3 Essentials for Successful E-flat Clarinetists
There are so many elements involved in playing clarinet. We have books and exercises for most anything you can think of - breathing, fingerings, tonguing. Some of us are addicted to gear, always searching for the one element that will get us closer to that perfect sound.
Of course, there are more than just three things that will make any of us great clarinetists! Its easy to get overwhelmed by the amount of things we could be doing to improve, but there are some basics that can help simply the process when you are getting started with E-flat clarinet. When I first became serious about mastering the E-flat clarinet, these three things really made a difference in my playing.
1. A good reed/mouthpiece combination.
This seems obvious, but how many of us had a bad first experience with E-flat clarinet? I know mine wasn't great. You're given a school instrument (which may or may not be kept in good condition) with a borrowed mouthpiece. You either get reeds from the last person that played it or guess when ordering your own box.
Until the middle of my masters degree program, I thought I was pretty bad at the instrument. Then I tried a friend's mouthpiece and changed up my reeds. Suddenly the instrument became a clarinet (with all the intonation, tone, and fingering challenges, yes). But the problems were more manageable.
Actually try E-flat clarinet mouthpieces, just as you would when searching for a B-flat clarinet mouthpiece. You want to check for the same things - does the mouthpiece allow for you to comfortably play with the correct embouchure? Is your intonation good? Do you like the basic sound? The styles may not be the same - my B-flat and E-flat equipment definitely don't match - so keep an open mind. Try reeds intended for E-flat, but also try some B-flat reeds that have been cut to fit the smaller mouthpiece.
(Never tried it? More on E-flat reeds in a post coming soon!)
2. Tuner with a drone
This is essential!
One of musicians' biggest complaints about the E-flat clarinet is intonation. Most of us have had years of ensemble playing on B-flat clarinet prior to playing auxiliary instruments. Hopefully, that means we are used to our tuning tendencies, and are able to adjust as necessary to the tuning of the ensemble. If you are new to E-flat clarinet, you haven't built up familiarity with the instrument yet. Playing with a drone can help!
Playing an instrument while watching the needle on a tuner can be helpful if you are trying to chart intonation tendencies, but doesn't help so much when we play in a group. To learn how it feels to really play in tune with others, it is important to practice with a reference pitch. Learn how each interval sounds when it is in tune. Play scales with a drone on the tonic or dominant. Know how it feels to play in tune on E-flat clarinet throughout the full range of the instrument.
I'll have some sample exercises with a drone up by the end of the summer!
3. Creativity with fingerings
If you don't like exploring some uncharted areas of practicing, the E-flat clarinet might not be for you... this instrument can demand a bit of creativity when it comes to achieving the best results.
Certain ranges of the E-flat clarinet are fairly out of tune - normally the throat tones and the altissimo register. Obviously mouthpieces, reeds, and barrels can assist intonation, but what about the notes that are really out of tune?
If something is so off that you need to change the quality of your tone to bring it close to pitch, you probably need a different fingering. For example, I vent several throat tone notes by using the right hand trill keys. Depending on the dynamic, I don't always need to do this. However, I have taken the time to figure out what notes (or combinations of notes) need a bit of help on my particular clarinet.
Definitely make use of fingerings from other clarinetists! Peter Hadcock's Orchestral Studies for the E-flat Clarinet has some fingerings, as do numerous online clarinet forums and websites. Remember that your instrument might be different, so an amazing fingering for your friend might not be the best choice for you.
(Not sure where to start with altissimo fingerings? Try this alternate fingerings page from The Clarinet of the Twenty-First Century by E. Michael Richards.)
Basic message: don't expect to sound great right away! You need reliable equipment and some time learning how the E-flat clarinet responds. If you're an advanced player picking up E-flat clarinet for the first time, remember that while it is a clarinet, it is a different instrument from B-flat!
Do you have an essential for practicing E-flat clarinet, or a great fingering resource? Share in a comment below!