Having played clari as a child to about Grade 4/5 I hadn't touched it at all until #1 son started playing 2 years ago. And now... well waddya know - addictive little thing isn't it.

So, I've been mostly teaching myself, and was doing ok until I started hitting (or rather not hitting) the high notes. Lots of honking and grunting. Nearly handed the clarinet back to my son's teacher telling her it was broken since these wretched notes didn't come out the end of it, until #1 son cheerfully pootled his way up to high g. Ahem...

Anyway, been doing my research and found an old thread with lots of helpful advice from DawnF and Barry Clari, and waddya know again - turns out it wasn't the instrument, but the instrumentalist who was broken! Not fully fixed yet, but a small light has appeared at the end of the tunnel, and the fear of those high notes in my Grade 7 pieces is dissapearing (slightly)

So thank you, thank you, thank you. You have cheered me up without even knowing you were doing it!

Oh That's nice to know. You are not alone though. Those notes are hard to tame. If you'd been at York you'd have seen me tussling with the top B. I'm still not entirely it's master yet but Barry helped me to get it out so I at least know that I CAN do it and I think that's half the battle. Watch this space - it'll be top C next

That's great to hear, kathrobert

Dawn : you're right, getting the B is half the battle.

Was gutted not to be at York - ill children and absent husband . Would have loved to have seen you wrestle! High B is but a distant dream at present!

Am not a million miles away from York, so maybe we could tootle together sometime? Might be fun! Just bought myself a bass clari (oops!) which is due to arrive shortly, so plenty of clarinetty fun to be had!

I also meant to say: and maybe it's been said in other threads you've read Kathrobert but once you reach your limit only tackle one new note at a time. Make sure it's relatively secure before you move on to the next.

Will keep that in mind. Small steps... Thanks DawnF

However, sometimes going to the note above a difficult note can make the lower one easier. Even though I can now play most of these notes getting the flexibility to move between them easily and using alternative fingerings is far from perfect.

A useful book is The Complete Clarinet Player Book 4 (or is it book 3) - whichever the last one is anyway is good at taking you through the top notes and providing pieces to work through that use them. It's teh one my teacher used with me many years ago and it's the one I still refer back to on many occasions.

Well done with the progress by the way.

We'll do more events in York : hope to see you sometime soon kathrobert. We missed you and your family at the playday.

Absolutely. Don't be in a hurry.
It's taken me a few months to get the E and F anything like and they are still not 100% though they do have some rather good days.

playing high g makes me feel so cool

Hey That sounds like fun!! I missed this post last night. A bass clari is something I don't have. Played it once - in a concert at that (it was a kids one so intonation didn't have to be spot on but I think I did ok if I do say so myself) I could play bass in band if I wished but have said no as I want to stick to the Bb with the ultimate aim of 1st/solo clarinet in mind at some point in the future.


Hey - just a thought - Are you in HArrogate? Weekend of 6thh/7th June we have a concert in the Valley Gardens it's free too.....

Not sure... lovely thought though. Will PM if it looks like it will work, and if not, will post when the bass arrives and tell you how lovely and strokable it is, and whether I can get any notes out of i at all! Have been invited to play it with band at the Yorkshire Show, so had better get a reasonable parp or two!

K