August Practice: Week 1
Welcome to Week 1 of the August Practice Calendar! Each week, I will outline a few thoughts on each topic in the practice calendar. For a full overview of the month and a list of recommended materials, see the introductory post from August 1!
Week 1 Practice Concepts
Reeds
It might be good to gather all of your reed options this week as you dive into a month of E-flat clarinet practice. Most major reed manufacturers have E-flat reeds, and many professionals use the Vandoren or D’Addario reeds. Vandoren has a few different cuts available. D’Addario’s recent E-flat clarinet reed has been one of my favorites - you can read about my testing process here.
Don’t have any E-flat reeds on hand? Try cutting a B-flat reed down to fit an E-flat mouthpiece. You can see a previous blog post on cutting reeds here, or check out some other videos on cutting reeds on YouTube.
Researching Equipment
If you’re just starting out on E-flat clarinet, you will most likely be using a borrowed instrument. Often, you are supplied with a mouthpiece and ligature, but just like on B-flat clarinet, what works for one person may not be the best fit for another. Think about trying multiple models, and investing in a quality E-flat mouthpiece. Some of my personal favorites are Vandoren M30s and Richard Hawkins mouthpieces, though there are a number of other mouthpiece makers that are putting out fantastic options. Some ligatures I have used, from least to most expensive: Vandoren M/O, Vandoren Optimum, Silverstein Cryo4.
If you are thinking about getting your own E-flat clarinet, or accessories such as custom barrels, bells, or extensions, try to find out what some of the current prominent E-flat clarinetists play. Some people to start your search: Jorge Montilla, Elizabeth Crawford, John Bruce Yeh, Jessica Phillips
Tone and Air Support: Long Tones
One of the most important things you can do when practicing E-flat clarinet is work on your sound. It is important to recognize that this instrument is different than B-flat. At the same time, the tonal differences between these horns is not an excuse for an uncontrolled sound. Striking this balance can take time, so be kind to yourself if this is the first time you’ve really worked on E-flat clarinet. Try long tones in different registers at different dynamics, and simply notice what sounds you get.
Hand Position and Basic Finger Exercises
Since the size of the E-flat clarinet is obviously different, some players can have difficulty adjusting to the smaller keywork. Setting your hand position and working on finger motion is necessary for technical passages - and essential when training yourself to switch between clarinet quickly. Slowly playing through some of the finger exercises in the Klose method would be a great way see how your hands adjust to E-flat clarinet.
Play a Simple Etude
Now isn’t the time to pull out the most complicated etude you know - pick something that is fairly easy to play. Notice how the instrument responds in comparison to B-flat. There is a tendency to use shorter air - meaning that we don’t play through the entire instrument because it is smaller than the B-flat clarinet. See if you can keep up your air support and make some phrases. The early etudes in the Hite Melodious and Progressive Studies Book 1 could be a good place to start.
Notice Articulations
While the fundamentals of playing are the same between E-flat and B-flat clarinets, many things will feel different due to the difference in size. Depending on your comfort with articulation, the length of your tongue, and a number of other factors, articulation on E-flat clarinet may feel easier or more difficult than B-flat. Keeping your embouchure and air set properly, try simple tongue stops and releases on the reed.
Share your progress, etude ideas, and questions with the E-flat clarinet community by posting on Instagram and tagging @eflatclarinetproject in your posts, or commenting on this week’s Facebook post!