Alternate fingers for Clarinet

 

Instrument Cleaning

Below is a link to cleaning musical instruments

Things to remember:
1.  Metal instruments should never be put in hot water!  Warm water only.
2.  Metal instruments with pads or cork should never be submersed. 
3.  Wooden Instrument should not be soaking wet!  Liquid will damage the instrument.
4.  Woodwind mouthpieces should never be put in hot water.  Warm water only.
5.  Never submerge any woodwind mouthpiece with cork on it.
6.  Deep cleaning should be left to the repair professionals.


https://www.nfhs.org/articles/covid-19-instrument-cleaning-guidelines/#

Instrument Transposition and Online piano

INSTRUMENT TRANSPOSITION

C Instruments (Flutes - Oboe, Bassoon, Trombones - Tuba - Baritone, Mallet Percussion) Note on piano is same as your note. Lucky you!

Bb Instruments (Clarinet, Tenor Sax, Trumpet) Find the note you want to play on the piano and go DOWN 2 half steps (2 piano keys) That will match your note. Example C on trumpet is a Bb on piano.

Eb Instruments (Alto sax, Bari sax) - Find the note you want to play on the piano and go UP 3 half steps (3 piano keys) Example: G on saxophone is a Bb on Piano.

F Instrument (French horn) - Find the note you want to play on the piano and go DOWN 5 half steps (5 piano keys) Example: F on french horn is a Bb on Piano.

Click here for an online piano to play!

OR USE MY CHEAT SHEET BELOW!

Breathing Gym Introduction

Clarinet Articulation: Getting it Right from the Beginning by Dr. J. Kirk-Doyle

CLARINET ARTICULATION: GETTING IT RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING

by Dr. Julianne Kirk-Doyle

https://www.dansr.com/vandoren/resources/clarinet-articulation-getting-it-right-from-the-beginning-1?utm_source=getresponse&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=vandoren_wave_master&utm_content=Clarinet+Articulation+%7C+Talking+to+Parents+as+a+Band+Director+%7C+Summer+Projects+

Before addressing articulation, we as teachers must be certain students have solid fundamentals of embouchure, air support and tongue position. It is important to understand how the reed works and why it is important use the tongue to articulate.

One of many problems encountered with young students is "huffing" which is not using the tongue to create the separation. This is diagnosed if you see neck, cheek or throat puffing on every articulation. The player is stopping the air to create the separation  rather than interrupting the air with the tongue. Remember: Air is always constant.

If a student has jaw or lip motion on every articulation, they are most likely anchor tonguing. Anchor tonguing occurs when the tip of the tongue is anchored behind the lower teeth and the articulation is created with the middle of the tongue touching the reed. Ideally,  the tip of the tongue touches just below the tip of the reed to interrupt the vibrations of the reed.

The reed vibrates in a “diving board” motion against the tip of the  mouthpiece. Insert a business card between the mouthpiece and reed to see how far down the reed the “diving board” goes. This  shows students how much mouthpiece should be in their mouth when playing.

Embouchure stability is the most crucial element for achieving successful articulation. To set the embouchure, have students pronounce “Ewe” as if they sucked on a lemon! Do the same exercise again while looking into a mirror. (Using a mirror is incredibly helpful) Next have the student feel this sensation by using only the barrel, mouthpiece and reed. Close the end of the barrel with the hand, form the “ewe” embouchure, and suck the air out of the mouthpiece as if they were drinking a milkshake. This helps them see and feel the lips seal around the mouthpiece and creates a flat chin – essential elements of a good embouchure. Have them observe this in the mirror, then remove the hand and blow (creating an F# pitch) while maintaining the shape of the embouchure.D

Using the Tongue to Articulate

The clarinet is played with a high tongue position. The tongue should be parallel to the roof of the mouth, arched and high. Use the syllable “Shhhh" to get the tongue in the right place. A great illustration is that of a garden hose. If you have a plant at the end of your driveway and your garden hose will not reach it, how do you get the water to the plant? If you put your thumb over the end of the hose, only a few drops might reach the plant. But, if you angle the garden hose up the allowing the water to arc up and over into the plant, it gets watered. The position of the tongue for clarinet articulation is very similar. The tongue is high inside the mouth, the air comes up and over the tongue and down into the mouthpiece. Only a small amount of tongue motion at the very tip of the tongue is required rather than the entire tongue moving. This allows a quicker and more effortless articulation speed. 

Air is another essential fundamental for good articulation. The tongue interrupts the flow of air, but the air never stops to create separation. Have students put their hand on their lower abdomen and breathe in through their belly. As they exhale, have them hiss "Tsssssss" and note that when expelling the air with this syllable, they will keep the belly extended rather than let it collapse in. This is how their abdomen should remain while playing whether they are sustaining or articulating.

Syllables should be used to create the desired quality of separation. Syllables such as “toh” while ideal for a brass player, are not desirable for clarinet. Any syllable that lowers the tongue position will cause embouchure movement and create unfocused tone quality and unclear articulation. Syllables such as “tee” or “dee” will keep the tongue high in the mouth and maintain the embouchure shape. Have students practice the breathing exercise (mentioned above) while speaking different rhythms on “tee” or “dee.” Use a mirror for reinforcement of the “Milkshake face” embouchure with no excessive neck or jaw movement.

These syllables should be practiced on just the mouthpiece and barrel assembly. Barrel and mouthpiece practice will allow the student not to worry about the resistance of the entire instrument. When the student can comfortably articulate with a constant air stream and efficient embouchure without jaw or huffing motion, add the upper joint, then the lower joint, and finally the bell, to build the air column.

For more advanced students who want to create a “secco” or stopped staccato, add a “t” to the end of the syllables creating “deet” or “teet.” Envision a glass bottle filled with soda. If you  shake the bottle, what happens to the soda? It fizzes! The soda is pressurized so that if you open the soda after being shaken, the fizz would explode everywhere. Imagine poking a hole in the top of the bottle cap with a needle, then there would be a thin stream of “fizz” coming out the bottle cap. If the hole is then covered, the fizz would continue to pressurize, but would stop temporarily until the finger is released. For stopped staccato the fizz is the air and the finger is the tongue. Our air should pressurize behind the tongue so that the articulation is a “release” rather than an “attack.” This will minimize tongue pressure on the reed and allow for a much cleaner and crisper form of articulation. Try this with the breathing exercise discussed earlier. Use the tip of the tongue to stop the air first, and then release the tongue, allowing the air to flow out immediately however the air never truly stops.

A simple approach to this is to have the student do the following:

• Stick out their tongue
• Release, tongue back on reed, etc.
• Place the tip of the tongue just below the tip of the reed
• Put the mouthpiece in the mouth without taking the tongue off,
• Form the embouchure, inhale through the corners, blow (no sound)
• Release the tongue.
• Put the tongue back on the reed (keep the air moving)

Always listen to the quality of sound when articulating. If the sound seems flabby or spread, the tongue placement or air support are lacking. The student could also be using too much tongue surface or pressure on the reed. Equipment should also be evaluated as to proper reed strength. A reed that is too soft will not lend a desirable quality of articulation. and a reed that is too hard will sound stuffy. For successful articulation, be sure the embouchure is stable, the air column is constant, the sound is supported and the tongue position is high.

Two Kinds of Music Students

“Creativity is a type of learning process where the teacher and pupil are located in the same individual.”–Arthur Koestler, author

The tricky passage that finally rings true, the ‘aha’ moment, the transcendent performance – all are creative achievements that result from learning.

In effect, the more adept we become at learning, the more facile we’re likely to be with the creative process.

And for us musicians, only deep learning enables us to perform securely and artistically under pressure.

From Musiciansway.com


I’ve observed that music students generally divide into two types of learners: deep or shallow.
Here are some distinctions between those two types.

“The more adept we become at learning, the more facile we’re likely to be with the creative process.”

Deep vs Shallow Learners

Deep Learners

•  Set specific practice goals and then work in organized yet flexible ways
•  Isolate problem spots in practice – they vocalize rhythms, play hands alone, recite song text, etc.
•  Maintain awareness as they play or sing, directing their actions from within
•  Infuse their practice with joy and spontaneity
•  Manage repetition so that they absorb passages without needing to repeat them ad nauseum
•  Listen intently in practice and evaluate their work with open minds
•  Embody excellence
•  Perform securely and enthusiastically

Shallow Learners

•  Practice haphazardly without clear objectives or are overly rigid and mechanical
•  Play or sing through lengthy sections without attending to specific details
•  Often let their attention wander during practice
•  View practice as drudgery that must be endured
•  Repeat endlessly, hoping that repetition alone will bring security
•  Evaluate sporadically, often drifting off pitch and out of rhythm
•  Let inaccuracies and difficulties slide by unaddressed
•  Deal with persistent performance anxiety and may dread performing

Fortunately, musicians with shallow learning habits can transform themselves into deep learners by setting clear goals, gaining disciplined practice habits, employing self-motivation strategies, and seeking expert guidance.

Clarinet embouchure check list

Transcription: Hi everyone, those lazy summer days are almost over! It’s time to put away your summer gear, get your clarinet out, and start getting back into shape. Today, I’m going to give you an embouchure checklist to help you get back into the groove.

You are going to need a few things to help you with your embouchure checklist.
First, you will need a mirror, large enough to see your entire face. This will allow you to watch yourself play to make sure you are keeping your embouchure correct while you practice.
Second, of course, you are going to need your clarinet. Okay, let’s get started.

 A good embouchure allows maximum vibration of the reed and allows you to control the sound over all dynamic levels from the lowest note to the highest.
 1. First, fold your bottom lip over your bottom teeth, push you jaw slightly forward, so your top and bottom teeth are parallel, and then stretch your chin muscles flat against your jaw, like so.
 2. Next, leverage your mouthpiece to your top teeth. Now you can create a seal around the mouthpiece. Bring your corners in and your top lip down. This will help you control the sound and prevent air leakage.
 3. Whenever you go to play, your sound should be warm, vibrant, and easy to control. Don’t forget to take a big breath when you go to play.

  Now I’m going to show you how you can practice this on your own at home.
 Go ahead and get that mirror out, and put it on your stand. This is how you are going to watch yourself play.
 Bottom lip over bottom teeth, jaw forward, chin flat.
 Leverage your mouthpiece to the top teeth, and create a seal, bringing your corners in and your top lip down.
 Double check in the mirror and make sure all parts of the embouchure look correct.

 While you’re playing, always check into the mirror to make sure you are keeping your chin flat. As soon as you see you may be doing something incorrectly, go back through the steps of making a good embouchure and then continue playing. Let’s review this one more time. Don’t forget to have your mirror. Fold your bottom lip over your bottom teeth, jaw slightly forward and flatten your chin. Bring your corners in and your top lip down and go ahead and play! Great job today! Contact me through my website, www.callyclarinet.com for further questions. Thank you so much for watching!

How to strengthen your clarinet or saxophone embouchure SO FUNNY but it works!

Resonant Fingerings for Throat tones on clarinet

http://vandorenblog.com/clarinet-resonance-fingerings-%E2%80%A8by-mitchell-estrin/

Musical Elf

Hi everyone,

I have compiled recommendations for holiday gifts for your student musician!

Remember when you kid walked for the first time? Fast forward to HS...you wouldn't send them to school in those first walking shoes right? Mouthpieces for musicians are no different!  Many of the HS students are playing on beginner mouthpieces / reeds that no longer fit!  Their muscles are more developed and require an appropriate mouthpiece to be successful.  

These are my suggestions for mouthpieces, reeds and other items that I believe will elevate the students and help them meet their potential. Each item is a link to help you find the items but in no way suggests that this is the only place to get these items.

Likewise, if you are thinking of buying an instrument PLEASE let me help you. There are so many ISO's (instrument shaped objects) out there and many brands that I trusted early in my career are no longer quality instruments. I would be happy to help you with this! Feel free to email me a link, or call if you need help.

Again, if you are stuck for ideas for the holidays, I am the musical elf to help! :)

Happy Holidays!

Ms. Henson

Every musician should have:

Tuner or Tonal Energy Tuning  / Metronome App for phone or tablet

Music stand

Smartmusic

• Computer assisted practice aid subscription with over 33,000 titles to practice with, including our band music, NYSSMA solos, jazz improvisation practice, and our lesson books.  Highly recommend for those who want to go to NYSSMA Solo Festival.

Flutes:

Cleaning rod

Silk Cleaning Swab

Bassoon

Reeds

Reed soaker

Reed Case

Clarinet:

Vandoren M30 Clarinet mouthpiece

Reed protector case

Reeds

• Older students:  Vandoren V21 #3 Strength Reeds
• Freshmen: Vandoren V21 #2.5 strength Reeds

Bass Clarinet: 

Hite Bass Clarinet mouthpiece

Reed Protector Case

Vandoren V21 #2.5 Strength Reeds

Alto Saxophone:

Mouthpiece:  Vandoren Optimum AL3 

Reeds:  Vandoren V21 Alto Sax reeds - #3 strength

Tenor Saxophone

Mouthpiece:  Vandoren Optimum TL3

Reeds:  Vandoren V21 Tenor Sax reeds - #3 strength

Reed Protector Case

Bari Saxophone

Vandoren Traditional Bari Sax reeds - #2.5 strength

Ergonomic Harness - extra Long

Trumpets:

Bach 5C mouthpiece

Valve Oil

Trombones:

Slide Cream

Bach 6 1/2AL mouthpiece

French Horn:

Holton Farkas Silver MDC Mouthpiece

Euphonium

Mouthpiece: Yamaha Standard for regular bore or Schilke 51 for large bore.

Valve Oil

Tuba:

Bach 18 or Bach 24W Mouthpiece (slightly smaller)

Percussion:

Bell Kit 

Metronome

Stick bag with basic mallets/sticks

earplugs - It is so important to protect their hearing!

Practice pad

Improve Clarinet Tone with this warm-up (and check equipment)

Clarinet tonguing

Clarinets: Intonation tendencies and How to Tune

Clarinet: How to get your throat tone A and Bb better in tune and tone!

Clarinet Embouchure

http://www.tcnj.edu/~mckinney/clarinet_embouchure.htm

CLARINET EMBOUCHURE

The clarinet embouchure is one of the most widely misused and misunderstood aspects of clarinet playing. Over many years this writer has had an opportunity to work with young clarinetists, both beginning and advanced, and have observed a number of common faults. With careful understanding and applying a few basic adjustments, these players could begin to enjoy a well controlled clarinet tone. These faults - call them improper blowing methods - can never be corrected by simply practicing studies or long tones; the whole difficulty arises from the basic question of how one places the mouthpiece into his/her mouth. The following will be divided into Correct Procedures and Common Faults.

CORRECT PROCEDURES

Develop good habits early. The errors in the formation of the embouchure tend to fall into a number of distinct categories which are extremely difficult to remedy after the student has formed certain habits in which the wrong muscular action is involved. On the other hand, if correct habits had been developed in the beginning, these students would find the development of tone production a relatively simple phase of their technique. At this point long tone studies designed for control and tone quality are indispensable. Practice the following:

1. Firm seal at the corners of the mouth.

2. The throat should have an open feeling. Form an AH sensation.

3. The angle of the clarinet depends mostly on the jaw formation but I believe a 35degree angle is quite effective. Figure 1 provides a good visual of the mouthpiece position.

4. With the help of the teacher as interpreter of anatomical jargon, Figure 2 illustrates the essential facial muscles that come into play in forming the embouchure.

a) Here one can see that the chin is flat and pointed downward - the labii inferioris muscle #3.

b) The muscular control around the mouthpiece is controlled by the lips - the obicularis oris muscle #1 is uniform and applied equally from all sides.

c) The corners of the mouth are drawn SLIGHTLY upward - the zygomaticus muscle #6.

d) Approximately one half of the red or fleshy part of the bottom lip is drawn over the lower teeth.

e) The cheeks are prevented from "puffing out." - the buccinator muscle #5.

5. Use a mirror. Careful visual monitoring of embouchure formation in addition to its actual formation is extremely helpful. The teacher can help by visually seeing the embouchure setting, and when the student is alone, standing/sitting in front of a long vertical mirror - if available - is an indispensable aid to correct habits.

 

Figure 1

 

Figure 2

COMMON ERRORS ENCOUNTERED

1. Constricting and bunching the muscles in the chin and pushing upward to support the the mouthpiece.

2. Extreme pulling from the corners of the mouth causing a tight pinched tone. This concept is sometimes identified as the 'emphasized smile' position which is supposed to keep the chin flat. When overdone,  sometimes a "hissing of  air" is emitted comes form the corners of the mouth because the muscles cannot sustain the tension..

3. Rolling the lip not far enough or too far over the bottom teeth.

a) Rolling the lip too far causes the tone to sound dull, and in the upper register, unsupported and shrill.

b) Too little lip on the teeth - including a rolled wrinkled position - emits a very bright and edgy sound.

c) Both of these positions will eventually cause the lip to be sore and/or cut on the inside.

4. Puffing the cheeks.

5. Neglecting to place the top teeth on the mouthpiece.

6. Insufficient support from the right thumb in holding and supporting the instrument firmly against the top teeth.

7. Holding the instrument at too wide of an angle thereby causing the lower lip to rest too close to the tip of the reed causing a small "pinched" tone. Some of the above factors are evident in many young students and must be addressed. The fundamental principles seen in Figure 1.

SUMMARY

I have found that the lack of success encountered by a student in producing a good stable tone is directly related to the amount of mouthpiece that is placed in the mouth. Even though mouthpiece placement might seem to be correct, by instructing the student to move the lower jaw outward and downward on the reed, tone quality and control are greatly enhanced. This downward/outward placement with the jaw is by not means the prime factor in the successful production of tone, but merely moves the cushion of the lip further out on the reed allowing for more freedom of the reed to vibrate, thus eliminating the "thin" and "pinched" sound.

All of the above is predicated on constant support of the tone with proper breathing. Don't use greater lip pressure for the higher (altissimo register) notes more than the lower ones. Evenness of breath flow is absolutely essential for maintaining a well controlled tone. Changing dynamics is simply a matter of increasing or decreasing the amount of air that passes into the instrument. The support of that air should never change.

 

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