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The Complete Guide to Clarinet Reeds
Let me begin with an unorthodox yet effective introductory quote from Sun Tzu’s The Art of War: “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” If you prefer something more succinct, allow me to paraphrase Forrest Gump: “Life is like a box of reeds – you never know what you’re going to get!” I’ve created this Complete Guide to Clarinet Reeds as a resource to help clarinetists of…
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Don’t put this one thing in your clarinet case
To be fair, there are several things you probably shouldn’t put in your clarinet case – sticky food, beverages in non-leakproof containers, glitter… But there is one clarinet item you should be cautious about keeping in your clarinet case: A new mouthpiece! There are a few layers to this statement – you should not keep a new clarinet mouthpiece in your case if you have a clarinet with silver keys. This is due to the sulfur in hard rubber mouthpieces reacting with the silver in the keys. (You can read a short blurb about this chemical reaction on Michael Lowenstern’s website.) Here’s a photo of a clarinet which has been…
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Quick Fix Friday: Lean into lower notes
Happy Friday! Have you ever seen a passage like the one below with large intervallic leaps? Passages like this can be difficult both technically and on a musical level. The tendency is for the higher notes to pop out, and there is often an imbalance in dynamics. The quick fix? Lean into the lower notes! When you have large intervallic leaps, many clarinetists focus on the higher notes. This makes sense, since they’re more likely to pop or squeak. Instead of focusing on the higher notes, lean into the lower notes. These should serve as a musical springboard to catapult you to the higher notes. This will also help equalize…
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Around the World in Eighty Pieces – #4 Estonia
Welcome to my new series, Around the World in Eighty Pieces! I’m excited to combine my love of travelling and clarinet repertoire by sharing a clarinet composition I “discovered” in each country. This series is not meant to be a comprehensive overview of the clarinet music from each country; rather, this is an appetizer to ignite your curiosity to learn more about the music, repertoire, and clarinet cultures of each place. I love learning about other clarinet music from around the world, so please contact me or leave a comment with other pieces you would like to share. A common question I get asked is what my favorite country is. It’s hard to…
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How to improve a spitty sound on the clarinet
Let’s be honest – not everything about the clarinet is as glamorous as it might seem. One not-so-glamorous aspect of playing the clarinet? Spit! Spit happens, especially to wind players. (At least clarinetists don’t have to worry about a spit valve!) Spitty sounds are caused by – you guessed it – a buildup of saliva on the reed and/or in the mouthpiece. (Note that for the purposes of this article, we will discuss spitty sounds. If your sound is fuzzy or unfocused, here are my tips to help you improve your clarinet tone.) Here are a few reasons you have a spitty sound, with suggestions for improvement: According to the…
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Quick Fix Friday: Don’t tune too soon!
Happy Friday! By now, you should know that I have a lot to say about tuning, but here’s a quick fix many musicians overlook… Tuning too soon! Several of my students have told me that they tune as soon as they assemble the clarinet. The majority of them will be flat, through no fault of their own. Why? If you tune as soon as you assemble the clarinet, this doesn’t give you a very accurate reading, since the clarinet hasn’t been played much and will be colder. (Remember, cold=lower pitch; warm=higher pitch) As you warm-up (both physically and mentally) and blow warm air through the clarinet, the clarinet will literally…
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Around the World in Eighty Pieces – #3 Faroe Islands
Welcome to my new series, Around the World in Eighty Pieces! I’m excited to combine my love of travelling and clarinet repertoire by sharing a clarinet composition I “discovered” in each country. This series is not meant to be a comprehensive overview of the clarinet music from each country; rather, this is an appetizer to ignite your curiosity to learn more about the music, repertoire, and clarinet cultures of each place. I love learning about other clarinet music from around the world, so please contact me or leave a comment with other pieces you would like to share. Background If we’ve ever spoken IRL, you know that it’s only a matter of time…
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Around the World in Eighty Pieces – #2 Denmark
Welcome to my new series, Around the World in Eighty Pieces! I’m excited to combine my love of travelling and clarinet repertoire by sharing a clarinet composition I “discovered” in each country. This series is not meant to be a comprehensive overview of the clarinet music from each country; rather, this is an appetizer to ignite your curiosity to learn more about the music, repertoire, and clarinet cultures of each place. I love learning about other clarinet music from around the world, so please contact me or leave a comment with other pieces you would like to share. I first travelled to Denmark for a few days before my residency in the Faroe…
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The range and registers of the clarinet
Call me biased, but the clarinet is one of the most versatile instrument in terms of range, dynamics, and much more! Here’s an overview of the range and different registers of the clarinet First, let’s discuss the difference between range and registers. An instrument’s range includes the entire span of notes capable of being produced. A register is a smaller subset of these notes, typically sharing timbral characteristics and tendencies. Here is the soprano clarinet’s working range: As demonstrated in the above photo, the clarinet has quite the range! Spanning nearly 3+ octaves, the clarinet can produce rumbling low notes all the way up to sparkling notes in the stratosphere.…
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Around the World in Eighty Pieces – #1 New Zealand
Welcome to the first post in my new series, Around the World in Eighty Pieces! I’m excited to combine my love of travelling and clarinet repertoire by sharing a piece I “discovered” in each country. This series is not meant to be a comprehensive overview of the clarinet music from each country; rather, this is an appetizer to ignite your curiosity to learn more about the music, repertoire, and clarinet cultures of each place. I love learning about other clarinet music from around the world, so please contact me or leave a comment with other pieces you would like to share. First up, New Zealand! Last month was my first…