I am an oboe player but will be playing clarinet for marching band in two weeks. I can get a sound out on the clarinet and can play most of the notes, but I was wondering if anyone had any tips for getting a better tone and getting the notes out better. I play on a size 3 reed.
2006-07-16 07:27:50 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Performing Arts
I am going into 9th grade but will be marching with the high school.
2006-07-16 07:28:41 · update #1
It is a good conversion from Oboe to Clarinet because they are really similar. For a marching style of playing, you are going to want to get a reed that is confortable in your mouth and that can allow you to play longer without getting your lips tired. And because you are playing with a marching band, a poor tone is less noticed, but I still highly recommend that you practice with your clarinet daily so your mouth can get used to the thicker mouth reed.
2006-07-16 07:33:27 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 4⤋
The style of reed is important. I used to play clarinet, but now I play tenor. Anyway, you said you play a #3? I used a 2 1/2. The higher the number, the thicker the reed. Thicker reeds are harder to play, but usually sound, I don't know, purer than thinner ones IF you can play them well. If you want to experiment, try a 2 1/2 and a 3 1/2 (along with the 3) to see which sounds the best. I know transferring from single to double reed or vice versa can be hard. I had a friend who tried. Good luck with the marching band thing!
2006-07-16 12:36:49 · answer #2 · answered by blacksheepmatt 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1) Consider the mouthpiece. A good intermediate mouthpiece is the Vandoren B45, which should improve your tone (if you're using a Stock Mouthpiece) You should be able to get a good used one on EBay.
2) Adjust the ligature so that it's barely tight enough to hold the reed onto the mouthpiece, so that the reed can vibrate freely. Also consider placing the ligature slightly above the pair of line scored onto the mouthpiece.
3) If the clarinet is a BUNDY, consider going to EBay and getting a good used Vito.
Good Luck!
2006-07-16 08:37:12 · answer #3 · answered by revicamc 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe take your reed to 2.5, which is what I prefer. It's all about breath support. The more air you push through your clarinet the less fuzz you hear. Also, try to keep the clarinet clear of spit, which can bounce around and resonate.
2006-07-16 12:25:55 · answer #4 · answered by ballerina_kim 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋