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Post by altoclarinets on Sept 7, 2008 14:46:40 GMT -5
I use a neckstrap for alto and contra, though I don't play bass. The basses only use neckstraps for marching. Most altos have spikes but I use a LeBlanc L300s, pretty much the best alto money can buy but it doesn't have a spike. And its old.
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Post by altoclarinets on Sept 14, 2008 19:14:44 GMT -5
Well, one thing that will help you in a lot of ways: put your right hand down while playing in the throat register. Not only does this make it easier to switch but it improves tuning and helps make the notes sound less like they're being strangled! It's better on a low clarinet as far as the last one is concerned because they have separate holes for the speaker key and the Bb and that makes the Bb and clarion sound better and tune more easily. Clarinet is pretty much the only instrument that was invented instead of evolving... and that was relatively recently... so there are still a lot of kinks being worked out of the system. So welcome to the cult.
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Post by Lprdgecko on Sept 21, 2008 22:16:04 GMT -5
Haha in my band there's this thing where the saxes and clarinets pretend to hate eachother. It's funny because my brother (who plays sax) is dating a girl in my section, a girl in my section is dating a sax player, and the guy I like plays sax and he wants me to teach him clarinet lol. Sorry, that was random.
But yeah, to add on to the above conversation, I really don't like having to switch from an A in the staff to a B in the staff quickly. It doesn't work for me. I keep my right hand down, and it helps a little, but I tend to blow more air and re-artictulate when I switch to the B and thus the B will either sound a little too late because I didn't use enough air or it will be unintentionally accented because I use too much air and re-articulate the note. Most of the clarinets in my band have this problem. We're playing Bach's Fugue in G Minor in Wind Ensemble, and there's a part where I have to switch from B to A and back to B in 16th notes, and that part is really hard for me, just because I can't get the B out in time... Oh well. I guess I'll just keep practicing it lol.
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Post by altoclarinets on Sept 23, 2008 20:39:44 GMT -5
Instead of doing that, hold the a and trill with the top right index finger key. I bet you always wondered why those were there. the 2nd one makes a good Bb trill as well.
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Post by Lprdgecko on Sept 24, 2008 17:41:30 GMT -5
^Ok, so the top side key plus the A key makes a B? That's good to know. I need to practice it that way though because in the part, it's not a trill. It's something like GBAB EBAB D#BAB EBAB in 16th notes, with the G, E, and D# being below the B in the staff. I can do it, I just can't get the B out a lot. Hopefully that alternate fingering will help lol.
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Post by altoclarinets on Sept 26, 2008 16:15:46 GMT -5
Yep. Another wonderful use for that key is to trill btw thumb register C and altissimo d.
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Post by Lprdgecko on Sept 27, 2008 22:34:59 GMT -5
Ok, good to know. Thanks!
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Post by bariclaribob on Sept 28, 2008 13:11:31 GMT -5
I have some Bb C trills (one the staff) in my pit orchestra music, so I finally get to use that weird top 2 on the right keys to trill. It sounds bad, but it's just trilling, so I'm not going to worry about it.
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Post by altoclarinets on Oct 1, 2008 20:13:27 GMT -5
Yeah. It takes some getting used to to play it w/o sounding like a strangled chihuahua.
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Post by bariclaribob on Oct 4, 2008 15:33:03 GMT -5
Yeah. It takes some getting used to to play it w/o sounding like a strangled chihuahua. I laughed at that. That's a good analogy, though. I also play realllly high in my pit orchestra music, so that'll be... interesting? It wouldn't be a big thing if we had strings to cover, but we don't. I've got a bunch of double F, F#, and G's.
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Post by altoclarinets on Oct 4, 2008 19:37:37 GMT -5
^Well that's fun. If they're tending sharp hold ur C/F key down. LOL i won my cross country meet. Makes me wanna dance.
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Post by bariclaribob on Oct 22, 2008 18:13:55 GMT -5
What have you all heard about playing with a flat chin? My band director has got me drilling it, and I noticed that it does give me a fuller, rounder, warmer sound. I just can't seem to "get" it every time, and when I do, I can't play above a high D (above staff).
How to describe it... whistle. Feel the way your chin feels "flat" to the touch? Try playing like that. I have to pull my chin funny by jutting it out, but that just screws up my top lip... once I finally get to put my clarinet in my mouth, I've usually lost it.
Maybe I'm crazy... then this is just a little personal quirk.
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Post by Lprdgecko on Oct 22, 2008 19:43:46 GMT -5
I've never tried, but I've heard our BD tell a few people to do that... I usually only flatten my chin if I want to lower the pitch of a note...
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Post by bariclaribob on Oct 22, 2008 19:46:03 GMT -5
Me too. I noticed that more since I've started trying to flatten it all the time.
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Post by altoclarinets on Oct 25, 2008 13:38:44 GMT -5
We were taught to play with flat chins so I really don't know any different... And I'm always about 2Hz sharp anyways. Ugh.
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