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Better Breathing Guide for Clarinetists – Tips to Take Fewer, Better Breaths
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – I believe that air is the cause of the majority of issues clarinetists experience. Learning how to properly use our air is crucial to developing better sound, technique, phrasing and more on the clarinet. An essential part of using our air is learning how to take effective breaths when we are playing a piece of music. Here’s my advice to help you narrow it down so you can take fewer, better breaths: Where should I breathe? Please note that these are general breathing suggestions. Each piece of music is different and will benefit from different approaches to breathing. Be open-minded…
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The Relationship Between Breathing and Tuning: How to Use Breathing to Improve Clarinet Tuning
Let’s face it – the clarinet can be a bit…pitchy. If you’ve read my Complete Guide to Clarinet Tuning, you know that there are several factors which can affect clarinet tuning. I wanted to take a closer look at one of these which you can use to your advantage to help improve your clarinet tuning: Breathing! Any time you take a breath, the next note you play will be slightly sharper (compared to its pitch had you not taken the breath). Here’s how you can use this information to improve your clarinet tuning: And finally, here’s a bonus breathing tip: If there’s a delicate attack (especially at softer dynamics or…