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The Curious Clarinets of Benjamin Franklin
By now, you should know that there are several unsolved mysteries of clarinet history. One that has particularly intrigued me is a musical glitch in the matrix, involving none other than Benjamin Franklin. Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) was an American multi-hyphenate – he was a diplomat, writer, scientist, and more. (He also had some witty quotes and one-liners!) Franklin wrote his autobiography (which he called his memoirs) between 1771 and 1790, the year of his death. Here’s a quote from his memoirs (page 194): While at Bethlehem, I inquir’d a little into the practice of the Moravians: some of them had accompaniedme, and all were very kind to me. I found…
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Musicians perish after performing this famous symphony
Trigger warning: death and suicide It’s October, which means it’s time for us to dive in to another story about the bizarre side of classical music. Today, I want to talk about a famous symphony (coincidentally written by one of my favorite composers), in which musicians die shortly after its performance. The symphony? Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 in b minor, Op. 74 “Pathétique“ This symphony was first performed in October 1893 in St. Petersburg, with Tchaikovsky conducting. It was Tchaikovsky’s final composition before his death just nine days later. Before his death, Tchaikovsky ominously stated, “Without exaggeration, I have put my whole soul into this work.” In one of Tchaikovsky’s…
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The Mystery of Benny Goodman’s Missing Clarinet
Clarinetists and non-clarinetists alike are undoubtedly familiar with the name and fame of Benny Goodman (1909-1986). As the “King of Swing,” he was known for hits such as “Sing, Sing, Sing,” and his musical influence was an inspiration for future generations of musicians. We all know I love a good clarinet mystery, so I was intrigued when I came across a newspaper article from 1955 mentioning a clarinet Benny Goodman was trying to track down. From the Star-News, July 21, 1955: “Missing Clarinet” Paul Marshburn, who has brought some musical shows to Wilmington, has a new ‘musical’ job at present. He is trying to locate a clarinet. Seems that Benny…
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Quick Fix Friday: Increase your air as you ascend
Happy Friday! This week’s quick fix is an easy way to improve your sound, especially as you ascend to new clarinet heights! The quick fix? Increase your air as you ascend! It’s always important to play while using enough air (both quantity and air speed). It’s even more important as we get higher on the clarinet. This goes back to basic sound production on the clarinet. The air causes the reed to vibrate, and faster vibrations/more vibrations per second = higher notes. This is why we need even faster air to produce quality higher notes. So, when you cross the break and start working your way towards the altissimo register,…
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Practice Hack to Build Better Transitions
Most musicians know that it’s not about how long you practice, but how well you practice. (quality over quantity!) Most musicians also know that it’s important to break pieces down into smaller section to gradually loop together. However, something I’m not sure most musicians know (or actively incorporate into their practice sessions) is effectively looping sections together. Enter one of my favorite simple practice hacks. When you are practicing a section of music, always end on the next downbeat. The problem with not looping to the next downbeat – Many musicians end on the last note of the measure or section they’re practicing. This overemphasizes weaker parts of the beat…
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ChatGPT roasts popular clarinet repertoire
If you’ve been on Instagram at all this week, you might have seen a new trend emerging, where users ask ChatGPT to roast their feed. The results have been pretty funny, so I decided to take it a step further and ask ChatGPT to roast popular pieces of clarinet repertoire. (Obligatory note to say that I love all of these pieces of music, and this blog is meant to be in good fun.) Here are the results: What other clarinet repertoire should ChatGPT roast? If you decide to ask, leave a comment with the result below!
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The Complete Guide to Clarinet Barrels
For such a small instrument, the clarinet certainly has quite the number of equipment and accessories! After you’ve sorted out your instrument, mouthpiece, reeds, ligature, and more, it’s probably time to evaluate your clarinet barrel. (Look at the further reading section at the end of this article for in-depth articles on these pieces of clarinet equipment.) Here’s everything you need to know about clarinet barrels Barrel basics Besides connecting your mouthpiece to the upper joint, barrels play a big factor in controlling your overall tuning. Barrels can mean the difference between tuning to A=400 Hz or A=442 Hz (or other!) Barrels are measured in millimeters (mm), and the most common…
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Top Tuning Tips for Clarinetists
How do you tune a clarinet? (Fill in your favorite punch line) Clarinet tuning can be tricky! After all, we have so many variables which can affect tuning, from temperature, reeds, barrels, and more. I’ve written several articles throughout the years on clarinet tuning, and I want to share my top tuning tips to help you play more in tune on the clarinet. (Before you read this article, I suggest reading my Complete Guide to Clarinet Tuning for an in-depth understanding of clarinet tuning. You might also like my Common Clarinet Tuning Mistakes.) Let’s get started! Here are my top tips for clarinet tuning: Happy practicing!
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The Ultimate List of Clarinet Method Books
Clarinetists are #blessed to have so many wonderful pieces and study materials written for us. (It’s no surprise, since we obviously play the best instrument!) School is just around the corner, which makes this the perfect time to browse this list and order new music for you (or your students)! I’ve organized these books by topic and focus, and each section is ordered alphabetically by composer’s last name. (Learn more about my T3 approach to clarinet fundamentals.) These books are intended for upper intermediate and advanced players to continue developing clarinet fundamentals. I’ve also linked to several related articles in their respective section for further reading. You can find several…
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Proper Ligature Placement on the Clarinet
Ligatures play an important role in any clarinetist’s life – they hold the reed on the mouthpiece! But did you know that ligature placement can affect your sound and response? Read on for more photos and information to ensure you are using proper ligature placement while playing clarinet. (Before continuing, you should check out my Complete Guide to Clarinet Ligatures. I’ve also linked other relevant articles at the bottom of this one.) Proper ligature placement The ligature should be placed under the filed or unfiled portion of the reed. (Pro tip: An easy way to differentiate the two is that unfiled have the U-shape, so you can remember U for…