance of a private teacher or experienced clarinetist in choosing a new mouthpiece. Mouthpieces vary significantly from each other, even within the same model line, so it is best to select from at least three mouthpieces if possible. Most of the mail order companies will send mouthpieces on approval. When trying new mouthpieces, the student should have several good reeds available, some a little soft and some a little hard and some just right because every mouthpiece requires a different style reed. The mouthpieces should be evaluated for tone quality, intonation (use an electronic tuner to check this), and response. Be sure to check the following: Dynamic range-can you play very loud and very soft with good tone quality? Some mouthpieces do one but not the other. Range-can you easily play high notes with good sound and intonation? Response-is it easy to articulate? Do notes speak easily? Can you MUS 733: Clarinet 27 Professor Kennen White

29 articulate clearly at soft dynamic levels? Reeds-does it work well with several reeds? Can you easily adjust a reed for it? Mouthpieces cost anywhere from $30-$200 (most cost about $60). Some good hard rubber student mouthpieces are: Vandoren B45 (the most widely used high school mouthpiece), B45 13; Larry Combs LC13, LC11; Gigliotti; Vandoren M13, 2RV, 5RV Custom mouthpiece makers: James Pyne, Charles Bay, Robert Scott, Richard Hawkins, Clark Fobes. These mouthpieces are handmade. There are a variety of styles and facings available. In some cases, the maker will make the mouthpiece specifically for the player, with the player s input. Many of them also reface commercial mouthpieces, greatly improving them. Plastic mouthpieces: Clark Fobes, Richard Hawkins and David Hite all sell plastic mouthpieces that may be a good choice for those who can t afford hard rubber mouthpieces. It is not necessary for the entire section to play on the same type of mouthpiece, although some band directors prefer this. Note: the Buffet mouthpieces that come with Buffet clarinets are generally not very good and should not be used. Ligatures The ligature effects clarinet tone quality and response. The differences among ligatures that work properly and fit the mouthpiece/reed combination are fairly subtle. Some ligatures give a darker sound, some a more brilliant sound. Some are more responsive and easier to articulate on than others. These differences are fairly subtle. More important to the band director is the fact that a ligature that does not fit the mouthpiece properly, that is bent, or that is missing a screw, will have a significant negative impact on tone. The reed must be held firmly in place with even pressure for it to vibrate properly. If it is possible to slide the reed from side to side when the ligature is tightened, then the reed is not being held firmly in place and will not vibrate properly. If the ligature is bent, it will press unevenly on the reed, possibly causing the reed to warp, squeak or have a thin tone. Metal ligatures that are missing a screw press unevenly on the reed, causing some of the above problems. Ligatures may be metal or non-metal. Metal ligatures are thought to give a more brilliant sound, non-metal a darker sound. Non-metal ligatures are usually made of a rubbery fabric. Some fabric ligatures enclose a metal frame. Ligatures may be standard (screws on bottom) or inverted (screws on top). Inverted ligatures sometimes have only one screw. The Rovner ligature is recommended because of its relatively low price, durability, and because it fits any mouthpiece and reed combination. Some players find the Rovner to be more forgiving of a warped reed than other ligatures. Metal ligatures More brilliant sound? Will bend if dropped. Non-metal ligatures Darker sound? Easier to find reeds for? More durable. MUS 733: Clarinet 28 Professor Kennen White

30 Bonade, Charles Bay, BG Tradition, Harrison, Vandoren Optimum Standard ligatures Other than the Bonade standard ligature, most good ligatures are inverted. Bonade standard, most inexpensive metal ligatures. Rovner, BG Revelation, Eddie Daniels, Vandoren Fabric, Luyben Inverted ligatures Claim better sound because pressure is distributed more evenly around the reed. Bonade inverted, most fabric ligatures, most fancy ligatures. Barrel Joints Surprisingly, this part of the clarinet has a large effect on intonation (both relative and absolute), tone quality and the overall resistance experienced by the player. The length of the barrel joint obviously determines the absolute pitch (longer is lower, shorter is sharper). The standard length for a Buffet R-13 Bb clarinet is 66 mm (sometimes called 660). Barrels are available from 64-68mm. Other than the length of the barrel, the dimensions of the inside bore are very important and the material of which the barrel is constructed is of lesser importance (or not important at all, depending on whom one believes). The inner taper of the clarinet barrel joint strongly affects the tone quality and the relative intonation. Many players of Buffet R-13 clarinets (the most widely used by pros and advanced students) prefer the Buffet Moenning barrel joint or the Buffet Chadash barrel joint over the standard Buffet barrel joint. Hans Moennig was a very influential repairman active 1940 s through the 1960 s who developed a reverse conical taper, which greatly improves some intonation problems and gives a more compact focused tone for many players. The Chadash barrel is a variation on this. These barrels (Moennig and Chadash) cost around $100 and are a good investment for the more advanced player. It is not a bad idea to purchase one of these barrels at the same time the student is moving up to an advanced instrument. They are not completely consistent, and respond differently on each instrument, so testing several is advised. If a student needs a new barrel and doesn t want to spend the money for a Moennig or Chadash barrel, there are some synthetic barrels that may be acceptable. Robert Scott barrels are economical and tune very well. They are made of Delrin. DEG makes a variety of metal barrel joints. The DEG Eddie Daniels Accubore Moennig Classic or Power is a feasible alternate to the more expensive wood barrels. It looks like wood, but is made of anodized aluminum, which makes it heavier than wood, a possible drawback for some. MUS 733: Clarinet 29 Professor Kennen White

31 Instruments Beginner Instruments: $300-$600. Made of plastic. Adequate for first several years, but better players will want to upgrade. Yamaha and Vito are widely used. If a student buys a used instrument (or has a hand-me-down), be sure to have it carefully checked by a repairperson. Only plastic instruments should be used for marching band. Intermediate Instruments: $500-$1300. Made of wood. Similar in many ways to professional instruments. Selmer Signet, Buffet E-11, E-13, Yamaha (various models), Leblanc (various models). Some teachers prefer to move the more advanced students directly to an advanced/pro instrument when possible. Advanced/Pro Instruments: $2,000+ Made of wood. More attention to detail, higher quality control, more sophisticated design than intermediate instruments. Advanced high school students, especially those who want to major in music need a top-level instrument. Buffet R-13 is by far the most widely used in US. Leblanc Opus, Concerto and Yamaha are also options. Leblanc has been gaining popularity and has several prominent players endorsing their instruments. Buffet players cite beauty of tone as the advantage. Leblanc and Yamaha attempt to make an instrument with better intonation and more even tone and resistance. A wood clarinet should be selected very carefully, with attention to tone quality, intonation and resistance. Ideally, a teacher should help the student select the instrument. Advanced/pro instruments tend to retain fairly high resale value, which may be a factor that some parents will want to consider. There is always a market for used Buffet R-13 s. Eb clarinets- Buffet R-13 is most widely used. Leblanc and Yamaha also make Eb clarinets. Alto clarinet- Buffet, Selmer, Yamaha, Leblanc. Bass clarinet- Selmer, Buffet, Yamaha, Leblanc. Range down to low Eb (as opposed to low C) is appropriate for high school. Single register key vs. Double register key. Single register key is associated with beginner level instruments. Simpler mechanically, but limits intonation and tone quality of certain notes. Double register key is more complicated mechanically, but allows better tone and intonation. Selmer used to dominate professional level bass clarinets, but in the last 10 years, Buffet Prestige has become more popular. Contra-alto and Contrabass clarinets- Leblanc, Selmer. MUS 733: Clarinet 30 Professor Kennen White

32 Intonation Intonation on clarinet is affected by many factors. The equipment itself (instrument, barrel joint, mouthpiece, and reed) has a very large role in determining intonation, both absolute (overall pitch level) and relative (whether the instrument is in tune with itself). The way the instrument is played affects pitch. Factors include the embouchure, shape of the oral cavity, how the tongue is used in articulation, how the air is used, dynamic level (pitch tends to go flat when loud and sharp when soft, but the player can compensate for this) and fingerings chosen. Environmental conditions (temperature) also affect intonation. Unfortunately, no clarinet has yet been designed which automatically allows the player to play every note in tune. There are certain tendencies on most clarinets that can be summarized by saying the 12th at both ends of the tube are too wide. What this means is that the 12ths at the bottom of the tube (low e-b, f-c, f#-c#) tend to be flat for the low notes and slightly sharp for the high notes and likewise an octave higher for the short tube 12ths e-b and f-c. The notes in the throat tone register are very flexible in pitch and react strongly to many of the factors that effect pitch (such as poor embouchure and dynamic level). The obvious way for an instrument designer to alter the pitch of a note is to reposition the tone hole that controls the pitch of the note (the first open tone hole other than the register vent). Positioning a tone hole higher up the instrument raises the pitch (because the tube is shorter) and positioning it lower down the instrument makes the pitch lower (because the tube is longer. Since the same tone hole determines the pitch for a low register note and the clarion note a 12 th higher (same fingering with register key added), any repositioning of the tone hole affects both the chalumeau note and the clarion note associated with that fingering. For example, if the tone hole for low F is repositioned to bring that flat note up to pitch, then the clarion C (which we have already discussed as being slightly sharp) will be unacceptably sharp. Similarly, if the hole is positioned to lower the clarion C, then the low F, which was already flat, will be extremely flat. So, the position of the tone holes on the clarinet represents an attempt to find the best compromise in terms of intonation. Another design factor that affects the relative intonation on clarinet is the design of the bore of the instrument, especially in the barrel joint area. Although the bore of the clarinet in general terms is described as being cylindrical, almost all clarinets are actually polycylindrical. This is an attempt to improve relative intonation and also achieve the desired tone quality and resistance. The dimensions of the bore of the barrel joint have a significant effect on intonation. The Moennig and Chadash barrels have already been discussed as improving intonation (especially the sharpness on high B and C) and also improving tone quality for most players. The clarinet must be in proper adjustment to play best in tune. Pads that open too far will cause the note control by that tone hole to be sharp. Pads not opening far enough will cause flatness. The mouthpiece does have an effect on intonation. This varies from model to model. The difference in intonation among good mouthpieces is fairly small. MUS 733: Clarinet 31 Professor Kennen White

33 Reeds also affect intonation, although the effect is not very noticeable if the reed is good. An overly soft reed will tend to play flat, especially when played loudly or in the upper register. An overly hard reed will tend to play sharp, especially when played softly. A hard reed may also be less flexible and not easily allow minor adjustment of the pitch with the lips. Embouchure affects intonation. In fact, this is the way minor adjustments to pitch are usually made. A firmer embouchure raises the pitch, while a looser embouchure lowers the pitch. Altering the pitch intentionally with the embouchure is called lipping up or lipping down. An embouchure that is chronically tight with the lip pressed hard into the reed and the chin scrunched up rather than flat will cause the player to be sharp (also to have a thin, harsh, unresonant tone). Likewise, an embouchure that is too loose will cause a player to play flat (and have a flabby, unfocused tone). A good embouchure, with the corners in and the chin flat is the best starting point for playing in tune. If the position of the oral cavity is such that the middle of the tongue is held too low in the mouth when playing (as though saying ah ) the pitch will be too low, especially in the high register. Also, the tone will be unfocused. The proper tongue position is the same as when you pronounce eeh. In articulation only the tip of the tongue should move. If the middle of the tongue moves, the pitch will scoop out the beginning of the note. A very important factor to be aware of is the effect of dynamics on clarinet intonation. When playing loudly, the pitch tends to go flat. This must be compensated for by keeping a firm embouchure, maintaining a high tongue position ( eeh ) and not forcing too much air through the instrument. When playing softly, the pitch tends to rise dramatically. This must be compensated for by keeping the chin flat, the jaw down, the corners in and maintaining adequate wind speed and pressure. Practicing long crescendos and diminuendos in front of a tuner is the best way to get control of intonation at various dynamic levels. It is important to know that these tendencies are the opposite on flute. Also important to understand is the effect of temperature on intonation. When it is cold, the pitch is lower and when warm the pitch is higher. These differences in pitch are substantial, not subtle. Since clarinets are made of wood (or plastic) they take longer to warm up to temperature than metal instruments. Every effort should be made to keep the clarinet warm before a performance or during a long rest. Students should be taught that the pitch rises as the instrument warms up. It is very common in high school solo and ensemble performances to hear a clarinet player tune their instrument accurately and start off in tune, but fail to compensate one or two minutes into the piece as their pitch begins to. By the end of the piece, many players are quite sharp. Many notes have several possible fingerings. The fingerings for a passage may be chosen based on based on a combination of tone quality, intonation, and technical ease. It is common for students to add some or all right hand fingers (and sometimes the left hand middle finger and/or ring finger) to throat tones in order to lower the pitch, improve the tone quality, and facilitate technique. Most students intonation will benefit from adding some fingers to the throat tones when playing softly. Adding the fingers lowers the pitch, helping to counter the tendency to go sharp when playing softly. Occasionally, additional keys will be opened to raise the pitch of a note. For example, if thumb f is extremely flat in a given passage, the bottom side key may be opened to raise its pitch; however, MUS 733: Clarinet 32 Professor Kennen White

34 this should not be used as the standard fingering. The altissimo notes have many possible fingerings, each with slightly different intonation, response and tone quality. Summary of factors affecting clarinet intonation: Louder=flatter tendencies) Softer=sharper (a good player will compensate for these (Effect of dynamics is the opposite on flute!) Cold=flatter tendencies) Hot=sharper (a good player will compensate for these Adjusting intonation with embouchure: Lipping up (limited) firmer embouchure Lipping down (distorts tone) looser embouchure Adjusting intonation with fingerings opening tone holes usually raises pitch thumb f closing tone holes usually lowers pitch throat tones Throat tone resonance fingerings lower pitch improved sound smoother technique (especially across break) Flat pitch (possible causes) Reed too soft Too much mouthpiece in mouth Angle of clarinet to body is too great Embouchure too loose Inadequate air speed Failure to compensate with embouchure when playing loud Barrel too long Mouthpiece faulty (not too likely with a standard mouthpiece) Sharp pitch (possible causes) Reed too hard Angle with body too small Failure to compensate with embouchure. when playing soft Embouchure too tight Too little mouthpiece in mouth Barrel too short Mouthpiece faulty (not likely with a standard mouthpiece) MUS 733: Clarinet 33 Professor Kennen White

35 Working on intonation At an early age, clarinetists should be taught how to hear the difference between playing a unison in tune and out of tune by hearing the beats that result when the interval is out of tune. They may pair up and work on intonation or tune to the sound produced by an electronic piano or keyboard (find a sound without vibrato). Gradually, other perfect intervals (octave, 5 th, 4 th ) may be introduced. Until they have been playing for at least a year, they won t have adequate control of the embouchure muscles to make the subtle adjustments in pitch necessary to play well in tune, but they should at least be in the habit of listening for intonation and knowing the difference in sound between playing in tune and playing out of tune. Older students should know about the factors affecting intonation and what they can do to control them. They should be taught the general tendencies of various notes and registers and also should spend time with an electronic tuner learning about the specific characteristics of their instrument. Playing long tones at various intervals over a drone pitch, whether from a keyboard or a tuner, is an excellent study. Be sure that students learn to listen for melodic intervals as well as harmonic intervals. A student should be aware of intonation even when playing an unaccompanied piece. The book Intonation Training for Clarinetists by Larry Guy is an excellent resource for teachers or high school students. It contains much detailed information about clarinet tuning as well as exercises for improving intonation. Working with an electronic tuner Tuners are very valuable in improving intonation, but they must be properly used. You must be very aware of the effect of temperature on intonation. A student may work very hard to play every note in tune with a tuner in a cold room, but they must realize it will be very different when they go to a rehearsal or performance in a hot room. It is best at first to use the tuner only when the player is warmed up, has a good reed, and the room is a reasonable temperature. Slow intervals (perhaps whole note octaves) should be played and the tuner should not be looked at until the note has been played for a few beats. Then the player should move the note in the right direction by loosening or firming the embouchure. It is not necessary to get each note all the way to 0 on the tuner at first. It is more important to move a bit in the right direction. The player should attempt to hear the next note before playing it. Another thing to be aware of with tuners is that some ensembles play sharper that A=440. When working with the tuner, you should determine what pitch your ensemble plays at, then practice tuning to that pitch. It is possible to practice tuning every note to a tuner set to A=440, then sound flat in band or orchestra. Pianos, however, are not usually sharp, and do not change pitch with temperature as wind instruments do, so a student may have to approach intonation differently when playing a solo with piano than when playing in band. The ear will accept a slight amount of sharpness more easily than the same amount of flatness, especially in the upper register. Also, it is easier to lip down slightly on clarinet than it is to lip up. Therefore, it is better to be slightly high to the tuner on high notes than to be slightly low. This is true in ensembles and to a lesser degree with piano. Tuners are based on a tempered scale, in which all semitones are the same MUS 733: Clarinet 34 Professor Kennen White

36 distance apart. This is how pianos are tuned. However, instrumental and vocal music usually sounds better when just intonation is followed. This involves tuning intervals to correspond to the ratios of the overtone series, which is rather different than tempered intonation. This means that the same note may be tuned differently depending on what part of the chord it is. Doing this allows chords to resonate and ring because the upper voices are in tune with the overtones generated by the lower voices. Vocal ensembles do this, usually instinctively. A barbershop quartet would sound horrible if it tried to tune each note of a chord with an electronic tuner. The most important interval to be aware of in just intonation is the Major 3 rd. To tune with the overtone series, a M3 must be played cents (1/100 of a semitone) lower than the tuner indicates. A minor third should be cents higher than the tuner indicates. A P5 needs to be very slightly wider than the tuner indicates. When playing in band or ensembles, using the principles of just intonation (especially lowering the M3) can make intonation sound much better. Ideally the students should understand which chord member they are playing and know which way to adjust it for the best intonation. Even if all members of the group don t have the theory background to do this, the group will benefit from the director carefully tuning prominent chords according to the principles of just intonation. Usually, when tuning chords the roots are tuned from the bottom up, then the 5ths from the bottom up, then the 3 rd is added. Obviously when playing with a piano or other fixed pitch instrument, tempered tuning (as on a tuner) should be followed. Pulling out to lower pitch: Clarinets are usually tuned to 3 rd space C (band) or 3rd line B (orchestra). If the tuning note is sharp, the barrel joint is usually pulled out. However, if the barrel needs to be pulled out very much, it can cause problems with relative intonation. Here is the reason. When a throat tone is played, only about 8 inches of the clarinet is used. When a 3 rd line be is played, the entire length of the clarinet (26.5 ) is used. Obviously, pulling a given amount will have a proportionally greater effect on the short tube notes than the long tube notes. What will happen is the throat tones will get too flat before the longer tube notes come down to pitch. For this reason, it is sometimes necessary to also slightly pull the middle joint (which doesn t affect the notes above it). However, pulling out too far in the middle can make it hard to keep the bridge key aligned. When tuning the clarinet, it is a good idea to tune the 3 rd space C or 3 rd line B by pulling the barrel joint. Then check the open G to make sure it is not flat. If it is, push the barrel in to tune the open G and tune the C (or B) by pulling at the middle. Some recommend tuning the open G first, but it is not as secure and stable a note to tune to as 3 rd space C or 3 rd line B, so it is probably best to start with one of those notes. Some players like to use a tuning ring to take up the empty space created when the barrel joint is pulled. Use of a tuning ring seems to keep the pitch of the throat tones up somewhat when pulling out the barrel joint. If certain notes are especially out of tune on a particular instrument, a good repairperson can sometimes improve things by undercutting the tone holes (enlarging the underside where they enter the bore of the clarinet) or by putting tape in the upper half of the tone hole. Obviously, this should only be attempted by someone who knows what he or she is doing. MUS 733: Clarinet 35 Professor Kennen White

37 Tone Problems Worn reed-very common among students. First thing to check Small, muffled tone- too much pressure with lower jaw; too little reed in mouth, lack of breath support Flabby tone-loose embouchure, soft reed, low tongue position Squeaking- finger not covering hole; leaky pad(s); adjusting screw (throat A) in wrong position, bad reed; faulty articulation; bad mouthpiece Fingerings General rules for deciding on fingerings: Never slide or glide the fingers from key to key or key to hole unless absolutely necessary (which is not very often). Keep the motion in one hand where practical. Throat tones- Keep right hand fingers down on throat tones when they are preceded or followed by notes that use right hand fingers. Care and Maintenance of Clarinet Oil bore of wooden clarinets only when new or not at all - careful of pads Oil mechanism occasionally with key oil, wiping excess oil off with clean cloth Shine keys with soft cloth only. NO SILVER POLISH Dirt in tone holes-clean with pipe cleaner, razor brush, or Q-tip Adjusting screw for throat A- make sure there is a small amount of play Loose tenon rings-danger of cracking Loose tenon corks-plumber's Teflon tape or dental floss until they can be replaced Clean register vent tube with pipe cleaner about twice yearly, or when throat Bb is especially stuffy Clean mouthpiece at least once a week with warm (not hot) soapy water. Do not use cloths or swabs on the inside of the mouthpiece as they could scratch the mouthpiece. Swab the clarinet before putting it in the case. Beginners are usually taught to disassemble the clarinet before swabbing, which is a good idea because it prevents their pulling the clarinet apart accidentally if the tenon corks are loose. Never swab the mouthpiece because it is too likely to get scratched or damaged. MUS 733: Clarinet 36 Professor Kennen White

38 Clarinet Study Repertoire (* indicates a source that is especially important or useful for the high school clarinetist or teacher) Standard Method Books Klose, H., Celebrated Method for the Clarinet,, revised and enlarged by Bellison (Fischer). Complete, or Parts I and II separately. The most widely used clarinet method. Good material, but it isn't arranged in order of difficulty, and a student probably needs a teacher to get full benefit from it. Baermann, Carl, Complete Method for Clarinet, Parts I,II,III, IV, and V (various editions). Baermann was a famous 19th century German clarinetist whose father was also a celebrated clarinetist. Part III is an important work for the advanced player. It contains scale and chord patterns covering the full range of the instrument. *Gower, WM. and Voxman, H. Rubank Advanced Method for Clarinet, Vol. 1,2. Excellent material for the advancing high school player. Also useful as review for college freshmen. Includes etudes and duets in difficult keys, some good mixed articulation studies, and an excellent treatment of trills and turns. Neglects the upper register. Study Material *Albert, J.B., Twenty-four Varied Scales and Exercises (Fischer), Contains scale and chord patterns written out in each key. Very good for younger students trying to master the patterns because it is easy to read and doesn't go into the upper register very much. Allen, Chris. Progressive Studies for Clarinet, Book II. The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. Good introduction to asymmetric meters. Burke, Kelly. Clarinet Warm-Ups; Materials For The Contemporary Clarinetist. (Dorn Publications: Medfield, Massachusetts, 1995) Highly recommended. Covers how and why to warm-up, establishing a daily routine, mental preparations, stretching exercises, breathing exercises. Has exercises covering long tones, intonation, articulation basic finger motion, difficult finger passages crossing the break, basic scale and chord patterns (extended range), advanced and contemporary scale forms and contemporary performance techniques. Also includes an annotated bibliography of study materials Cavallini, E., 30 Caprices (various editions, but the Ricordi is the easiest to read. Southern publishes an edition that is inexpensive and includes some other Italian etudes as well). Important for the advanced player. Clarke, H.L. Technical Studies for the Cornet. Carl Fischer. Though published for cornet, these make excellent finger studies for clarinet. Short scale and chord passages are transposed into every key. Dufresne, Gaston, and Voisin, Roger Develop Sight Reading. edited by Charles Colin, (Charles Colin: New York, 1972 *Hite, David (editor) Melodious and Progressive Studies vols. I and II (Southern Music) Very important etudes for younger students who have outgrown Rubank but are not quite ready for Rose and other advanced etudes. Volume I contains short, intermediate etudes drawn from the works of 19th century composers and teachers such as Dont and Gambaro. It also has the scales, scale patterns and MUS 733: Clarinet 37 Professor Kennen White

39 arpeggios written out. Volume II consists of slightly longer and more difficult etudes, suitable for moderately advanced high school students and young college students. *Hite, David (editor) Artistic Studies vols. I,II,III (Southern Music). Volume I contains the Rose 40 Studies, 32 Etudes, and 9 Caprices. Volume II contains 32 etudes by Baermann. Volume III contains the Cavallini 30 Caprices, and 16 other Italian studies. Volume I and III (Rose and Cavallini) are especially good values. They contain historical information about the etudes and have a glossary of foreign terms. Kroepsch, Fritz. 416 Progressive Daily Studies for the Clarinet (4 vols.) Carl Fischer: New York, Very short etudes (1-4 lines) in each of the major and minor keys. Starts with C major and a minor and progresses through all the keys. Written in a tonal style, with advanced complicated patterns of non-harmonic tones, these are excellent for perfecting the technique. They are also very good for improving the sight reading Lewin, Gordon. Clarinet Folk-Weave: Ten unaccompanied pieces, mixing traditional and jazz, for the more accomplished player. The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, London, Lots of fun. Excellent supplemental material. Includes jazz, klezmer, flamenca, and samba styles. Moderate difficulty. Polatschek, V., Advanced Studies (G. Schirmer) Many of these are based on an excerpt from a famous composer including Bach, Beethoven, Shostakovitch and Smetana. *Rhoads, William, editor. Advanced Studies From the Works of Julius Weissenborn (alto and bass clarinet). Southern Music. Although intended for alto or bass, these are excellent study material for Bb clarinet as well. Adapted from bassoon works of Weissenborn. *Rhoads, William, editor. 18 Selected studies for Alto and Bass Clarinets. Southern Music. Although intended for alto or bass, these are excellent study material for Bb clarinet as well. Adapted from Lazarus, Rose, Capelle and others. *Rose, C., 32 Studies, 40 Studies (2 vols.). Published separately by Fischer and others. Southern music publishes all 72 of these etudes (and more) in one inexpensive volume (Artistic and Expressive Studies, Bk 2), edited by David Hite, that also includes historical information about many of the etudes. These etudes are an important part of the clarinet repertoire and should introduced when the student has reached the moderately advanced high school level. Voxman, H. Classical Studies (Rubank) Based on works by Bach and Handel. *Voxman, H. Rubank Advanced Method for Clarinet (2 vols.) Very good for high school students or as review for college students. Includes ornamentation, trill fingerings, articulation, duets, and etudes in difficult keys. Does not cover altissimo register very well. *Voxman, H. Selected Studies (Rubank) Similar in difficulty to the Rose 32 Etudes. Contains one or more etudes in each key. Includes some of the Rose etudes as well as others. Very good for advanced high school or young college students. Gates, E., Odd Meter Etudes (Sam Fox) Good for sight reading practice, or to introduce advanced meters. There is also Odd Meter Duets by the same composer. Stubbins, W., 22 Etudes for Clarinet (George Wahr) Etudes in the styles of Bach, Handel Dont, Fiorillo and Paganini MUS 733: Clarinet 38 Professor Kennen White

40 Contemporary Techniques Caravan, R., Preliminary Exercises and Etudes in Contemporary Techniques for the Clarinet (ethos Publications) Rehfeld, Philip. New Directions for Clarinet. University of California Press. Very thorough. Includes a multiphonic fingering chart. Recently updated. Sigel, A., The Twentieth Century Clarinetist (Belwin-Mills) Books, Journals, and Articles Bonade, Daniel. Clarinetist's Compendium. Leblanc Bruser, Madeline. The Art of Practicing: A Guide to Making Music From the Heart. Bell Tower (Random House), New York Brymer, Jack. Clarinet. Schirmer Books. *The Clarinet. Journal of the International Clarinet Association. Many useful articles and features for clarinetists and teachers. Published quarterly. * Guy, Larry. Selection, Adjustment, and Care of Single Reeds. Rivernote Press, 36 Hudson Ave. Stony Point, NY 10980, *Guy, Larry. Embouchure Building for Clarinetists. Rivernote Press, 36 Hudson Ave. Stony Point, NY 10980, *Guy, Larry. Intonation Training for Clarinetists. Rivernote Press, 36 Hudson Ave. Stony Point, NY 10980, Heim, Norman. A Handbook for Clarinet Performance. Kendor Music, Inc Heim, Norman. Clarinet Literature in Outline. Norcat Music Press, Heim, Norman. Ornamentation for the Clarinetist. Norcat Music Press, The Instrumentalist. Monthly magazines with articles of interest to instrumental music educators Lawson, Colin, ed. The Cambridge Companion to the Clarinet. Cambridge University Press, Very thorough. Each chapter is written by an excerpt in the topic being covered. Mazzeo, Rosario. The Clarinet:Excellence and Artistry. Alfred Publishing Co. Pascucci, Vito. Care and Minor Repairs of the Clarinet for Band Directors. Leblanc Pino, David. The Clarinet and Clarinet Playing. Charles Scribner's Sons, Long out of print, but available in many libraries. Contains much useful information. *Ridenour, Thomas. Clarinet Fingerings. Available directly from the author ( Very thorough, especially in its treatment of altissimo fingerings. Does not include trill fingerings. *Ridenour, Thomas. The Educators Guide to the Clarinet: A Complete Guide to Teaching and Learning the Clarinet. 2 nd Edition. Available directly from the author ( ISBN Detailed, thorough. The author is a bit wordy, but covers the material very well. This is a valuable resource. Sadie, Stanley. The New Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments (3 vols.). Macmillan Publishers. Sadie, Stanley. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. (20 vols.). Macmillan Publishers. Excellent resource. Detailed biographies and bibliographies. Stein, Keith. The Art of Clarinet Playing. Summy Birchard. Thurston, Frederick. Clarinet Technique.: London: Oxford University Press, 1977, 4th ed Weston, Pamela. The Clarinet Teacher's Companion. London: Robert Hale, 1976, ISBN MUS 733: Clarinet 39 Professor Kennen White

41 Weston, Pamela. Clarinet Virtuosi of the Past, More Clarinet Virtuosi of the Past. and Clarinet Virtuosi of Today London. Very useful. Informative and entertaining. Well researched. *Westphal, Frederic. Guide to Teaching Woodwinds 5th Edition. Wm. C. Brown Publishers. Surprisingly good. Easy to understand. Includes useful trill fingering chart and a section on reeds and mouthpieces. Woodwind Anthology Volume 2. The Instrumentalist Publishing Co A compendium of articles from The Instrumentalist. MUS 733: Clarinet 40 Professor Kennen White

42 SELECTIVE REPERTOIRE LIST The following list contains many of the important pieces in the clarinet repertoire. Any well-rounded clarinet player should be familiar with most of these solos. Many of them are too hard for most high school clarinetists to perform (although they may want to study them). The pieces marked with an asterisk are appropriate for advanced high school students to perform. Early Concerti Crusell, Bernard Concerto in F Minor, Op. 5 Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus *Concerto in A Major, K.622 Pokorny, Franz Xavier Concerto in Eb Concerto in Bb Rossini, Gioachino Introduction, Theme & Variations Rössler, Franz Anton (Rossetti) *Concerto in Eb Spohr, Louis Concerto no. 1 in C minor, Op.26 Stamitz, Johann *Concerto in Bb Major Stamitz, Karl *Concerto in Eb Major Tartini, Giuseppe *Concertino Weber, Carl Maria von *Concerto No. 1 in F Min, Op. 73 *Concerto No. 2 in Eb Maj,.Op. 74 *Concertino, Op. 26 Fantasia and Rondo, Op. 34 Later Concerti Copland, Aaron Debussy, Claude Nielsen, Carl Concerto Premier Rhapsodie Concerto Sonatas with Piano Arnold, Malcom *Sonatina, Op. 29 (Lengnick) Bernstein, Leonard Sonata (Warner Bros.) Brahms, Johannes Sonata, Op. 120, no. 1 Sonata, Op. 120, no. 2 Hindemith, Paul Sonata (Schott) Martinu, Bohuslav Sonatina Milhaud, Darius Duo Concertante Poulenc, Francis *Sonata (Chester) Saint-Saëns, Camille *Sonata, Op. 167 (Durand) Szalowski, Antoni *Sonatina Wanhall, Johann Baptist *Sonata Weber, Carl Maria von Grand Duo Concertante, Op.48 Clarinet with piano Babin, Victor Baermann, Carl Bassi, Luigi Berg, Alban Cahuzac, Louis Cavallini, Ernesto Finzi, Gerald Gade, Niels Hillandale Waltzes *Adagio Fantaisie from Rigoletto Vier Stücke, Op. 5 (Universal Edition) Variations sur un air du Pays D'oc *Adagio and Tarantella *Five Bagatelles (Boosey and Hawkes) Fantasy Pieces, Op. 43 (Kalmus, Hansen) MUS 733: Clarinet 41 Professor Kennen White

43 Hurlstone, William Four Characteristic Pieces Jeanjean, Paul *Arabesques *Variations on Carnival of Venice Lefebvre, Charles *Fantaisie-Caprice Lutoslawski, Witold Dance Preludes Messager, André *Solo de Concours (Southern) Mouquet Jules *Solo de Concours Muczynski, Robert Time Pieces (Presser) Pierné, Gabriel *Canzonetta, Op. 19 Rabaud, Henri *Solo de Concours (Southern) Schumann, Robert Fantasiestücke, Op. 73 Vaughan Williams, Ralph *Six Studies in English Folksong Weber, Carl Maria von Variations, Op. 33 Fantasia and Rondo (Carl Fischer) Widor, Charles-Marie Introduction and Rondo, Op. 72 Clarinet alone Adler, Samuel *Harobed (1972) (Southern) Denisov, Edison Sonata Donizetti, Gaetano Study Giron, Arsenio Three Bagatelles (Southern Music) Jacob, Gordon Five Pieces Karg-Elert, Sigfrid Sonate, Op. 110 Martino, Donald A Set for Clarinet Messian, Oliver Abime des Oiseaux Okamura, Koh *Two Pieces ( 1988) (Southern) Osborne, Willson *Rhapsody (1954) (Peters) Persichetti, Vincent Parable for Solo Clarinet, Op. 126 (1974) Elkan-Vogel) Piazolla, Astor Tango Etudes Riepe, Russell Three Studies on Flight Rozsa, Miklos Sonatina, Op. 27 Shroyer, Ronald It's Either a Song or a Dance (1987) (Southern) Smith, William O. Five Pieces Stravinsky, Igor Three Pieces Webster, Michael Five Pieces Whittenberg, Charles Three Pieces for Clarinet Alone, Op. 29 (1963) McGinnis &Marx) Collections Masterworks for Clarinet and Piano by Weber, Schumann, Mendelssohn, and Brahms. (edited by Simon) Schirmer. Good value with much standard repertoire. Sixteen Grands Solo de Concert for Clarinet and Piano (edited by Bonade) Southern Music Company Recital Clarinetist. (edited by Armato) Carl Fischer. *Concert and Contest Collection (ed. Voxman) Rubank, inc. This collection is a very good value for the high school clarinetist. Widely used, it has a good selection of repertoire, ranging in difficulty from moderately easy (9 th grade level) to fairly difficult. The clarinet and piano books may be purchased separately. MUS 733: Clarinet 42 Professor Kennen White

44 Two clarinets Amsden, Arthur Bach, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bower, Bugs Cavallini, Ernesto Crusell, Bernhard Hite, David, editor Hovhaness, Alan Kiraly, Laszlo Lazarus, H. Mozart (ed. Drucker) Poulenc, Francis Telemann (ed. Kell) Voxman, H. (editor) Celebrated Practice Duets *Duet for Two Clarinets Bop Duets (Charles Colin) Two Grand Duets *Three Progressive Clarinet Duets (Hinrichsen) *Seven Grand Concert Duets (Southern Music) *Sonata for two clarinets. (peermusic classical) Hungarian Folk Songs (Editio Musica Budapest) Three Grand Artistic Duets Cavallini (C. Fischer) *Duets vol. II (International Music) Sonata for Clarinet in Bb and A *6 Canonic Sonatas (International Music) *Selected Duets for Clarinet Vol.I,II (Rubank) MUS 733: Clarinet 43 Professor Kennen White

45 Clarinet Resources Eble Music Co. Music (good staff) PO Box 2570 Iowa City, IA (319) International Clarinet Association Publishes The Clarinet (magazine) c/o So Rhee P.O. Box 1310 Lyons, CO USA phone fax International Music Suppliers Supplies, instruments P.O. Box 357 Mt. Prospect, IL Jeanné Tools, supplies, equipment, sheet music. PO Box Catalog Minneapolis, MN Luyben Music Music. Good web-site. Thorough 4318 Main Street catalogue Kansas, City, MO Luyben, Muncy Winds Instruments, supplies, repairs, music PO Box 1274 Fast service. Knowledgeable staff. Boone, NC Catalog Southern Music Music, supplies. Good web-site , FAX Frederic Weiner Instruments, supplies, recordings nd Ave New Hyde Park, NY CORK The Woodwind Instruments, supplies, recordings State Line Rd. South Bend, IN MUS 733: Clarinet 44 Professor Kennen White

46 Important Clarinet Players The following is a brief list of some of the famous clarinet players you should be aware of. The ones listed in bold face are especially recommended for their fine recordings. American Symphony Players Larry Combs- principal in Chicago Symphony John Bruce Yeh, Greg Smith, J. Lawrie Bloom- assistant principal, second clarinet and bass clarinet (respectively) in Chicago Symphony Ricardo Morales- principal in Philadelphia Orchestra (Metropolitan Opera before that) Stanley Drucker- principal in New York Philharmonic for over 50 years! Frank Cohen- principal in Cleveland Orchestra William Hudgins- principal in Boston Symphony George Silfies- retired principal in St. Louis Symphony Laura Ardan- principal in Atlanta Symphony Richie Hawley- principal in Cincinnati Symphony Michelle Zukovsky- co-principal in LA Philharmonic Lorin Levee- co-principal in LA Philharmonic Tod Levy- principal in Milwaukee Symphony Burt Hara- principal in Minnesota Orchestra Loren Kitt- principal in National Symphony Michael Rusinek- principal in Pittsburgh Symphony Joaquin Valdepeñas- principal in Toronto Symphony Bil Jackson- principal in Colorado Symphony Greg Raden- principal in Dallas Symphony Steven Barta- principal in Baltimore Symphony Clark Brody- formerly principal in Chicago Symphony American Symphony Players (deceased) Robert Marcellus- formerly principal in Cleveland Orchestra Anthony Gigliotti- formerly principal in Philadelphia Orchestra Harold Wright- formerly principal in Boston Symphony Michigan Clarinetists Nathan Williams- Interlochen Arts Academy Fred Ormand- The University of Michigan Deborah Chodaki- The University of Michigan Elsa Ludwig-Verdher Michigan State University Caroline Hartig- Michigan State University Bradley Wong- Western Michigan University Kimberly Cole- Eastern Michigan University Kennen White- Central Michigan University Ted Oien- principal in Detroit Symphony Suzanna Dennis Bratton- principal in Grand Rapids Symphony International Recording Artists Thea King- English MUS 733: Clarinet 45 Professor Kennen White

47 Emma Johnson- English Anthony Pay- English Guy DePlus- French Guy Daingain- French Paul Meyer- French Sharon Kam- Israeli Karl Leister- German Sabine Mayer- German Richard Stolzman- American soloist David Shifrin- soloist Eddie Daniels- jazz, classical Teachers Howard Klug- Indiana University Eli Eban- Indiana University Yehuda Gilad- University of Southern California Kelly Burke- University of North Carolina Greensboro Julie DeRoache- DePaul University, LeBlanc artist Frank Kowalski- Florida State University Robert Spring- Arizona State University Richard Hawkins- Oberlin Conservatory CMU Clarinet Professors Kennen White Margaret Donague University of Miami, Florida. Linda Bartley James Heffernan U.S. Army Field Band, concertmaster; Kalamos Quartet Edgar Ross MUS 733: Clarinet 46 Professor Kennen White