Educational content for all clarinet players, their band directors, and anyone interested in the clarinet. Subscribe to this channel and follow on Instagram and TikTok @clarinet.hq Questions or requests? Say hi at clarinethq@gmail.com! Check out our free music and help support us at www.clarinethq.com/freemusic
Hi, I’m still having trouble with tongue positioning. I’ve been playing with my band for so long I didn’t know I had a hard articulation. No matter how much I try, I can’t seem to arch my tongue high and make the tip of the tongue touch the tip of the reed. When I do, it makes a squeaky sound. What would you suggest?
If I had to guess, I'd say that your chin probably moves when you articulate. It's a really common thing among clarinetists because it's hard to train your body to keep your embouchure still (without too much jaw pressure), your tongue in that high "whistle trick" position, and only move the tip of your tongue when you articulate. A little bit of practice might be helpful: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Ct1audCpE7w.html
You forgot to mention the Bass Clarinet has a reed twice the size, the length is twice as long, the bore is twice as wide and it has a curved bell at the bottom. All of that translates to TWICE the air! 😂
Oh my gosh!!! Thank you soo very much, I always notices for years that my sound quality was always nasally and I never know that I was using too much tongue.
An interesting video. However, it sounds a bit funny to refer to the smaller instrument as "the Bb clarinet" because BOTH instruments you're playing are pitched in Bb. "Soprano clarinet" would make much more sense. Of course I realize the soprano instruments are available in different pitches, but Bb is essentially the "default" pitch and most common.
That's true! I'm not sure why it's become the norm to call the soprano clarinet B-flat when there are others in the clarinet family also pitched in that key.
There's no reason for anyone to panic about their clarinet cracking. Sometime you can do everything right and still get a crack. However, it is something to take seriously, especially if you live in a dry climate. A little prevention goes a long way. As Backun artists, most of the information we share in this video is directly from them, but it never hurts to consult directly with the manufacturer or a trusted teacher/technician.
I would, especially if it's brand new. It'll help prevent the wood from taking on too much moisture, which can happen with new instruments. You should be able to find sweet almond oil at grocery or health food stores. If not, you can find it at an online retailer like Amazon. Just make sure it's 100% sweet almond oil.
My ligature keeps loosening and shifting around, no matter how much I tighten it. The mouthpiece is slightly conical, so the more you tighten the ligature, the more the ligature moves up the mouthpiece. What should I do?
Hey, sorry I took so long to respond. I honestly did not know what type of mouthpiece or how to find out. However, I recently just brought my clarinet to a local woodwind store, and he fixed it by adding oil to the knobs. It seems Bonade didn't do this in the factory.
Most sax players like myself who take up the clarinet later find probs. After searching for a clary with sax fingering (cop out!) There isn't one....so with your instruction will persist....thanks..
That can be really frustrating, but hang in there! Have you tried the whistle trick? That's helpful for a lot of my students. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3dJb_EOH9QE.html
That's a good question! If you make an embouchure, move your tongue into that position, and blow gentle air, you should be able to hear the pitch in your air. It'll be like a very subtle whistle. Try moving your tongue around as you do it, and you can clearly hear the effect your tongue has on air speed.
Good question! Chalumeau (pronounced shall-you-mow) is the lowest register of the clarinet and goes from low E to throat B-flat. You might have guessed from the name that it's French.
Thank you! Anything silk with a weight at the end of the string and specifically made for clarinet. There are a number of good ones out there, but this is one: www.amazon.com/Hodge-Silk-Clarinet-Swab-Black/dp/B0002F4Y8W There are some good microfiber swabs out there as well, but you need to be careful. Microfiber swabs can be thicker, which makes it easier to get caught on the register tube. ProTec, Vandoren, and BG all make microfiber swabs. They are really great at absorbing moisture, probably better than silk. If you get one, just be extra certain that it's for B-flat/A clarinet and be extra careful when swabbing.
That's true. Although, there's a lot of great (and very difficult) solo and chamber music for bass clarinet (some great orchestra parts, too). Bass clarinet doesn't get a lot of love in band music though. 😢
I love the sound of the Bass clarinet. The best bass clarinet solo ive heard is from Toby the Tram Engine Season 1 Theme Also it looks like a Saxaphone but sounds like a Bassoon
The misconception that the bass clarinet is easier to play has to do with the fact that in band music the bass clarinet mostly plays simpler parts. that teh Ssoprano clarinet. A professional bass clarinetist should master a few additional skills : het/she must be able to read bass clef and G clef equally proficient . For band music it is sometimes required to be able to read bass clef and transpose it up a tone . This makes it possible to read (2nd) bassoon parts and bari sax parts. In the symphony orchestra one should be able to read bass clef parts a semitone lower in order to be able to play ass clar in A parts: e.g. ravel, La Valse, Piano concerto for the left hand and in Mahler symphonies this might appear.
So this was my first year on bass. I made tmea region on soprano freshman and sophomore year and my lesson teacher wanted me to switch to bass to try and make all state. At the start it was a slightly jarring switch but now that I’m more comfortable switching between the two I wouldn’t call bass easier. It has its challenges like playing fast passages which can be slightly unruly on leaps and breaks and low register stuff past Eb but having played on soprano for 5 years prior I would say having that experience has made certain aspects like high range much easier on bass
First of all, congratulations on making region band as a freshman! You have a really great perspective. I hope other people read this. In the end, playing both probably makes you a better overall clarinetist.
Had a decently fast piece to play that have some high notes (Menuet from Divertimento in D, K. 344(By Mozart)), and found this video randomly, thank you for the practice method and tip!
As a person that was a clarinet for around 1 month I can say that (in my opinion) bass is much easier. Also I am in 7th grade but I started as a clarinet but I was going to be a saxophone but I hated the clarinet because of the open holes. The open holes always was super hard and eventually I gave up the clarinet and was the first bass clarinet in 6th grade (covid had stopped band for 2-3 years). I now love the bass clarinet and I eventually want to join jazz band (as a clarinet) but I have to wait a year to tryout.
My opinion bass clarinet is harder Advantages of it is the closed holes and can be sat on the floor disadvantages Slightly different fingerings for low F and E and High C and B, Very Wide, Bigger Mouthpiece, harder to put high notes out but still easy, and ginormous
Which brand and mouthpiece and gap is best for a beginner wanting to get the high notes easily? One that blows easily, too. I won't mind spending $125 if it works.
I usually recommend that beginning or intermediate players get a mouthpiece with a medium facing. That includes the Vandoren 5RV Lyre, the Vocalise G (G2 if you live in Europe), and the D'Addario X5. If you can, it's great to try a few to see what works best. We have a video on trying out new equipment that might be helpful: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-RRduX8ocaHo.html Let us know if you have any other questions!
I played clarinet for years. Then in my 30's I started playing tenor sax. I can tell you first hand, the lower instrument is WAY easier on the mouth. My mouth burns out with the clarinet, it never burns out with the tenor. And while these are two different instruments, the embouchure is very similar between tenor and bass. So no, I would disagree.
Thanks for sharing your experience! Some people are definitely drawn to the lower woodwind and others find that the higher woodwinds naturally fit them better. The tenor and bass embouchures are certainly similar, so your preference for bass clarinet makes sense.
Hi, I see that you respond to many comments and questions. I have a question too. I am really flat whenever I play my clarinet. When I try to tune it (I tune to the note G) I always sound incredibly flat. I’ve tried to work on this a lot and found it it was mostly my embochure. I’ve gotten better now but I am still a little bit flat. Not to the point where I’m playing G# though. How can I play at a perfect pitch and not sound too flat or too sharp? Is it my embochure? If so, how do I fix it?
Good for you for paying attention to intonation! Very frequently the culprit is your tongue position when you're consistently playing flat. Have you watched our Whistle Trick video? You may want to check out some of the videos on our High Note Hacks playlist: ru-vid.com/group/PLFQufybMvJhSkn6Nucim5rhGBrEznoHkb Many of the videos focus on tongue position and embouchure, which both play a big role in intonation.
This is a really nice comprehensive video for beginners! Subbed, been playing for 15 years but it's awesome to see good education on a wide range of clarinet aspects. For a good affordability to quality ratio, I've had a lot of success with my Yamaha 2016 CSVR, I'm not sure if you've played it but it's a great horn! Have you considered doing a video on comprehensive reed care? I know many beginners (and even later years players like myself until recently 😅) who struggle with getting good reeds and keeping them playing well.
Thanks for the kind words! I've had similar experiences with Yamahas, especially at the beginning and intermediate levels. That's a great idea for a video (or maybe a series of videos)! Reeds are always a pain. Everyone seems to have a slightly different approach, but there are a lot of commonalities. Thank you for the suggestion.
What do you think of the Bakun Alpha? I used the Amazon Cheap ones (Mendini) for awhile, but switched to the Bakun and it's sound is amazing compared to the cheap one. Thanks.
Congratulations on the new instrument! I'm a big fan of the Alpha. Generally speaking, the really cheap clarinets are cheap for a reason. If you're able to afford a better quality synthetic clarinet like that Alpha, it's usually worth it. (Like you found out.)
If you're wondering where we buy our instruments, I definitely recommend a local shop so you have the opportunity to try out instruments. If you're asking what brand we play, Meredith plays on Backun Model F and Mike on Backun MoBa, which both fall under the professional clarinet category. Let us know if you have any other questions!
That's a good question. You're talking about doing this without the clarinet, right? If you just get a louder whistle instead of that high pitched wooosh sound, make sure that you're doing it with a clarinet embouchure (no cheek puffing, etc.). The tongue position and embouchure are equally important. You might also try doing it as just one big puff of air (2-3 seconds). When you add the clarinet, you'll be able to sustain that air speed longer since the smaller opening of the mouthpiece limits the air the can get through.
Hi, first of all, thank you so much for very interesting concepts you offer us so generously and clearly. Mixing some of your videos, I went to the idea of using the whistle and the tonguing. I feel like of you move any other part than the very tip of the tongue, or change slightly the air there will be a noticeable change in the note. This audible hint helps me. What do you think of this idea if it does make sense to you ?
That makes perfect sense! Like you said, that's a great audible cue for anyone working on articulation. Because your tongue position is so crucial to good tone and voicing, moving anything more than the very tip of your tongue will have an impact on your sound.
@@ClarinetHQ thanks for the confirmation! I can't wait to make my students try your ideas. I will give them links to your videos, but I'll make the translation in French for them first.
@@ClarinetHQ that would be awesome ! The topics you cover can totally help young clarinetists. With time I learnt English, partly with videos like yours, but it would be helpful to community to make accessible to non English speaking people. If you need a French proofreader, I'd be delighted to help you with this, and I'm sure if you ask your community, you'll be surprised of all the foreigners you will find, maybe some interested in lending you a hand. It will not be easy but it will certainly be beneficial !
Best analysis and explanation I've heard of Embouchure, Meredith. Also if there is leaking at the corners, is that because the muscles are weak or tired? Thanks.
Thanks for the kind words! Fatigue is usually the culprit when the corners leak. If you're practicing, that's a good time to take a break so those tired muscles can get some strength back. Over time, they'll strengthen and endurance will improve.
