so i watched this and tried out changing jaw pressure and it helped SOOOOO MUCHHHH youtube is better for learning than the 5 years of band class i was in hehe TY Michelle
Hi Toby. I'm glad this helped. Even many great band teachers have not studied some of the more peculiar bits of clarinet playing. Now you know how to do it!
I just watched the clip and it’s great, I practiced straightaway and got to the A, B and high C6 easily. Did not realise that there were notes beyond this. I am happy as I’m a 2nd clarinet in my band, so will not go higher than this. Thank you so much, Michelle.
Yeah for sure. When your first try it, you just have to blast it. That's how I improved my altissimo notes: by constantly playing 8va really loudly in marching band when I wasn't supposed to. If I ever bit down on the reed, I either wouldn't get the note to come out, or my lips would hurt, so I was forced to practice good habits in order to achieve the loudest amplitude I could and not kill my lips. This is really helpful because trying to learn high notes on the spot in concert band isn't usually very comfortable, so you don't have room to experiment and see what works.
I have done the first habit before a lot. When I’m just relaxed just practicing and not caring much about reaching the notes I ended up reaching c7 which I have NEVER done before!
I’ve been having trouble getting my high notes out for the longest time since 6th grade ( I’m in 11th now) and I’ve had poor emborrachare, I’m able to hit the high notes just not have it in tone or hold it out. I’m so glad I found this video it has helped me have a better tone and to hit the note without it sounding like honk or squeaky. Right now I have an audition coming up and for my piece I have to hit these notes that high above the staff and I wasn’t able to hit them without having a squeak and now putting more pressure it has helped me play it better. I am more confident with my audition!! THANK YOU SO MUCH 😁
For some reason, I can go from the clarion notes to the altissimo notes but as soon as I try to play the altissimo note all by itself I get this weird honking noise. It's not necessarily a squeak it just sounds really bad.
I've been playing for 8 years and I can hit up to about a high D# fairly reliably. However, getting out anything above that is almost impossible (no sound comes out at all no matter how hard I blow). Often, when I'm trying to play an E or F it will come out for no less than a second before the sound completely cuts off. I'm not sure why this is but I'm guessing it has to do with putting too much pressure and closing off the reed. I can't play first clarinet parts in my high school band because of my embarrassing altissimo problem and I'm looking for a way to fix this.
Michelle, thank you for this video lesson. I am a saxophone player who also plays Clarinet. I’ve recently upgraded my clarinet to the Buffet E12F and I am also upgrading my mouthpiece and ligature to a Vandoren B45 Profile 88, and Vandoren Optimum Ligature. I’m currently using the Vandoren V21 2.5 Reeds. However I am going to experiment with a harder reed soon. This Altissimo register video is exactly what I was looking for to improve my range on clarinet. I’m also going to check out your third video in this upper register series. Thank you again for all the videos. Keep up the great work.
I have been playing the clarinet since 5th grade and I'm now in 11th and this video has really helped me learn to play the altissimo register so much easier than I was before. My band teacher has tried giving me some advice but I still wasn't able to hit those notes. After I watched the video I practiced the exercise and then tried to play the note and I was able to hit the high D# and beyond. Thank you for posting this video and showing how to put more presser on the reed. I can't wait to tell my teacher about this video.
That's great! I'm glad this helped. There are many great band teachers in the world who may not know this specific technic about the altissimo notes. It is fairly unique to clarinet. I hope you find them much easier now!
I've been playing for about 2 months now and thanks to your tip I can now hit the top G so two more notes to go and I can then concentrate on remembering the fingering.
I’m so excited to try this! I just started playing the clarinet in June of 2017 after having not played for 6 years and I just when I start to feel I’ve improved, I try to hit these high notes and get discouraged. My band teacher has put me on clarinet 1 for this semester and many of the notes in the first suite by Holst are in this altissimo range.
A wonderful exercise thank you. You have helped me at every step and I really enjoy all your videos, you have covered so many of the problems I have experienced. what a beautiful instrument and as an adult learner its lovely to have support from your free videos. Thank you.
Thanks for the kind words. I appreciate it! There are thousands of adult learners out there these days (and many doing very well). I hope you are having fun.
And suddenly I can play a high E. I just reached the C below (C6) consistently. Thank you so much for these videos I'm teaching myself so these videos are super helpful! Thanks!
I luckily stumbled upon this video and it helped me with understanding how to play my altissimo notes better. I'm in marching band and this year there's an oboe solo that I'm playing on clarinet and it requires me to play high G. Thank you so much for making this video, it helped a lot!
Thank you so much for the video! A piece that I'm playing for state that includes the highest note on clarinet (G) and your tips really helped me get up there. Of course, I'll continue this exercise since I think it's going to help me throughout my clarinet playing years :)
Helped me sooooooo much! helped me extremely! I never knew that you would have to put more pressure at the bottom of the reed for those notes to come out. Thank you so much!
amazing, now off to try this exercise- i can get up to f but it's hit and miss! and i need g to be able to play mozart kv622 properly! 😊 thanks for all your great videos, they've been really helpful
+Rachel brown Wow - that is a quick improvement! Sometimes we just need one little trick or technic, and it seems like our body "gets" how to do it. They should feel more easy from now on. I hope you are enjoying the Mozart!
Viewing this video eight years after it was posted, I'm wondering if there is an expiration date for submitting comments. I just completed parts one and two of the tutorial on making high notes easier and will continue with part three shortly. It's too early to know if the tips in these videos will help my attempts to play high notes because I haven't put them to practical use on my clarinet. My goal is to become a competent doubler in mostly big swing band sax sections. I play first tenor in two of them and lead alto in another and "Switch to Clarinet" appears in a few of the charts we play. I'd like to be able to do that with confidence while producing satsifying results.
Thanks Michelle. i used this video to help me go from G the high E for my Love the way you lie cover by Eminem... i normally play in the Chalumeau and Clarion range but for this one i needed a little Altissimo and i found out quickly that i was so out of practice in that range this video really helped :)))
Hi Michelle, I really love this video. It will help me practising on the altissimo register. However , I am now learning 4 th part of Saint SAens sonate and I really have trouble with the fast and silent (p) notes in the altissimo register. I now start to practise scales up to altissimo in order to practise this. Do you have other suggestions for exercises to be able to play this more smouthly?
Hi there. I’m an experienced sax player and am learning clarinet. I practice overtones on the sax and it’s interesting that you promote overtones off low c for altissimo. On Sax it’s more about tung positioning versus pressing down on the red. Do you advise tung on clarinet across the octaves? Or just maintain ‘hee’ positioning through out the octaves?
I've laid off since my college days but the sound you have in these clips made me wanna pick it right back up. Love the barrel (and is your mouthpiece custom made?)
I study flute for a while, and I realy likes how the clarinet sounds, so I want to know: can I study clarinet (as a secondary instrument) by myself? your channel is great! congrats ^^
Dear Michelle, Hello there! I'm not sure if you've covered this or not, but I was wondering how you do trills... I can't seem to butterfly tongue (even though I can roll my tongue) for some reason, and I'm not sure how I could work on that... Any suggestions? Is there a certain way to do trills? Thanks!
Great Video! But I do have 1 question, Does an over bite affect sound quality? Just wandering because I have been playing on an overbite for years and just curious about the answer.
OBEY SWEG Most people find a way to make their embouchure work regardless of their natural mouth shape. Having said that, I think an overbite is actually a natural advantage because it makes it easier to fit the clarinet into your mouth without "biting" on the reed. It is probably helping you!
Hi - Two pointers: 1) You may be "biting" a bit too much when you play. Check out this video ua-cam.com/video/a2TUGyTslUMt/v-deo.htmlo find out if you are. If so, fixing it will help with the lip, but also your tone. 2) If you do have to play an usual amount, fold a small piece of paper over your two bottom teeth. Get it wet, and press it unto your teeth - feels weird at first, but after a couple of minutes playing, you won't notice it. It really helps to protect your lip from being cut. - Michelle
Hi - I use Buffet R13s and Backun/Leblanc Symphonie clarinets. I love the Backun barrels and bells. I usually use a Bonade inverted ligature, although I am experimenting. I play on Vandoren V12 reeds, and use a Lomax mouthpiece.
I'm laughing because everything you said was so true about our brain preparing to be defeated when we approach a high note as we are afraid we will squeak 😄😄 My issues for sure.
I used to play the altissimo notes flawlessly with the vandoren rue lepic size 3.5 but when I switched to the vandoren traditional size 3.5, I started to squeak a lot and I can't play higher than a D in the altissimo register. What is the meaning of this???
+Bass Clarinet Is Life Many of the things on this video do apply to bass, however, the airstream and voicing is a bit different on bass clarinet. If you haven't checked out Michael Lowenstern's bass clarinet videos on UA-cam, they are great. I believe he addresses airstream and voicing really well with a bass clarinet focus.
I just discovered your wonderful collection of lessons! For an adult returning to the clarinet after a couple of decades, it's a great help; thanks! I've incorporated your overtone exercise into my practices, but I noticed that my problem is slightly different than the ones you describe. I can usually hit high E-F-F# (I never need to go higher,) but falter on D# and sometimes even D. With the tuner, I find that I'm sharp on high B and C, and flat on the altissimo notes. Do you think this is an embouchure issue, or a mechanical one with my clarinet? Thanks so much for any advice.
HI Stanley, If you are sharp on the high B & C, then odds are your tongue is in a good position, and you are experiencing the normal "sharpness" of many clarinets. If you pull your barrel out a bit, it will affect these notes more than others and bring you in tune. Are you adding the right hand Eb/G# key to your altissimo notes? Without it, they tend to be flat.
Clarinet Mentors (Michelle Anderson) Thanks for the reply! Yes, I do use the right pinky Eb (except on the C#). Maybe I just need to be patient with the overtone exercise. One other thing which I was wondering about is how to get adequate air support while playing piano or pianissimo, especially on the higher notes. (Or maybe you've already addressed that issue in a different video?)
Hi Stanley, I there are some great air exercises related to playing softly up high. I don't have much on UA-cam, but this video gives you an introduction which I find really useful: ua-cam.com/video/7tyKWTO0mqs/v-deo.html. I hope that helps!
Clarinet Mentors (Michelle Anderson) Thanks, the videos are very helpful! Do you have any advice for the other extreme, playing the very lowest notes (F#, F, E)? I have some passages in an orchestral part which stay in that low range, marked forte or fortissimo, and it's hard to know how much air I can put through without cracking or squeaking. Is there an exercise or technique for getting a full sound out of those lower notes?
Good question…I don't have one specifically for that, but two things come to mind. Again, practising long tones going from very loud to very soft (and back up again) can help you learn to control those notes. We all have a tendency to "bite" on the reed when we are trying to play very strongly. You can counter that by focusing on the corners of your mouth wrapping in more firmly. If you hear squeaks, you are likely biting. This video gives you a tool to check that: ua-cam.com/video/a2TUGyTslUM/v-deo.html
Hi Michelle, I have trouble shifting from middle A to clarion B or C. I tend to desperately have to grapple to cover all holes to get the clarion B or C. Any help will be welcome. Thanks for your video. Great Stuff.
Hi - Those are tough fingerings. Often paying close attention to your fingers, and perhaps slightly shifting position can make a big difference. Try these two videos for more details: ua-cam.com/video/-bItdikinm4/v-deo.html - left thumb position ua-cam.com/video/ZPtr_S04pGg/v-deo.html - other hand position pointers and exercises
I need help! So I have to play the scale up to high c, and I can't achieve b or c! I'm using a 2 1/5 reed, my embrochure is fine, I made sure all my fingers are covering up my notes. However, I don't know if my air speed is fast enough-but, when I make my air faster, it squeaks. Does anyOne have any advice?
The most important thing is to keep your air continuous. Clarinetists tend to back off on air, and then it feels like the high notes won't come out, and then they end up tensing up, which causes a "biting" motion on the reed. This leads to squeaks, and a pinched sound. Keep the air flowing, firmly round the corners of your mouth inward, and sometimes, hitting the reed much more lightly with the tongue in the higher registers works better as well. I hope that helps!
ty Michelle, I am going to try this... I'm in my 2th last year of clarinet. And all above my high E going up sounds so so sharp... And I think now I understand why... I need to get the corners of my mouth more to my embochure ... Do you have a good list of fingershart for the notes... Like really the hight notes... I can get the high F and than is starts to get blurry from the F-sharp going up to ... Kind regards from in Belgium. Jo
Hey, i don’t really have problems reaching the notes it’s just that if you listen carefully you can Hear lower tones while I play the high notes (especially in Staccato). It’s really annoying. Does anybody have a tip for me?
This question isn't really related to this particular video, but I am learning how to play the D major scale, and I'm unsure as to what fingerings I should use for B (first note in clarion register) and C# (note whole step after that). Can you help me on that?
Yongshen Ni Whenever we move between two notes that use our smallest fingers, it is a good idea to alternate hands. That means that if you play B on the right, play the C# on the left. You can also play B on the left (using only that key, and not adding the C on the right as some charts suggest), and the C# on the right. You should try both ways a few times and then decide what feels best for your hands.
Hi Ms. Michelle Anderson. I am a sophomore in high school and I want to audition for a youth orchestra (DC Youth Orchestra) and for the audition I have to play four clarinet solo excerpts including the Shostakovich, Symphony No. 9, , Third Movement clarinet solo. As you know, this solo has a lot of altissimo range notes in it; of which I cannot play. I watched this video and your part 3 video, but I still cannot play the altissimo range (the highest I can get to successfully is D#). My embouchure and airstream is are just fine, but those altissimo notes just are not working out. Please help me. My audition is January 11th.
Hi Armond - are you able to do the exercise that has you try and playing overtones on the low C? This is one of the best ways that I know to get your mouth used to playing higher. I really suggest you try it, even if at first you simply put way too much mouthpiece in your mouth to get the feel of it. Once you can hit those overtones on a low C fingering, the regular fingerings suddenly start to feel much easier. Please try it, and let me know how it goes.
I tried the overtones exercise today, but it did not work for some reason. My low C only went flat, even when I put more of the mouthpiece in my mouth. :P
Armond Dorsey Hi Armond, I'm sorry - for some reason I didn't get a notice of your reply and just noticed it. I hope the audition went well. Another thought is that your reeds may be a bit soft. One way to assess this is to deliberately move your reed a bit too high on the mouthpiece. It will feel too resistant, and your low notes will sound fuzzy. However, if your altissimo start to work better, this becomes an indication that you may be needing a stiffer reed.
I found that when i played the High D, E, F notes are more difficult than playing the the high G, A, B, high - high C notes. Is that true? And how can i sustain the higher notes without having it to squeak?
+Mr Quartet In general, the higher you play on clarinet, the more difficult it can feel. The two things that I find that help most to avoid squeaking are firmly bringing in the corners of the mouth, and using very fast air.
Im a beginner just want to play for my own amusement, and finding lesson is very hard so my question is what are some really good beginners DVDs and books? Do you sell any?
Hi Nathan, you can download my beginner book here, and it also comes with a set of educational videos. You can expand later into more video lessons if you like it: www.clarinetmentors.com/resources/HowToPlayClarinetForBeginners.pdf
I was just wondering.. Next year i will be a freshman in highschool, and i play about a 3 1/2 , 4 reed But sometimes my lower register notes tend to be very sharp or drained out.. Is this a problem from me training my embouchure incorrectly? Please give me tips on how to sound better. Thank you!
Hi Jared, Hmmm - It is a little difficult to tell from your description. However, most clarinets are designed to be a little sharp, and have you pull the barrel to tune lower. If only your upper notes (such as high G on top of the staff and up) are flatter, it may indicate that your tongue is riding too low in your mouth. It should sit up high, as if you are saying "HEEE". Check your high C (thumb/register key) in front of a tuner and experiment with moving your tongue from "HEEE" to "AWWW". You'll see big pitch changes. When your tongue is high, your tone will be better (and your pitch). If everything becomes uniformly sharp, then just pull your barrel out a bit to tune the entire instrument.
Yes! The basics are the same. I would just add that in the altissimo register, most Eb clarinets have rather "creative" intonation. I often end up inventing fingerings that play more in tune by adding fingers to lower pitch, or opening side keys to raise it.
I don't know if my embouchure is ok, or if my mouthpiece and ligature aren't very good... after a while my ligature always leaves a dent in my reed... In what way does that affect my playing? My mouthpiece is a Rico Royal B3, is that a good one?
Hi Anna, Usually a ligature will not leave a dent in the reed. Perhaps you have it positioned incorrectly. I recommend that the top screw only adjusted until it is not loose. No tighter. Your ligature should also sit low enough on the mouthpiece that you can fully see the "curve" cut into the face of the reed. Your mouthpiece is a good beginner level. Many people upgrade to a better mouthpiece as their first improvement in equipment. I do recommend this at some point for you.
seanchoicool Tone is most affected by embouchure and air. In the high notes, using extra mouth support by bringing the corners of your mouth firmly in really helps. Experimenting with "voicing", or tongue position really does make a difference too. Air support is key - aim for a fast and focussed air stream. Listen to players who sound good to you, and have that sound clearly in mind. Sometimes we automatically adjust to create the sound that we have in our heads. I hope that helps!
Which mouthpiece number would you recommend for be able to play this altissimo notes, I bought a clarinet but I can’t reach these high notes I’m using a 2.5 reed
+Dillsion1ALT If you overblow a high note, it is usually due to a bit of "biting" on the reed. Try just blowing the high E with no tonguing at a variety of dynamic levels to get a feel for the embouchure needed, and then moving to there from the A.
exodia oblitarate If you use good air support, and try out some of the exercises in this video, my guess is that you will find it reasonably easy. Once you have played these notes for a couple of weeks, they start to feel very natural.
so i watched this and tried out changing jaw pressure and it helped SOOOOO MUCHHHH youtube is better for learning than the 5 years of band class i was in hehe TY Michelle
Hi Toby. I'm glad this helped. Even many great band teachers have not studied some of the more peculiar bits of clarinet playing. Now you know how to do it!
I don't get this
My goodness, thank you so much!!
I just watched the clip and it’s great, I practiced straightaway and got to the A, B and high C6 easily. Did not realise that there were notes beyond this. I am happy as I’m a 2nd clarinet in my band, so will not go higher than this. Thank you so much, Michelle.
Explaining how to put more pressure on the reed for the altissimo register was very clear and helpful.
Yeah for sure. When your first try it, you just have to blast it. That's how I improved my altissimo notes: by constantly playing 8va really loudly in marching band when I wasn't supposed to. If I ever bit down on the reed, I either wouldn't get the note to come out, or my lips would hurt, so I was forced to practice good habits in order to achieve the loudest amplitude I could and not kill my lips. This is really helpful because trying to learn high notes on the spot in concert band isn't usually very comfortable, so you don't have room to experiment and see what works.
Watching your video has been wonderful and it has encouraged me to put in more efforts while practicing my clarinet
I have done the first habit before a lot. When I’m just relaxed just practicing and not caring much about reaching the notes I ended up reaching c7 which I have NEVER done before!
wow this helped so much. Nailed my audition because of this.
Alex Solomon that’s awesome! Congrats!
I’ve been having trouble getting my high notes out for the longest time since 6th grade ( I’m in 11th now) and I’ve had poor emborrachare, I’m able to hit the high notes just not have it in tone or hold it out. I’m so glad I found this video it has helped me have a better tone and to hit the note without it sounding like honk or squeaky. Right now I have an audition coming up and for my piece I have to hit these notes that high above the staff and I wasn’t able to hit them without having a squeak and now putting more pressure it has helped me play it better. I am more confident with my audition!! THANK YOU SO MUCH 😁
For some reason, I can go from the clarion notes to the altissimo notes but as soon as I try to play the altissimo note all by itself I get this weird honking noise. It's not necessarily a squeak it just sounds really bad.
I've been playing for 8 years and I can hit up to about a high D# fairly reliably. However, getting out anything above that is almost impossible (no sound comes out at all no matter how hard I blow). Often, when I'm trying to play an E or F it will come out for no less than a second before the sound completely cuts off. I'm not sure why this is but I'm guessing it has to do with putting too much pressure and closing off the reed. I can't play first clarinet parts in my high school band because of my embarrassing altissimo problem and I'm looking for a way to fix this.
Michelle, thank you for this video lesson. I am a saxophone player who also plays Clarinet. I’ve recently upgraded my clarinet to the Buffet E12F and I am also upgrading my mouthpiece and ligature to a Vandoren B45 Profile 88, and Vandoren Optimum Ligature. I’m currently using the Vandoren V21 2.5 Reeds. However I am going to experiment with a harder reed soon. This Altissimo register video is exactly what I was looking for to improve my range on clarinet. I’m also going to check out your third video in this upper register series. Thank you again for all the videos. Keep up the great work.
I’m really glad I found this. I was struggling to play the c and b just below this register on their own, and the jaw pressure was a game changer
I have been playing the clarinet since 5th grade and I'm now in 11th and this video has really helped me learn to play the altissimo register so much easier than I was before. My band teacher has tried giving me some advice but I still wasn't able to hit those notes. After I watched the video I practiced the exercise and then tried to play the note and I was able to hit the high D# and beyond. Thank you for posting this video and showing how to put more presser on the reed. I can't wait to tell my teacher about this video.
That's great! I'm glad this helped. There are many great band teachers in the world who may not know this specific technic about the altissimo notes. It is fairly unique to clarinet. I hope you find them much easier now!
I delight in your teachings. You are nice teacher.Teaching with understanding
I've been playing for about 2 months now and thanks to your tip I can now hit the top G so two more notes to go and I can then concentrate on remembering the fingering.
I’m so excited to try this! I just started playing the clarinet in June of 2017 after having not played for 6 years and I just when I start to feel I’ve improved, I try to hit these high notes and get discouraged. My band teacher has put me on clarinet 1 for this semester and many of the notes in the first suite by Holst are in this altissimo range.
2:42 this part made me instantly sound better. Great video!
A wonderful exercise thank you. You have helped me at every step and I really enjoy all your videos, you have covered so many of the problems I have experienced. what a beautiful instrument and as an adult learner its lovely to have support from your free videos. Thank you.
Thanks for the kind words. I appreciate it! There are thousands of adult learners out there these days (and many doing very well). I hope you are having fun.
Wow! This helped a lot! 🤩
This lady is a miracle worked straight away thank you!
Thank you so much , you've really helped me to master the altissamo notes !
You do such I wonderful job explaining! I love learning from you!
And suddenly I can play a high E. I just reached the C below (C6) consistently. Thank you so much for these videos I'm teaching myself so these videos are super helpful! Thanks!
I luckily stumbled upon this video and it helped me with understanding how to play my altissimo notes better. I'm in marching band and this year there's an oboe solo that I'm playing on clarinet and it requires me to play high G. Thank you so much for making this video, it helped a lot!
I'm so glad that this video was helpful to you. Once you figure out how to play that high G, it should always be easier in future.
Thank you so much!! Just subscribed! I’ve been trying to hit the really high notes for a while and can finally do it! Thanks so much😃😃
Thank you so much for the video! A piece that I'm playing for state that includes the highest note on clarinet (G) and your tips really helped me get up there. Of course, I'll continue this exercise since I think it's going to help me throughout my clarinet playing years :)
Mj Romero it’s actually possible to go much higher, even to a high E by some players.
Nomb317 agree
These instant results are crazy!!
Thanks! I had that problem of not blowing enough and now i can finally play the altissimo notes!
Helped me sooooooo much! helped me extremely! I never knew that you would have to put more pressure at the bottom of the reed for those notes to come out. Thank you so much!
hi... jus started clarinet yesterday n yu ave helped make playin it lot easier... this is slightly dif than sax but same njoymt :)
Nice. It really did good for me but a little more practice in order to play my high B. Thank you!
amazing, now off to try this exercise- i can get up to f but it's hit and miss! and i need g to be able to play mozart kv622 properly! 😊 thanks for all your great videos, they've been really helpful
since my last comment 3 minutes ago i can already do a perfect e, f, g and hold them which ive never been able to do. excellent vid, A next!
+Rachel brown Wow - that is a quick improvement! Sometimes we just need one little trick or technic, and it seems like our body "gets" how to do it. They should feel more easy from now on. I hope you are enjoying the Mozart!
Great! I just got it! Great exercise!
This video was very helpful thank you so much
This was so helpful! Thank you soooo much michelle
Great video really help me hit my high F, thanks!
I'm glad this helped!
Viewing this video eight years after it was posted, I'm wondering if there is an expiration date for submitting comments. I just completed parts one and two of the tutorial on making high notes easier and will continue with part three shortly. It's too early to know if the tips in these videos will help my attempts to play high notes because I haven't put them to practical use on my clarinet. My goal is to become a competent doubler in mostly big swing band sax sections. I play first tenor in two of them and lead alto in another and "Switch to Clarinet" appears in a few of the charts we play. I'd like to be able to do that with confidence while producing satsifying results.
Thanks Michelle. i used this video to help me go from G the high E for my Love the way you lie cover by Eminem... i normally play in the Chalumeau and Clarion range but for this one i needed a little Altissimo and i found out quickly that i was so out of practice in that range this video really helped :)))
I'm glad this helped. The altissimo is less intimidating if you have a few strategies to improve those notes.
I agree Thanks so much Michelle i appreciate you :)))
Gracias Michelle eres la mejor
Hi Michelle, I really love this video. It will help me practising on the altissimo register. However , I am now learning 4 th part of Saint SAens sonate and I really have trouble with the fast and silent (p) notes in the altissimo register. I now start to practise scales up to altissimo in order to practise this. Do you have other suggestions for exercises to be able to play this more smouthly?
Thank you very much for these pointers. They help a lot in my HS band! :D
Still working on it, my fourth year playing clarinet and still trying to get one of those super high notes :D
Thank you so much! I made the easy mistake of being scared to squeak haha
This is very helpful!! Thank you so much!
Thank you very much for making these!
This video was really helpful to me like wow I didnt know those notes could be that easy
Hi there. I’m an experienced sax player and am learning clarinet. I practice overtones on the sax and it’s interesting that you promote overtones off low c for altissimo. On Sax it’s more about tung positioning versus pressing down on the red. Do you advise tung on clarinet across the octaves? Or just maintain ‘hee’ positioning through out the octaves?
Love the site and videos! Could you kindly link to the altissimo fingering chart in the video notes? It may be helpful to others as well. Thank!
Great instructions
This is great, I need help on playing my high E in tune. It always comes out flat. Help.
Great help! Thank you
I've laid off since my college days but the sound you have in these clips made me wanna pick it right back up. Love the barrel (and is your mouthpiece custom made?)
mrbigg151 I am using a Backun MoBa barrel here, which I do love. My current mouthpiece is a Lomax - not custom made, but very well made!
I study flute for a while, and I realy likes how the clarinet sounds, so I want to know: can I study clarinet (as a secondary instrument) by myself? your channel is great! congrats ^^
Very useful advice. Thanks.
Michelle what's the best way to cross the break please?
Dear Michelle,
Hello there! I'm not sure if you've covered this or not, but I was wondering how you do trills... I can't seem to butterfly tongue (even though I can roll my tongue) for some reason, and I'm not sure how I could work on that... Any suggestions? Is there a certain way to do trills?
Thanks!
Helped me sooo much! Thank you:)
Does this also cross over to bass clarinet skills?
Thanks SOOO MUCHH!!! Very Exellent Intructor. I Learned Intsantly!!!
Thanks i'll try this lesson. What is the highest overtone you can reach y
Using c
I can make the high notes speak, but I can’t seem to make them sound soft making them connect with the lower notes....
Do you have any Tips fir the viennese Sound style?
i cant get my finger covering the thumb hole whist pressing the long key with the same thumb please help
Excellent!
Great Video! But I do have 1 question, Does an over bite affect sound quality? Just wandering because I have been playing on an overbite for years and just curious about the answer.
OBEY SWEG Most people find a way to make their embouchure work regardless of their natural mouth shape. Having said that, I think an overbite is actually a natural advantage because it makes it easier to fit the clarinet into your mouth without "biting" on the reed. It is probably helping you!
Thanks :)
Did I see you loosen your ligature slightly to play those higher notes? Or was that not related to the altissimo notes?
Thank you verry much. Helped a lot.now my nots sound more firm and relaxed. So happy :D
I'm glad that helped! It is always more fun when the notes feel easier.
Any tips on that line that I get when playing for a long time? The one that forms on the bottom lip when it is being cut by the bottom teeth?
Hi - Two pointers: 1) You may be "biting" a bit too much when you play. Check out this video ua-cam.com/video/a2TUGyTslUMt/v-deo.htmlo find out if you are. If so, fixing it will help with the lip, but also your tone. 2) If you do have to play an usual amount, fold a small piece of paper over your two bottom teeth. Get it wet, and press it unto your teeth - feels weird at first, but after a couple of minutes playing, you won't notice it. It really helps to protect your lip from being cut. - Michelle
If I may ask, what is you clarinet, barrel, bell, mouthpiece, ligature, reeds, ect
Hi - I use Buffet R13s and Backun/Leblanc Symphonie clarinets. I love the Backun barrels and bells. I usually use a Bonade inverted ligature, although I am experimenting. I play on Vandoren V12 reeds, and use a Lomax mouthpiece.
I'm laughing because everything you said was so true about our brain preparing to be defeated when we approach a high note as we are afraid we will squeak 😄😄 My issues for sure.
I used to play the altissimo notes flawlessly with the vandoren rue lepic size 3.5 but when I switched to the vandoren traditional size 3.5, I started to squeak a lot and I can't play higher than a D in the altissimo register. What is the meaning of this???
I don't have this wimpy air problem you mentioned on soprano clarinet, but I do on bass. Do these same rules apply to fix it?
+Bass Clarinet Is Life Many of the things on this video do apply to bass, however, the airstream and voicing is a bit different on bass clarinet. If you haven't checked out Michael Lowenstern's bass clarinet videos on UA-cam, they are great. I believe he addresses airstream and voicing really well with a bass clarinet focus.
I just discovered your wonderful collection of lessons! For an adult returning to the clarinet after a couple of decades, it's a great help; thanks!
I've incorporated your overtone exercise into my practices, but I noticed that my problem is slightly different than the ones you describe. I can usually hit high E-F-F# (I never need to go higher,) but falter on D# and sometimes even D. With the tuner, I find that I'm sharp on high B and C, and flat on the altissimo notes. Do you think this is an embouchure issue, or a mechanical one with my clarinet? Thanks so much for any advice.
HI Stanley, If you are sharp on the high B & C, then odds are your tongue is in a good position, and you are experiencing the normal "sharpness" of many clarinets. If you pull your barrel out a bit, it will affect these notes more than others and bring you in tune. Are you adding the right hand Eb/G# key to your altissimo notes? Without it, they tend to be flat.
Clarinet Mentors (Michelle Anderson) Thanks for the reply! Yes, I do use the right pinky Eb (except on the C#). Maybe I just need to be patient with the overtone exercise. One other thing which I was wondering about is how to get adequate air support while playing piano or pianissimo, especially on the higher notes. (Or maybe you've already addressed that issue in a different video?)
Hi Stanley, I there are some great air exercises related to playing softly up high. I don't have much on UA-cam, but this video gives you an introduction which I find really useful: ua-cam.com/video/7tyKWTO0mqs/v-deo.html. I hope that helps!
Clarinet Mentors (Michelle Anderson) Thanks, the videos are very helpful! Do you have any advice for the other extreme, playing the very lowest notes (F#, F, E)? I have some passages in an orchestral part which stay in that low range, marked forte or fortissimo, and it's hard to know how much air I can put through without cracking or squeaking. Is there an exercise or technique for getting a full sound out of those lower notes?
Good question…I don't have one specifically for that, but two things come to mind. Again, practising long tones going from very loud to very soft (and back up again) can help you learn to control those notes. We all have a tendency to "bite" on the reed when we are trying to play very strongly. You can counter that by focusing on the corners of your mouth wrapping in more firmly. If you hear squeaks, you are likely biting. This video gives you a tool to check that: ua-cam.com/video/a2TUGyTslUM/v-deo.html
Hi Michelle, I have trouble shifting from middle A to clarion B or C. I tend to desperately have to grapple to cover all holes to get the clarion B or C. Any help will be welcome. Thanks for your video. Great Stuff.
Hi - Those are tough fingerings. Often paying close attention to your fingers, and perhaps slightly shifting position can make a big difference. Try these two videos for more details: ua-cam.com/video/-bItdikinm4/v-deo.html - left thumb position
ua-cam.com/video/ZPtr_S04pGg/v-deo.html - other hand position pointers and exercises
I need help! So I have to play the scale up to high c, and I can't achieve b or c! I'm using a 2 1/5 reed, my embrochure is fine, I made sure all my fingers are covering up my notes. However, I don't know if my air speed is fast enough-but, when I make my air faster, it squeaks. Does anyOne have any advice?
Thank you so much!!
Thank you. Highe G?
Hi ms. Anderson,
I wanted to know if you have tips for tounging in the high register (break to the 3rd octave E)
The most important thing is to keep your air continuous. Clarinetists tend to back off on air, and then it feels like the high notes won't come out, and then they end up tensing up, which causes a "biting" motion on the reed. This leads to squeaks, and a pinched sound. Keep the air flowing, firmly round the corners of your mouth inward, and sometimes, hitting the reed much more lightly with the tongue in the higher registers works better as well. I hope that helps!
ty Michelle, I am going to try this... I'm in my 2th last year of clarinet. And all above my high E going up sounds so so sharp... And I think now I understand why... I need to get the corners of my mouth more to my embochure ... Do you have a good list of fingershart for the notes... Like really the hight notes... I can get the high F and than is starts to get blurry from the F-sharp going up to ...
Kind regards from in Belgium. Jo
omg samee
Nice video, thanks!
I'm glad this was helpful.
Hey, i don’t really have problems reaching the notes it’s just that if you listen carefully you can Hear lower tones while I play the high notes (especially in Staccato). It’s really annoying. Does anybody have a tip for me?
How can I get my 4th octave C to come out?
Very Nice Vid.
This question isn't really related to this particular video, but I am learning how to play the D major scale, and I'm unsure as to what fingerings I should use for B (first note in clarion register) and C# (note whole step after that). Can you help me on that?
Yongshen Ni Whenever we move between two notes that use our smallest fingers, it is a good idea to alternate hands. That means that if you play B on the right, play the C# on the left. You can also play B on the left (using only that key, and not adding the C on the right as some charts suggest), and the C# on the right. You should try both ways a few times and then decide what feels best for your hands.
Clarinet Mentors (Michelle Anderson) Ok, thank you.
Hi Ms. Michelle Anderson. I am a sophomore in high school and I want to audition for a youth orchestra (DC Youth Orchestra) and for the audition I have to play four clarinet solo excerpts including the Shostakovich, Symphony No. 9, , Third Movement clarinet solo. As you know, this solo has a lot of altissimo range notes in it; of which I cannot play. I watched this video and your part 3 video, but I still cannot play the altissimo range (the highest I can get to successfully is D#). My embouchure and airstream is are just fine, but those altissimo notes just are not working out. Please help me. My audition is January 11th.
Hi Armond - are you able to do the exercise that has you try and playing overtones on the low C? This is one of the best ways that I know to get your mouth used to playing higher. I really suggest you try it, even if at first you simply put way too much mouthpiece in your mouth to get the feel of it. Once you can hit those overtones on a low C fingering, the regular fingerings suddenly start to feel much easier. Please try it, and let me know how it goes.
I tried the overtones exercise today, but it did not work for some reason. My low C only went flat, even when I put more of the mouthpiece in my mouth. :P
Armond Dorsey Hi Armond, I'm sorry - for some reason I didn't get a notice of your reply and just noticed it. I hope the audition went well. Another thought is that your reeds may be a bit soft. One way to assess this is to deliberately move your reed a bit too high on the mouthpiece. It will feel too resistant, and your low notes will sound fuzzy. However, if your altissimo start to work better, this becomes an indication that you may be needing a stiffer reed.
I found that when i played the High D, E, F notes are more difficult than playing the the high G, A, B, high - high C notes. Is that true? And how can i sustain the higher notes without having it to squeak?
+Mr Quartet And Also, Thx for the video. It really helped me a lot :)
+Mr Quartet In general, the higher you play on clarinet, the more difficult it can feel. The two things that I find that help most to avoid squeaking are firmly bringing in the corners of the mouth, and using very fast air.
Im a beginner just want to play for my own amusement, and finding lesson is very hard so my question is what are some really good beginners DVDs and books? Do you sell any?
Hi Nathan, you can download my beginner book here, and it also comes with a set of educational videos. You can expand later into more video lessons if you like it: www.clarinetmentors.com/resources/HowToPlayClarinetForBeginners.pdf
So the clarinet can play overtones - like, say, a trombone. Who knew?
Very cool video, Michelle :-)
Dave March all instruments can...
I was just wondering.. Next year i will be a freshman in highschool, and i play about a 3 1/2 , 4 reed
But sometimes my lower register notes tend to be very sharp or drained out.. Is this a problem from me training my embouchure incorrectly?
Please give me tips on how to sound better.
Thank you!
Hi Jared, Hmmm - It is a little difficult to tell from your description. However, most clarinets are designed to be a little sharp, and have you pull the barrel to tune lower. If only your upper notes (such as high G on top of the staff and up) are flatter, it may indicate that your tongue is riding too low in your mouth. It should sit up high, as if you are saying "HEEE". Check your high C (thumb/register key) in front of a tuner and experiment with moving your tongue from "HEEE" to "AWWW". You'll see big pitch changes. When your tongue is high, your tone will be better (and your pitch). If everything becomes uniformly sharp, then just pull your barrel out a bit to tune the entire instrument.
Thank you!
i tried this and it kinda works but not sure
I play Eb clarinet. Can these videos still help me? :)
Yes! The basics are the same. I would just add that in the altissimo register, most Eb clarinets have rather "creative" intonation. I often end up inventing fingerings that play more in tune by adding fingers to lower pitch, or opening side keys to raise it.
I don't know if my embouchure is ok, or if my mouthpiece and ligature aren't very good... after a while my ligature always leaves a dent in my reed... In what way does that affect my playing? My mouthpiece is a Rico Royal B3, is that a good one?
Hi Anna, Usually a ligature will not leave a dent in the reed. Perhaps you have it positioned incorrectly. I recommend that the top screw only adjusted until it is not loose. No tighter. Your ligature should also sit low enough on the mouthpiece that you can fully see the "curve" cut into the face of the reed. Your mouthpiece is a good beginner level. Many people upgrade to a better mouthpiece as their first improvement in equipment. I do recommend this at some point for you.
Clarinet Mentors (Michelle Anderson) Thank you for responding and thanks for your advice!
Thank you for the videos! :)
I'm glad you like them!
I am using a b45 with a v12 4 reed. Is there any way to improve your high note tone ? Equipment only changed my tone a little.
seanchoicool Tone is most affected by embouchure and air. In the high notes, using extra mouth support by bringing the corners of your mouth firmly in really helps. Experimenting with "voicing", or tongue position really does make a difference too. Air support is key - aim for a fast and focussed air stream. Listen to players who sound good to you, and have that sound clearly in mind. Sometimes we automatically adjust to create the sound that we have in our heads. I hope that helps!
Which mouthpiece number would you recommend for be able to play this altissimo notes, I bought a clarinet but I can’t reach these high notes I’m using a 2.5 reed
G0T3NKS29 What brand of reed do you use? I've found that 3 1/2 Vandoren works very well for high notes.
Xiamer i use rico brand but thanks i will try the ones you said
I have a problem when I go from Gsharp to A then to the High E I "overblow" it and it ends up going to a higher note, almost a squeek
+Dillsion1ALT If you overblow a high note, it is usually due to a bit of "biting" on the reed. Try just blowing the high E with no tonguing at a variety of dynamic levels to get a feel for the embouchure needed, and then moving to there from the A.
Thank u
+Jacob Hammers I'm glad you enjoyed this video!
im a freshman at my school and we are just starting to have notes in the altissimo range
exodia oblitarate If you use good air support, and try out some of the exercises in this video, my guess is that you will find it reasonably easy. Once you have played these notes for a couple of weeks, they start to feel very natural.
watchin this to hopefully learn to play the high F and D eassier in Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue lol hope this works