Posts Tagged ‘ Clarinet Tone Talk ’

Clarinet Talk: Video- Trying Buffet Festival clarinets, the saga continues.

Trying Buffet Festival Clarinet

After trying these in our hall, the Ohio Theater with its dry acoustics, I ended up choosing the second clarinet in this video. It’s around 3:30, half way through. The first one, which I show in the end with the beautiful wood, ended up feeling too “tight” in resistance, ultra focused, but unable to expand. The second has more resonance and ring, and has flexibility. This past week was a whirwind of intense rehearsals and difficult music. I had little time to devote to testing the Festivals one by one. Since I had picked the…

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Clarinet Tone Talk: Sound test with piano in two halls for recording in May

first community church clarinet acoustic test

I like both of these acoustics, though I prefer one to the other for several reasons. But I’ll let you listen and comment before I divulge my choice. We played the excerpts in different order at each church. I cut and pasted the clips roughly to match these two samples . Ignore the bloops, please. Also, the clarinet and mouthpiece (wood) had not yet warmed up and my pitch is a bit under. Please ignore that if you can. And of course, the pianos are not in tune. We literally walked in, set up the…

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Clarinet Tone Talk: Jazz vs Classical

Clarinet Tone Talk: Jazz vs Classical

Image Credit How does jazz clarinet tone differ from classical? An audio journey through the variations. Just as many classical clarinet players differ in tone from each other, so do many jazz players. But the goal of classical tone is different from jazz, in that classical requires more soft playing, more blend with other instruments, and more clarity in articulation to achieve its goals, while jazz needs to project and take center stage with a more relaxed articulation. The following sound bites attempt to trace a path between the two styles, demonstrating similarities and differences…

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Tone Talk: Singing to help voicing and playing an instrument

Tone Talk: Singing to help voicing and playing an instrument

Image Credit Does singing a note before playing it on an instrument help you play it better? I’ll address that question in this week’s Tone Talk post. In the context of playing a musical instrument, voicing describes the ideal shape of the oral cavity to make the best tone. However, looking deeper into the word “voice”, its meaning offers a number of useful clues and queues as to its implications for wind instrument players. Let’s glance at the history of the root word of voicing- the word VOICE: From an online etymological dictionary: Voice (n.)…

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Clarinet Talk: Four Tones – Same Player and Equipment

The following audio clip is Four Tones, Same Player and Equipment- [Audio clip: view full post to listen] I took John Peacock up on his challenge awhile back, to demonstrate several different voicings and how they affect tone. This clip begins with my saying and playing #2, #3, #4, and then #1, because #1 is my own natural voicing and since it is more familiar and comfortable, it would have an unfair advantage. The point is not that I sound better or worse on each sample, but how different the sound is from the others.…

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The Super Bowl of Clarinet Tone Tests. Tosca VS R13 VS Selmer!

All the following clarinet tone tests were recorded in a large church sanctuary, the site where I will record the upcoming CD in May. (Last week’s instruments were 1- R13 and 2- Tosca) The acoustic you hear is all natural. In excerpts B, C and D, the microphone was on a chair because I did not have a mike stand. In those, the buzz of the clarinet is more evident. The first excerpt, however, was with the microphone held high, where it will be for the recording. It was held kindly by my recording engineer,…

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Clarinet Tone Talk: Buffet R13 versus Tosca – Brahms Sonata excerpts

Samples 1 and 2are the first phrase from Brahms Sonata Opus 120 #1. Samples 3 and 4 are form Opus 120 #2. Let me know what you think. 1-[Audio clip: view full post to listen] 2-[Audio clip: view full post to listen] 3-[Audio clip: view full post to listen] 4-[Audio clip: view full post to listen] The players from last week’s Rossini Tone Talk sample are 1- Sabina Meyer and 2- Martin Frost. Would you like to share practice ideas with other musicians? You could do so at the Practice Café.

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Clarinet Tone Talk: Rossini Introduction opening, two samples

I wish you all a Happy New Year. After a harried holiday season, I look forward to getting back to a routine of sorts. That includes posting regularly on Mondays and Thursdays. This week’s Clarinet Tone Talk features samples of two great clarinetists playing the opening of Rossini’s Introduction, Theme and Variations. Sample 1- [Audio clip: view full post to listen] Sample 2- [Audio clip: view full post to listen] I prefer the second sample, which has a more intimate tone which seems to come from the inside and shine, even in the louder passages.…

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Clarinet and Oboe Tone Talk: Schumann Piano Concerto

I was listening to this recording yesterday. It’s Leif Ove Andsnes, Berlin Philarhomic with Mariss Jansons. This has to be one of my favorite pieces as an orchestral clarinetist. I adore the solos Schumann gave to the clarinet in the first movement. By using the clarinet in two contrasting melodic part, Schumann links the “voice” common to both. But first a few words about the opening oboe solo. The first sample in the clip is from the oboe, stating the solemn minor version of the theme right in the beginning. I love this player’s liquid…

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Clarinet Tone Talk: A crash course in prioritizing various factors in tone.

Clarinet Tone Talk: A crash course in prioritizing various factors in tone.

Image Credit You may already know the main factors involved in producing a good clarinet tone: equipment, voicing, and air. But if you will allow me, I’ll elaborate on the subject to highlight important points often overlooked, such as the player’s interaction with the equipment and the player’s “concept” of tone, what he “hears” (with inner-ear and feels in body) before playing. First- There are the internal choices; tongue position, throat shape, soft palette and especially your use of air, how fast, how controlled how ready your air is. Second- You have external or unalterable…

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