Ok - I've had one lesson with a good instructor and he says the clarinet I got, a totally refurbished Selmer Omega, good mouth piece and ligature is all good and I started with RICO #2 reeds of which I tried and modified 4 different ways - BUT when I play all holes open and should get a "G" the best I can do is an "F" - I'm going to get another lesson and he said we'd work on it but I've talk to a pro player and web researched and am led to believe I'm going to have to try more than a few mouth pieces and reeds to get to the "G" - My embochure seems to be fine for a beginner as I can play all the notes nice and clear and in relationship they sound fine - Can anybody recommend any specific mouth pieces and or reeds that would have the tendancy to enable me to play higher to reach the "G" without spending hundreds of $$ - If not and the answer is I'll just have to keep spending money please be honest and let me know that too - I know my embochure has something to do with it but I can't be that far off - Feel free not to spare my feelings - Thanks in advance - Dennis Brooker
Beginner playing TOO low - Help?
- Thread starter Dennis Brooker
- Start date
The pitch of the clarinet is largely determined by the pitch of the "tone producer" ie. the mouthpiece or the mouthpiece and barrel. For beginning players, the mouthpiece and barrel is more manageable than the mouthpiece alone. The mouthpiece and barrel together should produce the pitch F# concert. I would suggest playing the mouthpiece and barrel apart from the rest of the clarinet and checking the pitch with a keyboard, or a tuner that sounds the pitch (not just a meter).
If you can produce a loud, clear, long tone on the mouthpiece and barrel that is at the F# concert pitch then your clarinet should play the open G close to the proper pitch. If the pitch of the "open" G is still way below where it should be, check the 2 springs on the upper joint to make sure they are in the "spring cradles" and are holding the pad cups and rings in their natural open position.
If your instructor says you have a good mouthpiece, then your problem is definitely not an equipment issue. You will find that moving up to a 2 1/2 reed as soon as you can will also help to raise the pitch of the "tone producer". Generally speaking a fast, cold airstream is helpful in clarinet tone production as well. Good luck. Let us know how you progress.
Good call, Merlin. You wrote that while I was still typing. The correct answer is often the simplest one.
If you can produce a loud, clear, long tone on the mouthpiece and barrel that is at the F# concert pitch then your clarinet should play the open G close to the proper pitch. If the pitch of the "open" G is still way below where it should be, check the 2 springs on the upper joint to make sure they are in the "spring cradles" and are holding the pad cups and rings in their natural open position.
If your instructor says you have a good mouthpiece, then your problem is definitely not an equipment issue. You will find that moving up to a 2 1/2 reed as soon as you can will also help to raise the pitch of the "tone producer". Generally speaking a fast, cold airstream is helpful in clarinet tone production as well. Good luck. Let us know how you progress.
Good call, Merlin. You wrote that while I was still typing. The correct answer is often the simplest one.
Merlin - My teacher studied at the Manhattan School of Music and played with many orchestras before moving back close to me - NO, I was not aware of when I play with all holes open it will register as "F" on my chromatic tuner - I was going by the fingering chart that shows with all holes open it should be a "G" - SO, then am I doing OK or do I still need to get my instrument to play a "G" with all holes open - Sorry for my ignorance but I'm anxious to learn - Thanks much -
jtbsax - I will try your suggestion when I'm able - Unfortunatley I am on pain medication 28 out of 30 days for health reasons - I'm trying to learn the clarinet as suggested for therapy reasons - Dennis Brooker
jtbsax - I will try your suggestion when I'm able - Unfortunatley I am on pain medication 28 out of 30 days for health reasons - I'm trying to learn the clarinet as suggested for therapy reasons - Dennis Brooker
Merlin - When I play just using the mouthpiece and barrel I get an "F sharp" quite easily accourding to my chromatic tuner which is all I have and with all holes open I still get an "F" - Is that correct? Or acording to the finger chart should I be getting a "G" with all holes open - Thanks from a confused me - Dennis Brooker
Dennis, Welcome and here's wishing you a pleasurable journey as you study your instrument. I would suggest that at your next lesson you ask your teacher to explain what is meant by a "transposing" instrument. This will explain what you see on your tuner when you finger a particular note on the clarinet. And it will help your understanding of the Bb clarinet, as will as other transposing instruments, e.g. Eb alto sax, Bb cornet, et al. Best regards, Ruth
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When you play open G on a clarinet, it should register as F on a chromatic tuner set to read out in concert pitch. You may want to do some reading up on transposing instruments.
Merlin - THANK YOU - That's whats happening so now I don't feel so bad - As suggested by you and Ruth I am Goggling and will also ask my instructor on transposing instruments - Just is very "strange" to a guy who's played guitar for over 40 years - It's a new challenge I'll work to understand - Best regards - Dennis Brooker
You've been playing a transposing instrument for 40 years - the guitar plays an octave lower than written.
Kev, don't *make* me stop the car...
Kev - I just play chords to old blues, some old C&W and old R&R, cause I'm old and do some finger picking, mainly to sing with - I'm probably an octive lower on that too ;^)) - Thanks for the info - DB
That guitar thing is a form of "reformed notation", where players of the instrument have always been taught to read that way and never have any occasion to worry about it.
Another case where this has happened was with military bands in Great Britain, where euphonium players were taught to read bass clef parts without transposition; i.e., the valve positions and lip tension issues were adjusted to fit the chart, rather than having the player first learn euphonium notation, and then have to shift to bass clef.
There is also my example, where I was taught to read Bb clarinet notation as it would be fingered on an A instrument - I started on an A bass clarinet in the Albert system, only learning to play a Bb horn when my teacher felt I was being wasted on the bass clarinet.
It has me enough confused in my mind that I occasionally find myself slipping back into old habits if I am playing an Albert horn. Old habits die very, very hard...
Another case where this has happened was with military bands in Great Britain, where euphonium players were taught to read bass clef parts without transposition; i.e., the valve positions and lip tension issues were adjusted to fit the chart, rather than having the player first learn euphonium notation, and then have to shift to bass clef.
There is also my example, where I was taught to read Bb clarinet notation as it would be fingered on an A instrument - I started on an A bass clarinet in the Albert system, only learning to play a Bb horn when my teacher felt I was being wasted on the bass clarinet.
It has me enough confused in my mind that I occasionally find myself slipping back into old habits if I am playing an Albert horn. Old habits die very, very hard...
I assume this is tongue-in-cheek, but it's hard to know for sure. There are, in fact, Bb euphonium players (usually switched from trumpet) who learned to play reading treble clef baritone (euphonium) parts. If one of these players were given a bass clef part they would have to add 2 sharps and transpose down a 5th along the same lines as a bari sax playing bass clef, but a bit more complicated. Doing this on the fly may cause a headache for the player, but a head explosion would be a bit extreme.
I assume this is tongue-in-cheek, but it's hard to know for sure. There are, in fact, Bb euphonium players (usually switched from trumpet) who learned to play reading treble clef baritone (euphonium) parts. If one of these players were given a bass clef part they would have to add 2 sharps and transpose down a 5th along the same lines as a bari sax playing bass clef, but a bit more complicated. Doing this on the fly may cause a headache for the player, but a head explosion would be a bit extreme.
I don't play euphonium any more...but when I did, I'd read treble or bass clef. It used to piss off the old brass band guys that I could do either method.
Carl - I don't think my tuner is capable of what you suggest - I'm hoping my instructor can make things more clear with my next lesson - If anyone knows of any good books on clainet transposing please mention them to me - I've done some Googleing on it but none of it makes any real sense to me as of yet - Best regards and Thanks - Dennis Brooker
It's not all that hard. A Bb instrument sounds a whole note lower than what is written in the score (it will sound as a B-flat when the score has a "C" written in it, hence the moniker "Bb instrument"). An Eb instrument (eg an alto sax) will play ... you guessed it.
Ben - What you said I now understand - For me for now as a beginner as long as what I'm playing sounds like a song that will be good enough for me - I only plan on playing for my own therapy purposes for now - I'll worry about later, later - Thanks very much - Dennis Brooker
I dont know what you are talking about. This is not what Dennis is requesting.