CALLING ALL CLARINETTISTS!! !

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Whether you play a yamaha or a jupiter, or use vandorans or ricos, if you play the clarinet, this page is for you!! !

About myself - have played for 10 years, and loving it!

Would you care to specify exactly what you want to hear from clarinettists?

I have played the clarinet for a couple of years, but haven't really focused on it. As my 'name' suggests, the saxophone is by far my main instrument . The clarinet is still really cool though. I play clarinet in my local youth wind symphony (an old Buffet B12), and bass clarinet (Yamaha YCL-211 II) at school.

I use rico 2 1/2 reeds. I hope that's all you wanted to know.

y0!! !!

Leblanc Opus (1st gen), Vandorens, Pyne mp, Bonade inverted lig.

Am also a composer, will write clarinet music on commission, and payment terms can be worked out through Paypal.

I also own an Akai EWI-USB and have a modest collection of synths that I can use it with--Akai S2000 (sampler), Yamaha TX7/TX802/DX7IIFD, Roland aJuno1, and--the big one--a Synclavier PSMT with sampling and FM synthesis. The EWI is kinda like a clarinet or a saxophone, which is why I included all that. I love electronic music and am a big fan of Paul Steinberg's clarinet music. Check out this one: Trittico for Clarinet

I have a couple Buffet Crampon clarinets.

Hi,
Basically, I just want a page where we can just talk about the clarinet - like if people are having difficulties with something, or want to know how to do a gliss, or want to whine about the stereotypical clarinettist...

By the way, I play a jupiter - it's actually quite nice. I also have a noblet - not my favourite clarinet make, I must admit.
I'm saving up to buy a buffet R13 (I think that's what it's called).

I use vandoran 3 reeds. You should honestly try them, the tonal difference is quite extraordinary

@ *AngelRho* - Wow, you own an Akai EWI-USB! They sound amazing!! ! Thanks for the music offer - if I need anything, I'll PM you
@ *Alex* - Clarinettists are awesome. And thanks for setting up this forum (at least, I think you did?) - I am getting so much support and new friends from it

Btw, I played the alto for 3 years, but I kind that I can't get the sort of fluidity on the sax that you can get on the clarinet.
I also play the oboe and piano, and compose. Unfortunately, I can't sing.

One last thing - does anyone play the Rhapsody in Blue solo clarinet part with the gliss?
Any advice for doing a better gliss?

And happy playing!! !

The gliss on clarinet is easy to do ONCE YOU LEARN HOW. I never figured out how to do superhuman bends until I was a grad student, and I only figured it out by pure accident (goofing off in a practice room). I'm attracted to the more avant garde kinds of clarinet technique, and having done weird stuff all the time by the end of my 4-year college degree, I was open to it.

The first sort-of weird thing I learned to do was circular breathing, which I taught myself how to do when I was in high school. I figured it out after a Kenny G concert, but only because I saw him do it. I didn't have anyone who actually knew how to teach me. I tried to teach my graduate clarinet professor how to circular breath, and it was a dismal failure! I've tried to teach kids how to do it, and I've yet to have anyone actually do it. The problem, I think, is with how rigidly clarinetists are trained on the instrument, and you have to "break a few rules" to do it.

Same thing with bends and glissandi. It's not difficult, but it IS hard to explain to someone else how.

To do glissandi: Drop your jaw so that you're playing really flat. Bring the back of your tongue almost into your throat like you're saying "RAWR!" In the second register of the clarinet, that will pull the pitch WAY down, like nearly a perfect 5th. Bring your tongue back up in the front of your mouth (EEEEEEEE) as with normal playing. There ya go! It's about as far away from "proper" clarinet playing as you can get, embouchure and tongue-wise, but it works. And it's a WEIRD feeling until you get used to it.

The clarinet is an "open pipe," which means the resonating cavity doesn't end at the mouthpiece--it actually goes back into your throat. So by opening up your throat by changing your tongue position in the back of your mouth, you actually extend the length of the clarinet itself, thereby lowering the pitch of all partials above the fundamental. This will NOT work in the lower register, so you'll have to use finger tricks in the lower register of the "Rhapsody in Blue." Other than that, use the bend technique I described.

I've played for 17 years. Yamaha clarinets, Rico Grand Concert reeds, and I would just like to point out that the player makes more of a difference than the instrument. VERY few people can tell the difference between the sound of my professional model and my plastic student one.

I'm a composer too; and I can write for anything.

Hi (again)
firstly, sorry if I came off sounding obnoxious - I haven't figured out how not to sound extremely egotistical...

As for sound differences
- I like wooden and professional clarinets because of the 'feel' when you play them - I can't really tell which are being played
- I can, however, tell the difference between reeds. Perhaps it's just rico royals that sound horrible - I haven't tried rico grand concerts

I love composing, but I prefer to compose for piano, and mainly just fiddle around finding really fantastic sounding chords...
@ AngelRho - thanks for gliss advice, will try it tomorrow

The Grand Concert reeds are Rico's professional line, so yes, they sound better than Rico Royal.
I've tried Vandorens and I don't like them, but that's just my personal preference; I know that Vandoren make very good reeds.



I do prefer my professional clarinets. I can hear the sound difference and it's a more refined sound, and I also have to work less to get good intonation. It does kind of bug me, though, when people seem to place more emphasis on equipment than on developing themselves as a musician.
I'm not saying that that is what you were doing; I just like to safeguard against it.

uh huh, I know what you mean about equipment - it was just a conversation starter - there isn't really much to talk about the clarinet, is there?
btw, can you do a really good p above top C (think it's called the altissimo register or something?)

Yes, I can play well quietly in my altissimo register, but it took years to get control of that register. It's a matter of a steady airstream with constant pressure, a firm embouchure that doesn't pinch, and also of not blasting a lot of air at the start of each note- you do need a lot of air, but it has to be very controlled.

What's your favourite piece for the clarinet?

I like the Weber concertos. I also like mozarts clarinet concerto.

Yes. I created WP I'm glad you find it useful.

my favourite pieces for clarinet are:
- Concerto for Clarinet, K. 622 by mozart (I especially love the adagio movement)
- Prelude by Paul Reade (Paul Reade isn't that well known, but he's on the sillybus in grade 6-8. I can email the music if you want - it's amazing)
- Fright of the Bumblebee!! ! (Rimsky Korsakov)

What are yours?