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Position:Home>Performing Arts> Clarinet: Why does going over the break sound horrible?Question: Clarinet: Why does going over the break sound horrible!? I've been playing clarinet for nearly ten years! Why does going over the break still sound weird to me!? I'm not just talking about the high high high notes, I mean the lowest C over the break sounds only half decent!. I'm in tune, it just sounds like crap!. What's wrong!?Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Keep practicing and you'll find that it still sucks!.!.!. but seriously, it will get better!. Try doing some practices over the break where you do two notes quick, hold/pause, then the next two notes quick and hold!. Then do it opposite after you get used to doing it one way!. For instance, open G to A quick, then A to B quick, B to C, and back down!. It's like a sixteenth note with dotted eighth, then reverse it to be a dotted eighth and sixteenth!. It's tiresome, but it works!. Be sure to keep your fingers closer to the keys as well so your hands don't have try as hard to find where they're going!. And if at all possible, keep your right hand down if you can like when you're on G or A going over the break!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Ok well It could be a few things 1) Reed strength: To get high notes to sound good reeds usually need to be a little harder!. Have you tried going up to the 1/2 reed size higher!? It could just be a simple case of needing a stronger reed 2) Breath support: High notes need to be supported by your triangle muscles! Google breath support if you don't know what I mean!. You might need to learn how to support these notes 3) Fingering: If there is a delay could mean that your fingers haven't caught up with your air!. You change your embouchure and the fingers have to catch up with them!. So for a few seconds your 'high note' embouchure is in place but your fingers aren't!. It takes a while for students to master this! Do some slow practice in front of the mirror start your metronome at ,say, crotchet = 30 and play A and then B!. Gradually use the metronome to get faster!. But do it gradually making sure the notes are even! Use the mirror to make sure that your fingers are close to the keys so that don't have to travel far to get back!. But slow practice is the key! You can try it with other note combination as well!. Like G-B, A-C# etc!. Its boring practice but necessary for even notes!. If you cant play it slow there is no way that you will be able to play it fast! Arpeggios are good as well 4) Instrument: It could be the pads on your instrument so get your Clarinet teacher to check if any air is leaking! You also might like to try playing those notes in front of your teacher!. It is much easier to diagonse problems when the student is right in front of you! This is one of the hardest things that Clarinet students need to learn so hang in there!Www@QuestionHome@Com Do arpeggios until it feels right to you!. I can't remember the commercial, but at the end they said "amateurs practice till they get it right, professionals practice until they can't get it wrong!." This is your rough spot!. Work on it until your sick of hearing it!. Then work some more!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Practice!! im sorry, thats all you can do!?! the break is superr annoying on so many instruments, but its takes alot of time and practice to get it right!.!. just do arppegios or 2 octave scales over and over againWww@QuestionHome@Com do you need a new reed!? or maybe your keys aren't lined up right if you took a break from playing you need to re build your "chops" also make sure your fingers are completly covering all the holes and that pads aren't sticking! best of luckWww@QuestionHome@Com |