Hello Everyone,

I'm new to the forums and wanted to ask some advice. I began playing the clarinet about eighteen months ago, after a twenty year break(!) I bought a new Yamaha CL250 and have spent my time working on improving my tone and revisiting the tutor books which I worked from in school (A Tune a Day and Take up the Clarinet). I am currently working my way through Pamela Weston's 50 Classical Studies and playing from the Guest Spot books (Jazz and Blues to begin with and currently Showstoppers and Seventies Hits) for fun!

I have found that as my playing improves (and it's probably better now than it ever was in school) that I am becoming much more fussy about my sound. I have upgraded the mouthpiece to a Vandoren B40L (which I play with a Vandoren 2.5 Traditional reed) and am using a Rovner Dark ligature. Both these have helped matters considerably but I am really unhappy with my high notes! Once I start to play above ledger line high C, I am way out of my comfort zone and I find I am avoiding pieces which play this high. I am aware that I only have a fairly basic clarinet and would love to upgrade but I don't want to blame the instrument for my musical failings! I don't currently have a teacher (something which I am trying to address) and wondered in the meantime whether I should persist with the altissimo register or whether to wait until I can move onto a better instrument. Also, I play double lip - I always have done and can't honestly remember whether I was originally taught that way or whether it's just something I do. I have tried single lip and don't like either the feel or the tone I produce.

I would be really grateful for any thoughts on any of this!

If you don't have a teacher, I would advise you to get one and suggest to them that you are thinking of upgrading the instrument and see if they agree once they've heard you playing. What standard would you say you were? If you're above grade 5 you could probably do with an upgraded instrument. If you think it's the instrument that's holding you back then I would suggest you go and try some out (and take your mouthpiece and ligature with you because they'll probably be better than ones on another instrument. See what suits you and if they're any better than your current clarinet.

Hiya, to the forums!

First of all, in my opinion, as long as you have the necessary control, there's nothing wrong with playing with a double lip embouchure.

Best advice : ideally get a teacher With the high notes though I will give you a little advice. I'd approach each high note one at a time. Start with C#, and make sure that's perfect first. Don't rush. You need plenty of air support, don't squeeze the life out of the reed, and take in quite a lot of mouthpiece. Certainly not too little, you'll find it too hard or impossible to get the notes otherwise. Too much makes you a squeak risk.

Have fun clarinetting, do feel free to contact me if you want any more help

Hello

I have the same make and model of clarinet and wil be doing grade 6 with it in December. The altissimo notes are (usually) beautifully clean and clear; when they're not it's the fault of my embouchure not the instrument. My teacher tells me that I don't need to upgrade the clarinet as it has a lovely tone and will do me up to grade 8... so don't rush to buy a different instrument!

Barry's advice above is sound as always

jazzycat

I would agree with the above it is unlikely to be due to the instrument. Having restarted the clarinet myself about 18 months I have had to spend a lot of time working on the altissimo notes especially staccato playing. Barryclari advised me to practise looking in the mirror so you can be very aware of your embouchure. At the start the high notes sounded equally bad on my cheap old clarinet and my much more expensive wooden one. Similarly I spent a lot of time trying different reeds and changing my ligature but realised that what was needed was to improve my technique

Many thanks everyone, for your helpful advice!

I shall persist with my Yamaha and keep working on those high notes! Just to clarify, I can play up to high E if I am just running up to it but I am having particular problems with octave leaps - guess I just need to keep practising! I worked up to Grage 5 in school and played my clarinet as part of my 'O' level but I would not like to say what standard I am now - my theory is not what it could be (although I am about to start work on my theory exams separately, with the help of my piano teacher) and my scales and arpeggios could definitely be improved upon! Thanks again for the advice!

As others have said that clarinet/mouthpiece combo should be fine right up into the upper reaches of the altissimo.

I only have very limited experience of double lip embouchure - I can't get as relaxed an embouchure that way. It is more popular in the states and some excellent players use it.

The best advice is to get a teacher. Altissimo notes have a nasty habit of showing up holes in technique in a way that the lower ones really don't.

As Barry said - take it slowly. Make sure you are using lots of air and good support. The natural reaction to a loud high squarking note is to back away from it - annoy the neighbours and make sure they are good and secure at a moderately loud dynamic........now start backing off retaining the control and support.

Really you've answered your own question - practice is the key

Hi CJB,

Many thanks for your reply. You are absolutely right - I really do back off from any squeaky high notes, so much so, that I am seriously restricting my playing repertoire by avoiding pieces which need me to play above a high D. There is a piece in one of my study books which requires octave leaps and I have to confess that although I'm ok with most of it, I hate playing the higher ones!! I will follow your advice and see if I can work on holding the notes at a reasonably loud volume and see if I can reduce the volume without losing the strength of the note. Perhaps the octave leaps are a bit ambitious at the moment!

Practice them slowly not worrying about the volume until they are secure. I'd do as Barry suggested - get the C# really secure before stretching to the D. You'll be annoying the bats before you know it!