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9 Mistakes Many Beginning Clarinetists Make
Learning the clarinet certainly takes a lot of trial and error (and many squeaks along the way!). Even though it can be challenging, it is musically rewarding across all styles and genres. If you are learning clarinet, be sure you’re not making any of these 9 mistakes common among beginning clarinetists: I hope these tips help you along your clarinet journey! Happy practicing!
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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…
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Transform Your Clarinet Tone: The Ultimate Troubleshooting Guide
One of the most important things musicians have to offer is their tone. Your tone is your musical voice, which is why it’s important to work on developing your absolute best sound. I’ve written a few articles and resources before on this subject (such as How to Improve Your Clarinet Tone and Sculpt Your Sound Workbook). Today, I want to share a troubleshooting guide to help you identify possible tone issues and how to resolve them. Let’s get started! Use the table below to find your tone issues in the left column and suggested troubleshooting tips in the right column. If your tone… Then try… lacks focus/sounds fuzzy using faster…
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How to avoid popped attacks on clarinet
Imagine this – you’re standing on stage, the lights are dimmed, and you’re ready to play your first entrance when… A sharp spike in the sound ruins the moment you’ve been practicing! Popped attacks are unfortunately very common on the clarinet. These can be frustrating, but these can be avoided with these tips. First up, what causes popped attacks? These are the most common causes of popped attacks, but keep in mind that there might be other factors which can contribute to popped attacks on the clarinet. Now that we know some causes of popped attacks, here are some tips to avoid popped attacks on clarinet: You might also like…
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Debunking Popular Clarinet Reed Myths
I’ve been on a reed kick lately. As I was writing my last article, The Complete Guide to Clarinet Reeds, I realized that there are several reed myths which are still being perpetuated. My mission? To debunk these popular clarinet reed myths! Myth: The harder the reed, the better the player. Truth: Don’t let anyone reed-shame you! Reed strength is chosen according to your mouthpiece. A closer tip opening = harder reeds, whereas a more open tip = softer reeds. Most clarinetists begin playing on a strength 2 or 2.5 reed and move up to 3 when they get above the staff. Once they are comfortable playing in all registers,…
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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 to the silver in the keys. (You can read a short blurb about this chemical reaction on Michael Lowenstern’s website.) Here’s is a photo of a clarinet which has…
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10 Quick Tips to Help Band Directors Improve Your Clarinet Section
Band directors are kind of like musical superheroes – they have to maintain a working knowledge of all common (and sometimes not-so-common) band instruments. Not only this, but they have to share it in an easy-to-understand format with multiple students every day. Let’s hear it for band directors! Although I’ve never been a band director, I’ve worked in hundreds of band classes around North America, specifically with woodwind and clarinet sections. I’d like to share a few quick tips with big payoffs to all the band directors out there to share with your clarinet sections: And here are a few bonus clarinet care tips to help avoid accidents and broken…
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The Complete Guide to Getting a Superior at Solo & Ensemble
One of my most popular blog posts ever is my Complete Guide to Making All State, so I thought it’s about time I make a similar guide to help students prepare for Solo & Ensemble. Solo & Ensemble is a great opportunity for young musicians to perform solos and small chamber ensembles in front of judges to receive ratings and valuable feedback on their performances. Here’s my advice to receive a Superior rating this year at Solo & Ensemble: Prepare Practice Perform Repeat Just like learning a new piece of music, performing is a skill that takes time and practice to develop. The more you practice performing, the better musician…
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Band Directors: Quick Fixes to Help Improve Your Clarinet Section
Hats off to all the band directors out there! I truly respect what you do for music and music education. I think one instrument is challenging enough, and it’s amazing that you make all of them sound great together! Throughout the years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with several band programs at the middle school, high school, and university levels. During these clinics, I’ve created the following list of quick fixes to help your clarinet section sound even more awesome than they do now: Ligature before reed. (This one is especially important for beginning band) From day one, train your clarinetists to always put on the ligature before placing…