Had to tell someone who understands. I'm so excited.......... I've managed to play high notes and can now play 2 octaves of G Major. I had been struggling just getting out a note some days, but as they say 'practice makes perfect' well almost !!!!!!!!!!! Can't wait for my next lesson on Monday.

Well done.

I can only get up to a high E on clari (I assume this is your instrument as you posted a clarinet smilie) and don't know the fingering for a top G - so I'm a long way off being able to do a full G major scale. How are you finding the tuning on the throat notes? I'm not very good at tuning at the top of the clarion (middle) register or in the altissimo (top) register. The low notes on the bottom register also have a tendency to go flat in my hands.

I find the higher notes easier. Sometimes I struggle to get the low notes and nothing comes out !!!!!!!

I like the middle register best - from the clarion B (the one on the middle line of the stave) to around the clarion A (first ledger line above the stave). My tuning goes above that and as I don't play my clarinet very often (flute is main instrument, clarinet is 4th instrument) I don't have the embouchure strength for the high notes.

I did once spend ages trying to work out why I could get any of the low notes or the middle B to come out. I went to put the clari away in disgust and discovered when I took it apart that I'd left the cleaning cloth in the bell.

Well done Katie

I wonder if you're relaxing too much on the low notes. The embouchure should still be fairly tight on the clarinet, even on the lowest notes.

Well done

Congratulations!!! Hope you have a great lesson tomorrow!

After reading everyone's replies, particularly Flossie's, I now realise with great embarrassment that it is the middle range I conquered and not the high notes. Being 'new' to the clarinet, when I found that I could reach B on the middle line up to G, on the space above the stave, I was on a 'high' and the notes did seem really high compared to the low register. Looking at the scales for Grade 2, it is the scale of G Major two ocatves I can manage, starting on the lower register.

Cool

How are you doing going from the A to the B on the middle line?

Which means congratulations are really in order as you've just come through one of the hardest challenges of learning to play the instrument

A to B on middle line isn't flowing. Going from 1 finger to loads isn't easy and sometimes the note B doesn't come out at all. It's much better now that I can play more notes and some music, I'm really enjoying it.

glad you're enjoying it Katie

Little hint for going from A to B : you can put your right hand on all the holes, and on the C key when you get to G : that way you've only got the left hand to worry about when you get to the B.

"Crossing the break" and playing the notes immediately above the break is really hard! I remember the exercises I did to practise the notes above the break and at first I couldn't reach them at all. It's a great feeling when you can finally do it

Thanks for all the tips and encouragement. Will let you know how I get on with A to B move.

Well done katieB

Took me a long time to get it anywhere near fluent and even now when stressed or going a bit fast it doesn't always happen cleanly.
Another item for the long list of things I really need to improve on.....

It is, unfortunately, very easy to play lower notes badly, and yet make them sound pretty good. The giveaway often comes in the clarion register...

ok, I am now really confused, there seems to be a lot of jargon I don't understand and have never heard before, like clarion!
I only picked up the clarinet last week but am truly 'lost', also how come on my fingering chart it tells me that it is one note on the stave but on the clarinet it is another?? isn't a 'C' (middle C) a 'C' on any instrument? how can a 'C' be a 'Bb' on clarinet???

there is lots my teacher will have to explain to me tomorrow (ok barry clari??? )

The three registers on the clarinet have different names, the lowest register (bottom E to middle line Bb) is called the chalumeau register (after the instrument of the same name, the range is rather like that of the chalumeau), the middle register (middle line B to C with two leger lines above the stave) is called the clarion register, and the top register (C# with two leger lines above the stave and higher) is called the altissimo register.



Clarinets are pitched in Bb, that means when the oboe plays its 'A' for the orchestra to tune to, clarinets will play 'B' . It's a transposing instrument. Similarly, as you say, when we read a 'C', we're actually playing a concert Bb.



Looking forward to working with you jojo!

I'm a bit confused now about this tuning business. Although last night at my lesson the teacher asked me to play 'B' before we started playing the piece of music. I thought it was because the piece started with a 'B' note !! I'm not sure I undestand this bit about when the clarinet plays the note 'C' that it is a B flat. Could a descant recorder and a clrinet play from the same piece of music and be in tune together, or would one piece have to be in a different key or am I completely mad?

No they can't, unless the clarinet player can transpose at sight and play everything a tone higher than the music says.

The Bb clarinet sounds one tone lower than the written note you play, so if you play a C it will sound like a Bb, a D will sound like a C etc.

Therefore, the Bb clarient part needs to be written one tone above the pitch you want. So, if you have a descant recorder part in C major you would need a part in D major for the Bb clarinet.

If you have any music with piano accompaniements you'll see that the piano part is written in a different key to the clarinet one.

sorry flossie, am confused, if a C on clarinet sounds like a Bb then this is a 'SEMItone lower' not a whole tone?
so therefore if clarinet is a semitone lower than why does the D sound like a C and not a Csharp?

(sorry am new to all this!)

No. C to Bb is a tone. C to B would be a semitone. Have a look at a picture of a keyboard - this might help.

C - B = semitone
B - Bb = semitone
C - Bb = (C - B) + (B - Bb) = semitone + semitone = tone

C - C# = semitone
C# - D = semitone
C - D = (C - C#) + (C# - D) = semitone + semitone = tone



Edit: Have just realised where you've maybes got confused. I was using Bb to refer to B flat (b as in the sign for flat). In the above I've also used B to refer to B natural, C to refer to C natural, C# to refer to C sharp, etc. This is fairly standard on the forum, but does differ a little bit to the symbols that get printed on actual music.

HAHAHAHAHAHA I went to have a lie down on the couch after I wrote the above and all of a sudden this 'light bulb lit up in my head'!!! what 'rubbish' was I talking about? C to Bb is a tone lower I must be 'brain mush'


yes sorry flossie! and to think I learnt piano up to grade 3, my ex piano teacher would be ashamed of me

Does what I was trying to explain make sense now? Please say if it doesn't.

Thanks Flossie, it does make sense especially when you explained about the descant recorder and clarinet. Fortunately I'm just starting on the Grade 1 theory and covered semi-tones and tones this afternoon so that has helped. I've only been using this forum for a short time but I think it's great how everyone helps out and also that you're never made to feel stupid.
Ido have clarinet lessons but the half hour flys by and I never really get the time to ask about 'technical stuff'.

Which is where this forum is great. It is one of the places where 'there's no such thing as a silly question' really applies. Occaisionally if the question has been asked recently someone will point you towards the search function.....mostly 'cos that person is in a rush, often they'll reply with a link to the previous posts.

Keep asking the questins Katie.....you'll shock yourself I'm sure as within just a few months you'll find yourself starting to know the answers as well. At that point the challenge is getting to answer before Barry has provided the most comprehensive answer you could ever hope to receive but in language you can understand.

hello forum clarinet community!

Hope you're ready for a bit later jojo!

Well done jojo, you did very well!

Hope you enjoyed it, Jo.

yep, I'd say it was a 'promising start'

and of course, barry is indeed very patient

- thank you, and I'm glad you had fun!

How about a clarinet addition to your signature jojo?

When I first started learning clarinet, it was a big help to me to discover the Circle of Fifths and to understand the principles of tones/semitones on a keyboard. There are lots of online trainers and theory sites - this is one of them which you might find helpful to browse

musictheory.net

Like it jojo!

done

- beat you to it (see post above!)

Happy clarinetting : looking forward to the next lesson

You can see fingering charts for all the registers at this link:

http://www.wfg.woodwind.org/clarinet/

Wonder if we'll ever get to upper altissimo, KatieB!

I saw a compilation of clarinet pieces in Schotts when I was there for Sol's piano playday, that I was seriously tempted by (and will probably buy next time I'm in there...). It had a piece in it, that looks quite fun, that includes a top D in it. That is, the D an octave above two leger line D...

Go jojo

P.S. I played the bass clarinet yesterday for the first time. According to my duet partner I'm a natural - seemed like I've been doing it for years! (Will put this in a more appropriate thread somewhere when I get the time )


Upper D Barry I can play the top C on a good day but thought this was the highest (can't remember many of the fingerings between top G and the C though:wacko:

I'm very pleased to add jojo to my list of students!



Cool! Have you got lots of experience of larger saxophones (tenor and lower), out of interest Dawn?



Top C is my regular limit...I'll have to do a bit of experimenting to get a top D...

thanks Dawn

one day I'll have a go at the bass clarinet, after all, it's ITS fault I ended up buying a Bb clarinet
I have no interest in playing a top D, as you might have 'sussed out' lower notes are my thing, except on the violin where I do like going 'high'

That top D is very, very extreme : up to grade 8, the highest note you are likely to find is the A below that (and the scales only go to the G).

Played tenor a lot in my youth. Not so much recently though.

I see. I think that might have been a small help to you on the bass clari

I think I've almost got the F sorted.....

Wonderful sbhoa!

When you arrive at F#, you'll find there are alternatives. Your teacher will advise

I do have a powerful set of lungs

But the embouchure's much tighter on bass clari than sax.

Yes, it is. If you try and use a saxophone embouchure on bass clarinet, you'll find your tone is rather harsh and flat...

YEp! Found that out

Good to keep the air going through it too. Been passing these pearls of very recent wisdom on to the young lass who's going to play it for the youth item "Flintstones" - You met her (L) from the playday. I'm impressed how far she's come on. She was playing top part tonight to my bass for Mama Mia. Then I helped her out with Flintstones. She has some tricky over the break bits and I think tuning could be a bit of an issue but we had a great blast And did get it right at leat once. I'm encouraging her to blow strongly and put more in her mouth and also to experiment with height of instrument stand to gain best effect


Sorry..... This thread has gone from high notes to low notes Oops