Ask Michelle Any Clarinet Question (broadcast live Dec. 1, 2019)

 

0:00 Welcome and Introduction

 

3:23 Michelle shares 3 (which she shortened to two) quick clarinet tips to try yourself

1) 3:40 - Are you using the optimum amount of mouthpiece in your mouth for your best tone?

2) 4:33 Check your clarinet/head angle to improve sound

6:48 Ilona - What’s your experience with Legere European Reeds, in particular softening up when playing?

7:00 Michelle’s former position “against” synthetic reeds

8:06 Mouthpieces that work better with synthetic reeds

9:16 Vocalise mouthpiece description

10:15 Reed care

11:09 How to adjust reeds/ligatures

12:05 Tracy - Can you address thumb/wrist pain issues? Any exercises to help?

12:25 - 1) Use a clarinet neck strap - discussion of elastic/rigid straps

2) 13:21 - How to figure out where the optimum height for your thumb rest

14:41 - How to adjust your thumb rest, various cushions, how to test if your thumb rest

should be adjusted.

16:28 Sietske - My old Vandoren B45, designed for A442 plays in tune. I am testing some new Vandoren BD5 also tuned for 442 all play much lower

17:21 - What to look for in a mouthpiece - response, tuning etc. How to tune with a barrel

18:30 James - What are some signs that it may be time to change to a different reed strength? (This is the third thing that Michelle was going to speak about at the beginning)

19:25 - “clues” that your reed might be too soft - how you can check

20:40 - move your reed to see if a stronger size may benefit you

21:14 - how to move to another size - different reeds have different sizes (ex. Vandoren V12 3 - 3.5 is a big jump. but Vandoren V21 3.5 is like a V12 3.25.

22:59 - how to break in and test new reeds out of the box

23:26  Helen How can we tell if the Legere reed needs to be replaced?

23:55 - rotate reeds

24:00 Tom - After many years of certain notes working well, my C/D suddenly squeak/don’t work well.

Check for leaks if it is only a few notes

24:58 Louise - Where is the tip of the reed?

25:18 Mark - Tips for starting again after years away from the clarinet?

25:30 - Have a focus on good habits - email [email protected] for a list of resources that are designed for this

26:21 Hello to Corrado Giufreddi

26:33 Michelle - How do we take care of reeds? Lipstick?

26:51 - For cane reeds - break them in gradually - Michelle plays a new reed for 10 minutes the first day, then 25 minutes day two, then 45 day 3. Some people completely soak them for a long time before playing. -Other ways to clean them suggested…

27:45 - Have a good reed case that presses the reeds flat.

28:17 - Lipstick? You can clean reeds - also find indestructible lipstick

28:45 John - How frequently should we oil our clarinets?

Reference: https://youtu.be/pP-wLHI-7Es - how to oil clarinets

29:18 - What to look for that might indicate your wooden clarinet needs oiling

29:55 Nan - I have problems getting high notes to come out with good tone and no squeaking. Any pointers?

30:20 - How unnecessary tension creates trouble - squeaking is usually “biting”

30:56 - A great tool to try that can help you diagnose embouchure or air problems

32:11 - reference to Better Clarinet Tone - free course at www.5daybetterclarinet.com and www.betterclarinettone.com

32:38 Dawson - Eb clarinet - the higher we go, the more it squeaks

33:13 Bert - What’s the difference between a trill and a flutter?

3:38 Difference between a growl and a flutter

33:50 Ray Kooiman Thumb rest - Any experience with this? Does it remove weight from the thumb?

34:30 Recommended ligature for synthetic reeds? - Michelle recommends one that will hold them firmly. An extra mouthpiece patch can help.

35:05 I have a vintage Kaspar mouthpiece. Will the Legere work?

35:16 Bert - What notes do I use for trills?

35:30 - Discussion of fingerings for trills, ex A-B using side trill keys

36:02 Lou - Where exactly should my tongue hit the reed when I tongue?

36:27 Kornel Wolak https://kornelwolak.com/shop/articulation-types-for-clarinet-by-dr-kornel-wolak/

37:06 - Exercise to determine where YOU should put YOUR tongue

37:56 Philip - How do you deal with tuning irregularities on a C clarinet?

39:06 Wendy - How to you make a growl on clarinet?

39:33 What happens when you play one altissimo note which works, and the next one just doesn’t come out. - Discussion of hand/fingering - Also can be biting

40:23 Sean - Some of my notes are fuzzy especially when I am playing loudly

40:40 - Discussion of how we should imagine our airstream

41:29 - Voicing - What should we do with our tongue when we are slurring?

41:54 - Michelle draws a very deformed clarinetist (but for a good reason)

42:23 - Demonstration of how you should practise voicing

43:46 Any barrel recommendations?

43:56 - Discussion of how barrels affect tuning

44:54 - Discussion of different types of wood (cocobolo), shapes and how barrels affect tone.

45:23 - How a wooden barrel can really improve the sound of a plastic clarinet

46:20 Nathalie - Any exercises to train our tongue to stay higher (other than saying “HEE”?)

46:41 - Exercise using a tuner to train better voicing

47:48 Any ideas on how I can reduce the “over-tonguing” as my tonguing on the reed is too heavy

48:23 Create an exercise to focus on one thing only - ex. Open G with a very gentle light tongue - disrupt our brain patterns - use Whisper Technic

49:35 If you want more of a dixie/New Orleans tone, how do we do that? - answer - voicing is an factor - we bend pitch by opening up our mouth, throat - other gear can help

50:28 Sandra - How to you prevent a hissing sound in the G - to Bb - *Should have recommended Resonator Fingers here: https://youtu.be/MDp6VDUgOOU

50:52 Emily - How do we tongue altissimo notes?

51:19 Common tonguing bad habit - “huffing” our breath when we tongue

52:20 How to work on this free training : https://members.clarinetmastery.com/5-days-to-better-clarinet-articulation-register

52:50 I’ve heard your embouchure should be relaxed. How can I be relaxed when I thinking of so many thing? (Answer - Don’t try and think about everything all at once)

54:20 Join the Clarinet Mentors Community at no charge www.LearnClarinetNow.com

54:55 You can access samples from all of the Clarinet Mentors courses at https://members.clarinetmastery.com

55:50 Clarinet Friday special (only good until Dec. 2nd)

56:39 Information on Monthly Live Training session (try for $1 here: https://clarinetmastery.mykajabi.com/monthly_trainings_tryout)

 

58:05 Giveaway of a Clarinet Mastery course of your choice from this website:

https://members.clarinetmastery.com