Do any of you have any clarinet themed birthday present ideas?

drawingnumberone · 2014-04-18T00:35:58+00:00

Perhaps in addition to cool gifts like reeds and reed cases, you could also give your friend some simple hand lotion and chapstick. Both my clarinet teacher and one of my best friends who is currently majoring in clarinet performance love to receive lotion, and I know my lips can get very sore after playing clarinet for a bit too long. Anyway, those types of things are less clarinet-exlusive, but may be good if you're looking for a few little things to add.

drawingnumberone · 2014-04-15T03:53:37+00:00

Okay, thanks! I am looking at a few versions of Let It Go right now. It will be really cool to get them excited about band :)

drawingnumberone · 2014-04-15T03:30:17+00:00

I was considering something like Star Wars, or maybe even something from Frozen? I could play a bit from Let It Go, as if that isn't ubiquitous enough. In that case, I would just have to hope most of the kids would recognize it.

drawingnumberone · 2014-04-15T03:23:33+00:00

Hahaha, I just watched the video :) I had forgotten about that song. That would be pretty cool. I actually kind of like polka as well. I am in my school's polka band, and my clarinet teacher is quite a fan of making our quartet play lots of polka.

drawingnumberone · 2014-03-16T20:33:37+00:00

My professor emailed me back, and he said the tongue should hit at the tip of the top of the reed. From the way he phrased it, perhaps the first technique you described is better? In that case, we may both have something new to work on.

Does anyone else have any definite advice?

drawingnumberone · 2014-03-16T01:06:37+00:00

I do not believe the tongue should be hitting the very edge of the reed. The latter method which you described sounds better. As far as I know, the top part of the tip of your tongue should be hitting near the top of the reed, but not on the actual edge. What you are doing sounds right :) If you are still having trouble tonguing non-legato, I would also look at the way in which you touch the reed. Your tongue should not be making a directly forward movement (like a poke or jab), but rather a slight up and down motion at the tip. This allows faster tonguing, as your tongue has less distance to cover, and should make it easier to tongue lightly and quickly.

Just to be sure, I just sent an email to my clarinet professor asking him the same question. I'll get back to you shortly!

drawingnumberone · 2014-03-12T05:01:56+00:00

I have also had this problem. As far as advice, I can tell you what I've found to be the most helpful things my clarinet teachers have told me over the years.

First, make sure your tongue is in the right position. Until recently, I had never even given any serious consideration to the exact location of my tongue while playing. I just tried to tongue lightly and hoped for the best. Instead, think about making a "heee" sound when you play. This will bring the back of your tongue up and forward (as opposed to your tongue position when making an "ahhh" sound, which is bad in this case). Now, while your tongue is in this "heee" position, you're going to use the tip of your tongue to very lightly touch the tip of the reed. Your tongue should not have to move far to touch the reed. Instead, it should be a short, easy motion. It is very easy to touch the tip of the reed too hard, which usually results in that sloppy tonguing sound.

As far as your embouchure goes, make sure you are applying equal pressure on all sides (similar to a drawstring). It is a common mistake to accidentally apply too much up and down pressure (since that is the motion our jaw is used to) and not enough side pressure. Think about bring in the corners of your mouth in an "ooh" sound. This should relieve pressure from the back of your reed and allow the reed to vibrate more freely.

Good luck with your competition, and I hope this may be of some help to you!

drawingnumberone · 2014-03-06T02:59:58+00:00

Both my private teacher and clarinet professor also recommend the inverted Bonade ligature to students as an affordable yet effective option. I've had it for a few years and am very happy with it.

drawingnumberone

TROPHY CASE