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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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Quick Fix Friday: When in doubt, play it out
Happy Friday! This week, I wanted to share one of my most-used practice techniques – using your air! Granted, this isn’t some big secret (after all, we do play a woodWIND instrument!). However, I’ve found that oftentimes when we’re working on a passage, we’re so focused on the technique/rhythm/articulation/other that we neglect to use our best air. The quick fix? When in doubt, play it out! Simply put, play louder. By playing at a louder dynamic, this increases both your air quantity and speed, resulting in better air usage. Using good air can solve (or at least improve) a multitude of issues in the practice room. This is especially useful…