Thank you so so much for this! I’ve been doing this technique for a few days now and can already tell the difference, my altissimo notes sound better and I can get higher altissimo notes out now. This was super helpful!!!
When I play high notes my teeth start digging into bottom my lip the longer I play. Am I doing something wrong or is it normal? Or could it be tension?
It is likely some tension, although in the extreme altissimo, we do add a bit more pressure. This video will give you a tool to help determine if you may be biting too much: ua-cam.com/video/a2TUGyTslUM/v-deo.html
I've always used double lip, and always found myself biting down too hard when playing high notes. What could I do to prevent this? I only end up getting to practice for about 8 minutes before my lip have cuts in them.
Usually the way to counteract biting is to bring in more support from the sides of our mouth. If you are really cutting your mouth up, you may want to experiment with putting your top teeth on the mouthpiece. Having said that, there are many advantages to double-lip and the best solution would be to find a way to "not bite".
would you happen to know why my altissimo notes starting with C# are so flat. if anything I would rather them sharper, but they are so flat and it been frustrating me a bit. any tips on that? and I have been clarinet for a long while but my altissimo register is getting flat.
Experiment with alternate fingerings there are quite a few different fingerings you can use for notes above high C. Also I would focus on your air stream. Like she is saying you have to use fast and direct air (not necessarily loud air) and think heee instead of ooo and raise you tongue in your mouth. Hope some of this can help 👍
Hi Michelle, I have a question about my medium E flat key. Whenever I hit the bottom sidekey for the Eb and release, the key stays down and becomes stuck, therefore making me unable to manage my next note. Could you help me with this issue? Thanks.
Most likely either the pad has something sticky on it or the rod is dry. To clean the pad, take a clean dollar bill or similar material, insert it between the pad and hole, apply light pressure to the pad and pull the bill out. Repeat a few times. Turning to the rod, remove it, clean it, and lubricate it lightly with key oil or 30 weight oil. The posts can also be off so if the first two suggestions do not work, bring the clarinet in for service. Good luck and let us know what happens.
Thank you! Great practice techniques ideas . I have a question for you, I play in our church Orchestra and I'm always finding that I have to take a piece of sheet music that is written for a c instrument and transpose is it for my B flat clarinet. But I'm doing it by hand because I don't know how else to do it is there a way to do it like scan it in and click a button somewhere and it transpose is it to my instrument key of B-flat?
There are some music notation programs that have that ability built in. Usually they get it about 80% right, and then you just have to correct it. I have an old program that does it that is no longer available. I highly recommend Sasko, a bass clarinetist in Macedonia who will take your music and transpose it for you quickly and very reasonably: www.fiverr.com/share/qDrrLl
Hi Michelle I have a question that I thought you might know the answer to... do you see the possibility of a clarinetfest Vancouver or somewhere in the Pacific Northwest in the near future? I realize that there was one here in 2007 but I was 4 than... I feel like this is a great city to have it in, with backun based out of Vancouver. Thank you, Francis
Hi! I have been watching your videos for a while now and I find them to be very helpful! I appreciate you posting them. However, I do have a question. In one of the pieces my band is playing I sustain altissimo E, F, and even Gs. Sometimes these notes jump up to overtones. (the e and f to a and the g to a very high b). is there any way to help prevent that? Also, at the end of that piece I sustain a high C for a long time and I find it getting very sharp. I shade the fingers in my right hand and half hole to a degree my left forefinger. I find that the notes in the upper clarion register are very sharp, unlike any other notes (G to C). I think this might be my instrument, but I am unsure. I appreciate any help and once again thank you for your videos!
Regarding the problem of the overtones, I wonder if your embochure is weak and you are biting. I would do the exercises Michelle has here plus her long-tone warm up but an octave higher to strengthen your embochure. As for the high C, are you sharp relative to a tuning meter or the rest of the band? You could be in tune and everyone else is flat. They are not going to go up, you will have to go down. Listen carefully and match them. If you are sharp based upon the meter, then check your middle C. You might have to pull out the barrel or just lip down. You could also be biting so practice the exercises mentioned above. Good luck and let us know what happens.
Bob Silverstein Thank you for your reply. It is likely that the overtones were caused by a weak embouchure since they only happened after I had practiced for a while. However, I will practice these excersices anyways to strengthen my embouchure. As for the C, it is high relative to the needle and band, and I find it extremely difficult to lower the pitch. Biting might be a cause (though I have been working a lot on that and have actually managed to stop denting the mouthpiece covers) and I will practice these excersises in hopes of stopping these problems. Thank you again!
Thank you so so much for this! I’ve been doing this technique for a few days now and can already tell the difference, my altissimo notes sound better and I can get higher altissimo notes out now. This was super helpful!!!
I can’t seem to get my altissimo notes in tune
Try using extra keys to bring down the flatness.
Hi Michelle, I just wanted to thank you for all of these informative videos they have really helped me improve my clarinet technique. Thank you!
I know this video is like 3 years old but thank you for it and your whole channel❤️❤️❤️
Thank you Michelle, this is exactly what I needed! I can play these notes, but they sound really shrill like you said!
When I play high notes my teeth start digging into bottom my lip the longer I play. Am I doing something wrong or is it normal? Or could it be tension?
It is likely some tension, although in the extreme altissimo, we do add a bit more pressure. This video will give you a tool to help determine if you may be biting too much: ua-cam.com/video/a2TUGyTslUM/v-deo.html
I've always used double lip, and always found myself biting down too hard when playing high notes. What could I do to prevent this? I only end up getting to practice for about 8 minutes before my lip have cuts in them.
Usually the way to counteract biting is to bring in more support from the sides of our mouth. If you are really cutting your mouth up, you may want to experiment with putting your top teeth on the mouthpiece. Having said that, there are many advantages to double-lip and the best solution would be to find a way to "not bite".
This is what i needed thanks!
omg thank you so much
would you happen to know why my altissimo notes starting with C# are so flat. if anything I would rather them sharper, but they are so flat and it been frustrating me a bit. any tips on that? and I have been clarinet for a long while but my altissimo register is getting flat.
Experiment with alternate fingerings there are quite a few different fingerings you can use for notes above high C. Also I would focus on your air stream. Like she is saying you have to use fast and direct air (not necessarily loud air) and think heee instead of ooo and raise you tongue in your mouth. Hope some of this can help 👍
Thank you!
Hi Michelle, I have a question about my medium E flat key. Whenever I hit the bottom sidekey for the Eb and release, the key stays down and becomes stuck, therefore making me unable to manage my next note. Could you help me with this issue? Thanks.
Most likely either the pad has something sticky on it or the rod is dry. To clean the pad, take a clean dollar bill or similar material, insert it between the pad and hole, apply light pressure to the pad and pull the bill out. Repeat a few times. Turning to the rod, remove it, clean it, and lubricate it lightly with key oil or 30 weight oil. The posts can also be off so if the first two suggestions do not work, bring the clarinet in for service. Good luck and let us know what happens.
Thank you! Great practice techniques ideas . I have a question for you, I play in our church Orchestra and I'm always finding that I have to take a piece of sheet music that is written for a c instrument and transpose is it for my B flat clarinet. But I'm doing it by hand because I don't know how else to do it is there a way to do it like scan it in and click a button somewhere and it transpose is it to my instrument key of B-flat?
There are some music notation programs that have that ability built in. Usually they get it about 80% right, and then you just have to correct it. I have an old program that does it that is no longer available. I highly recommend Sasko, a bass clarinetist in Macedonia who will take your music and transpose it for you quickly and very reasonably: www.fiverr.com/share/qDrrLl
If it is not too complex, I just read one note higher (including key signs -> two steps to the right at the cycle of 5ths).
Hi Michelle I have a question that I thought you might know the answer to... do you see the possibility of a clarinetfest Vancouver or somewhere in the Pacific Northwest in the near future? I realize that there was one here in 2007 but I was 4 than... I feel like this is a great city to have it in, with backun based out of Vancouver. Thank you, Francis
Hi! I have been watching your videos for a while now and I find them to be very helpful! I appreciate you posting them. However, I do have a question. In one of the pieces my band is playing I sustain altissimo E, F, and even Gs. Sometimes these notes jump up to overtones. (the e and f to a and the g to a very high b). is there any way to help prevent that? Also, at the end of that piece I sustain a high C for a long time and I find it getting very sharp. I shade the fingers in my right hand and half hole to a degree my left forefinger. I find that the notes in the upper clarion register are very sharp, unlike any other notes (G to C). I think this might be my instrument, but I am unsure. I appreciate any help and once again thank you for your videos!
Regarding the problem of the overtones, I wonder if your embochure is weak and you are biting. I would do the exercises Michelle has here plus her long-tone warm up but an octave higher to strengthen your embochure.
As for the high C, are you sharp relative to a tuning meter or the rest of the band? You could be in tune and everyone else is flat. They are not going to go up, you will have to go down. Listen carefully and match them. If you are sharp based upon the meter, then check your middle C. You might have to pull out the barrel or just lip down. You could also be biting so practice the exercises mentioned above. Good luck and let us know what happens.
Bob Silverstein Thank you for your reply. It is likely that the overtones were caused by a weak embouchure since they only happened after I had practiced for a while. However, I will practice these excersices anyways to strengthen my embouchure. As for the C, it is high relative to the needle and band, and I find it extremely difficult to lower the pitch. Biting might be a cause (though I have been working a lot on that and have actually managed to stop denting the mouthpiece covers) and I will practice these excersises in hopes of stopping these problems. Thank you again!
I can get my altissimo notes in tune. But whenever I tune my lower notes they are flat. I need to find a way that both will be in tune.
Try to tune the higher notes with your embouchure, they tend to be easier to change with your lip!
What barrel is that?
First btw great job Michelle
Hello Michelle, is there any way to contact you personally?? Thank you so much for your helpful videos :)
i played double lip when i started tenor sax until my teacher told to use the teeth
i know the context is different here, though
6:08 blows clarinet
what
Hi, in my hmo there is to much talk and no demonstration, and the sound and technique are not very good at all, but thanks anyway.