Oh yes, I remember her! She did very well at the playday, glad she's still doing well

Skylark, thanks for the info on your last two messages have really found them useful, especilally for the tones/semi tomes.

Glad you found them useful

How are you getting on with your practising before your lesson on Monday?

Picked up the clarinet today and just can't get any notes out. What's wrong?

Is your reed positioned correctly? Is the ligature the correct tightness? Is your reed damp enough?

Ah, It could be the reed. I usually practice everyday but didn't yesterday and the reed is really bone dry. Will wet it a bit and try again.

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Picked up the clarinet today and just can't get any notes out. What's wrong?
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They may be stuck in RoseRodent's laminator?

(That will only make sense if you've seen the other thread! )

Stick it in your mouth for a couple of minutes. I usually put my reed in my mouth before I put my clarinet together, and that seems to get it about right. It is rather difficult to get a note out of a dry reed - even for the really experienced players like Dawn, Barry and Sbhoa.

Yep certainly is

Now THAT's what I call promotion.
I think I'm only very slightly experienced......

But you do need to get into the habit of giving your reed a suck before you try to play.

Managed at last to play but it was hard work, loads of saliva and squeaks and horrid noises.

Did moistening your reed solve your problem Katie?

edit : you beat me to it! I suspect, judging by your post, that your reed has probably given up the ghost : might be time for a change

It gets better eventually - have faith! Are you breathing down the clarinet rather than blowing?

It will be saliva on your reed, but I think what drips out of the end of your clarinet is condensation

Just wondering what fingerings the experts usually use for altissimo F#? My teacher suggested thumb and register key, LH 2nd finger (and I think C#/G# key - can't remember!), RH banana key and G# key. It doesn't work very well yet, but might come with practice!

BTW my clarinet is a Buffet B12 (plastic, student type).

I tend not to bother with the banana key madbassoonist, but this is a good 'get to it quickly' fingering.

A great F# I find for tuning is thumb/register key, 12-/123 plus Eb key under RH little finger.

Also, try overblowing the regular high Bb fingering.

Is there oxygen up there?

They are just three examples of F# fingerings. I can think of at least two or three more...

Thanks Overblowing never seems to work for me, except by accident I will try your suggestion when I get the clarinet out this afternoon. I have work to complete first, but will make some time to practise!

Not having the clari in front of me makes this difficut but if you start from the top D fingering - take off the top RH finger gives E, Add G#key = F, then take off that and your lower LH finger makes F# (leaves middle finger Lh with Eb key in Rh and Thumb/register key. That's my usual anyway. Long F# Th/R key LH:123G#/RH:12.

Not sure If i've duplicated you here Barry gets confusing up there

I'll have to have a go at that one...

The F#s I've used are...

Overblown Bb, the other F# fingering you mentioned Dawn, thumb/RK, 12-/123 plus Eb key and thumb/RK, -23/123 plus Eb key

have to be honest - I got that one from the complete clarinet player Book 4 not sure I've ever used it apart from when going through this book.... Altissimo F# and up is an area i could really do with becoming more familiar with the various fingerings of. Any tips for practise pieces Barry? (Apart from aforementioned book that is).

Yep : have a look at some of the last studies in '80 Graded', including 75, 78, 80.

See also if you can find the Lennox Berkeley 3 pieces for clarinet solo

Thankyou. I have the graded studies book. I'll give it a look.

Bars 9 and 10 of no. 78 in 80 Graded is a nice little challenge...

I don't know what's happened in the last week but I can't get low notes below B. When I manage to get to low G it squeaks as does low F and I can't even get low E. I've started panicking about it and now when I play I get a pain in my throat as I anticipate not getting the notes. I've tried different reeds 2 and 2 1/2, old and new but I seem to have lost my ability to play. I can get the middle range to Bb but can't get Bnatural and past that. Any ideas what is wrong. My next lesson is 23/11/09 due to me having a foot operation due next week.

with your 'op' and wish you a 'speedy recovery'

i'd really suggest having your clarinet checked out for any out of place springs or leaking pads etc. If all's ok the you will know definitively it is down to you At least then you can tackle it and I'm sure someone more qualified than I to instruct in technique will come forwards soon Just a thought i do have - have you enough mouthpiece in your mouth? Given that you have been doing higher notes are you "pushing" too hard with your mouth and closing off the reed, thus preventing it sounding?

I've just found that a pad is missing off one of the keys so this must be the problem. Also what you say about the mouthpiece, I did feel like there was a 'blockage' with the air getting down so I also think I was closing off the reed. I seem to be going from bad to worse. Thanks for the advice

Glad to have been of service If the pad's missing it could have been missing for a while and before that loose. Therefore it could have been the main cause of your problems - clari played when pad in place and not when out of place as hole covering would likely have been obstructed. Understandable then that as a relative beginner, and in your aim to make it play that you'd end up trying too hard and probably closing off the reed. First get the pad sorted and then see how you go With regards to the mouthpiece make sure you have more than just the tip in, take a big breath and don't squeeze with your lips or bite with your teeth. I'm sure you weren't in the beginning so probably you won't when your pad is fixed. this is just a minor setback that's all