-
Jettel Boot Camp
By now, dedicated readers of Jenny Clarinet should know about my love for scales. I could practice them all day, every day without ever getting bored, and my scale book of choice was Baermann…until I discovered the Jettel scale exercises! Don’t get me wrong – there will always be a special place in my heart for Baermann, but the Jettel scales offer a wider variety of patterns (including both melodic and harmonic minors) and are devilishly difficult. I’ve worked on a few isolated scale patterns and exercises, but it’s much more fun when we all suffer work through the Jettel together! I’ve created the Jettel Boot Camp for September 2019,…
-
How and Why You Should Do an Annual Clarinet Checkup
Life is busy. I get it. One day you start playing clarinet, and before you know it, ten, twenty, thirty, plus years have passed. Once you find your groove, it’s easy to coast along on autopilot without always making conscious decisions (or efforts) like you used to. It’s important to take some time every year to stop, re-evaluate, and make sure that you and your clarinet are both performing at optimal levels. I like to call this a clarinet checkup. Here’s a checklist so you can schedule your own clarinet checkup: Is all my equipment still performing at the highest level? I’m not a big gear-head or equipment junkie –…
-
How to create a great recital program (and how it’s similar to planning a dinner party)
Potentially unpopular opinion: I love creating recital programs. I have lists with ideas for future recital themes and programs, and it continues to grow with each new piece I discover. There is an art to choosing a great recital program – it should be well-balanced but also interesting for both audience and performer. Once you choose the program, you have to decide on a guest list of friends, family, and colleagues to invite. Then choose the date, find a venue, plan your outfit, etc, etc. If you think about it, planning a recital is oddly similar to hosting a dinner party. Selecting repertoire for a program is a lot like…
-
Sneaky Air Saboteurs
When something goes wrong, clarinetists have a lot we can point the finger at – reeds, mouthpieces, ligatures, slippery hands…the list is endless! But the majority of the time clarinetists encounter problems, it’s usually the same culprit – air! Air is the driving force behind everything we do, and there are many sneaky air saboteurs which can impede your progress. Here are a few to be aware of while you practice: Improper chin position. Your chin should be parallel to the floor when you play. If you dip your head too low or raise it too high, you are obstructing air flow. Taking teacup breaths. Imagine you’re at a fancy…
-
Questions to Ask Yourself for a More Productive Practice Session
Do you ever feel like no matter how hard you practice, improvement is slow and painstaking? If so, you might not be asking yourself focused questions to help guide your practice routine. Practicing is about committing to consistent and regular sessions, but it’s also making sure you have clear goals in mind. If you’re not sure what kind of questions to ask yourself to formulate these goals, here are some that I use for a more focused and productive practice session: Before practice What are my goals for this practice session? Choose 2-3 small, manageable goals you can achieve in a single session. Great examples include working on a specific…
-
Small Equipment Upgrades That Make a Huge Difference
One of the fun parts about being a musician is personalizing your setup to help maximize your potential. One of the not-so-fun parts about being a musician is having to pay for these upgrades. If a new clarinet, mouthpiece, or ligature isn’t in your immediate future, here are some smaller equipment upgrades you can make which will make a big difference: A new swab without exposed metal. Many clarinet swabs have a weighted metal pull so that the material doesn’t get stuck in the bore of your clarinet, but any exposed metal can scratch the interior of your clarinet. Find a weighted swab which is encased in fabric, rubber, or…
-
Baermann Boot Camp, Round Two
A few years ago, I created my famous Baermann Boot Camp for clarinetists to complete the beloved Baermann Division III, Op. 63 scale exercises in just one month. (You can read the original post here and listen to me discuss it with Clarineat host Sean Perrin here.) My Baermann Boot Camp was the first of many boot camps I’ve created since then (such as Kroepsch, Uhl, and my 2018 and 2019 year-long boot camps), but Baermann will always hold a special place in my heart. It seems I’m not alone, because the majority of my social media friends voted to bring back Baermann for another round this June! Here is…
-
7 Ways to Continue Improving Musically During Summer Vacation
Hurrah! You’re nearly done with another year of school, and the freedom of summer is so tantalizingly close! Summer vacation is a time for rest, relaxation, and recharging – but not relearning everything you worked so hard to achieve during the school year! The freedom summer presents is a double-edged sword – it’s great for impromptu decisions, but the lack of a structured schedule can derail event the most valiant motivational efforts. Here are a few ways you can keep your chops up (in proper band director lexicon) and stay musically motivated during the summer: Practice. Sounds obvious, but I’m always surprised to hear how many students want to improve…
-
The Complete Guide to Developing Great Technique
Ask any musician one thing they wished they could improve, and chances are most will respond with technique. Whether you’re trying to play faster, lighter, or more comfortably, technique is the vehicle that allows us to more comfortably express our musical voices. The secret to developing great technique is to think of technique-building as musical muscle training. Musicians are athletes, but we train our micro muscles (embouchure, fingers, wrists) instead of our macro muscles. Think of yourself as an athlete in training – listen to your body and don’t push yourself too much too soon. Keep this in mind as you embark on your journey to better technique. Once you’ve…
-
Historic High Notes in Clarinet Repertoire
I’ve always loved hitting the high notes on the clarinet, and I consider it one of my musical strengths. I credit this to the friendly competition I had in high school with my best friends to see who could play higher (thanks Patrick and Robby!) and come up with the most fingerings for each note. (This could also be the reason I gravitate towards the E-flat clarinet instead of the bass, but that’s a subject for another day!) I’m currently preparing the Josef Rheinberger Sonata Op. 105a for a recital, and it has some uncharacteristically high notes for the Romantic period. It got me wondering – what are some of…