College-age musicians are emotionally healthier than their non-musician counterparts
for performance anxiety, emotional concerns and alcohol-related problems.
-- Houston Chronicle, January 11, 1998
Getting Back To The Concert Band Clarinet Sound Following Marching Season by James Gai
We would like to thank Yamaha and Dr. James Gai for giving us permission to distribute this article. For a handout version, please click here. Dr. Gai is the clarinet instructor at the University of Central Missouri.
 As marching band season ends and concert band begins each year, the clarinets are often the one
section of the band furthest from producing that “ideal” sound. Here are a few reminders and
suggestions that will help that section again contribute to a balanced concert band sound. We’ll look
at some equipment issues first, since even our most talented students can’t produce good results
using inferior or faulty equipment. “Fix the horn or fix the kid?” is often the question in the director’s
mind. These first two suggestions will help fix the horn.
Reeds
Have each clarinet player obtain new reeds. Discard the thin, flabby and fatigued reeds from marching
season (as well as the plastic ones) that can only produce open, unfocused tone and poor intonation.
The strength of the reed should be matched to the mouthpiece facing. Generally, the closer the facing,
the harder the reed should be. I recommend Rico Royal #3 to 3-1/2 or Vandoren 2-1/2 to 3 for many
mouthpieces, though a few premium hard rubber mouthpieces will require #4 reeds for best tone and
pitch. It might be time to replace that lost reed holder, too.
Pads
Next, check the instrument for leaks. Bad pads or bent keys can cause a number of playing problems
including overall flatness, squeaks, pinched embouchure, and bad finger habits. A simple test for leaks
is to take each joint of the clarinet, cover the finger holes with one hand, use the heel of the other to
seal the bottom of the joint, and try to suck the air out of the joint. Don’t blow into it, but rather try
to create a vacuum in the joint. If the joint tests correctly you will feel the vacuum and get a “pop”
when lifting a finger; if not, you will be able to inhale a slow, steady stream of air which indicates that
one or more pads should be replaced.
Serious problems with all aspects of playing can develop during marching season. Here are some
suggestions for students:
Embouchure
When marching, the need to grip the beak of the mouthpiece with the teeth can become an
alarmingly normal part of playing due to excessive upper body movement, uneven marching surfaces,
and the weight of the flip folder. To undo this habit, begin by placing enough mouthpiece in the
mouth. Slide a piece of paper between the reed and the mouthpiece facing to give the student a visual
example of where the bottom lip should contact the reed. In reality, the lip should be just slightly
closer to the tip from the point where the paper catches, but the goal is to get more of the reed vibrating freely, producing a resonant, darker sound. Pitch will come down
slightly and students will discover that very little pressure from the jaw is
required to produce a good sound. Intonation will improve remarkably!
A mouthpiece patch (thin, self-adhesive plastic applied to the beak of the
mouthpiece) will also help students hold more mouthpiece in the mouth.
Both Yamaha and Vandoren market these patches and are well-worth trying.
Holding Position
Related to embouchure, some marching bands encourage a holding angle for
the clarinet that tends to be 45 degrees or more from the body. This makes for
a good look and body carriage on the field, but the classical clarinet angle
should be between 30 and 40 degrees for more focused sound, tongue
placement, and disciplined hand position.
Articulation
Many of the traditional “thud” sounds can be eliminated by placing more
mouthpiece in the mouth (see Embouchure above) to expose more reed. The
tongue should contact the reed slightly below the tip to stop vibration without
closing the tip. Too often players hit the reed and bottom lip at the same time,
closing off the tip of the reed and producing the common “explosive” attack.
Simply point out to students that the tongue should not bump the bottom lip
for the best results. Suggest the student’s tongue motion emulate the syllables “dew” for legato and “det” for staccato as a foundation for a complex subject.
Breath Support
Re-establishing a tonal concept and utilizing good breath support go together.
Sitting or standing should make no difference in breath support as the hip joint
is a long way from the diaphragm and abdominal muscles. Good posture is
essential to the rudimentary “draw the air in with the diaphragm--push it out
with the abdominal muscles” approach. Better muscle control results in better
tone, but a directed, flexible airstream yields improved dynamic contrasts and
variations in tone color.
Finger Position
This area is probably the least of our worries, but I see many students using
their right index finger in a way that will inhibit playing fast passages. Students
tend to use this finger to help hold the instrument during long outdoor
rehearsals, placing it under the Eb/Bb key of the upper joint. This inhibits
smooth scale work because the fingertip cannot be placed directly on the hole
and must first “rock” on the hinge tube. After a few minutes of playing
indoors, check for a red spot or small dent on the index finger and remind the
student to relax, arch the fingers, and rest the instrument on their lap when it
gets heavy. A clarinet neckstrap works well for many students with chronic
hand problems.
Step-Up Mouthpieces and Ligatures
A replacement mouthpiece or ligature is often a shortcut to success in that will
make the student more aware of their sound and develop in them a new sense
of aesthetic values. There are many fine hard rubber mouthpieces on the
market listed under the signatures of great players, as well as the numbered
series by Vandoren and the sometimes overlooked Custom series by Yamaha.
Improved ligatures tend to be “low pressure” in design and may require players
to sand the backs of their reeds to insure an airtight seal on the mouthpiece.
Whatever the equipment, the student will care more about their sound.
While these brief suggestions can’t solve all the issues caused by moving from
marching to concert band, they may give some insight into refining that “concert band sound.”
A Yamaha artist/clinician since 1981, James Gai
has performed and presented clinics throughout
the United States and Canada. A former high
school band director, he is presently Professor of
Clarinet at the University of Central Missouri. He
holds two degrees from Southern Illinois
University-Carbondale and a doctorate from
the University of Northern Colorado where he
was a student of William Jamison. |
