I have just started re-recording my older videos with new technology, that is much better. If you look at the Clarinet Mentors KZread channel, anything recorded since early August will be significantly better in audio. Just today I posted a new High Notes:101 video that basically replaces my old How To Play High Notes Part One, with much better sound. It takes a while, but I hope to record all of this with better audio. - Michelle

Michelle, your lessons on clarinet mentors have saved me hundreds of dollars! I appreciate your clarity, relevance and humility. You're a great teacher.

I've been wondering about this for soooo long! There is so much helpful information in this video. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

@trippydrippy

7 жыл бұрын

jenthemusician agreed

Hi - My ligature is called an "inverted" ligature. It is designed to have the screws on the opposite side of the mouthpiece. The way you can tell is to look at the reed, and ensure that the screws appear on the right. If you just turned a ligature backwards, they would be on the left. There are great ligatures in both positions, but many people find that the inverted ones help the reed to vibrate a bit better. - Michelle

Very helpful. I thought there was something wrong with my clarinet. The "A" key sounds great. The B flat key, not so much. I always try and use the side key. Now I will learn these new fingerlings. You are a great teacher.

@gonzojoe5635

7 жыл бұрын

I also thought something was wrong with mine! I nearly went out and bought an upgrade!

Hi Natalie, I use barrels made by Backun Musical. They have a wonderful selection of designs and wood types. I love the variety of tone colours that I get with Backun barrels. I have a few. They also come in a variety of lengths to help with tuning. Many people find that they assist in evening out the tone from the lower registers into the higher ones. If you ever get a chance to try them, you would probably enjoy experimenting with them. - Michelle

I hope this helps. Usually some combination reliably works on any clarinet. You might just have to experiment to find the best one for you.

Thank you so much for your videos!!! I just discovered them today and I have learned so much! I wish I had my clarinet with me so I could try the exercises right now! I want to kick myself for leaving it at school for the weekend. I can't wait until tomorrow so I can practice these exercises and techniques. :)

Hi Michelle! Your videos are very very useful! I'd like to thank you for such a wonderful work. In order to share information that may help to enrich your already huge knowledge about the Clarinet, I'd like to let you know the way I've faced this fact by using Lyrical Singer's breathing technique - if you don't mind, of course - here it goes: The more air you push up by using your diapraghm muscle, the best clear and tuned sound you're going to get! Actually playing Clarinet is like "singing out of your body" Specially, in legato sounding... That's why I'm learning Clarinet. Best regards Michelle! And thanks once again!

I've been watching your videos for the past hour now and they are really great! I noticed that some of these videos you can barely hear. Are there any other links to other videos where we can hear you better? Again, great videos!

if you have low Eb or a basic Bass Clarinet you can play Bb as low Eb and Register and that sounds fuzzy but not airy and its alot more avalible

Awesome,life saviour ! Thanks again

Thank you so much for this. There is a lot of Bbs in one of the solos in my band that I want really bad but my Bb key just didn't sound good. Thanks

Thank you for the video, they are self coaching on playing clarinet.

I can't wait to try this. I recently started playing again after many years. I am really enjoying it, but have been very frustrated with my throat sounds. I even bought another clarinet, which is better, but still far from great.

@ClarinetMentors Thank for the information

This is my first of your videos to watch so if you address this on another video I am sorry for the repeat. I haven't seen a barrel like yours. I am curious what it is called and what effect it has on the sound. Thank you :) ~Natalie

Great! Thanks so much!

Hello, Michelle! Your "trick" to improve the throat A is incredible! It really makes a difference (for my clarinet, the index finger on my right hand does the trick). The Bb, however, is a lost case! The only way I can get a good sound is if I use the side key. I live in France and here the luthiers are pretty closed-minded... I don't think I'm going to be able to get one to add that little trick on the back key you have. (To give you an idea, when I finally decided which clarinet to buy, after A LOT of research, I decided on the Jupiter JCL-737 STO, which I thought/were told/now I know is a pretty good intermediate instrument for its price. However, when I started comparing prices with different luthiers and music stores in Paris, at least 2 luthiers told me: "We don't sell Jupiters and would never touch them if you brought them over for maintenance!" O-K-!) Anyway, I have a two-part question, if you don't mind! (1) I've restarted after so many years using a 2.5 reed to get some sound flowing but after a couple of weeks I've gone up to a 3 for more control and for less squeaks on the higher register. I was wondering if it's a good move or if I'll be missing out on some technical learning because of the jump. I am an adult, so I thought maybe I could handle the extra strength. (2) Even before changing to the stronger reed, I found my lips were getting tired pretty quickly. They still get tired as quickly but I don't remember that happening to me when I first played clarinet so many years ago... Anyway, are there any exercises that you can recommend to get my lips back in shape?

@ClarinetMentors

8 жыл бұрын

+Xavier Bonet Hi Xavier - I think I answered this on another post, so hopefully you have seen that reply. I think the Jupiters are decent clarinets. Bb's are just not great on most clarinets.

I have difficulties when I go from that A to the B, even I have al my fingers closing all at the right position, the B delay 1 second to give the sound after I blow. Can you recommend something to improve that B?

Lol again. Thank you so much for the information. I can't wait to try them out!

Hi! my middle B is really hard to blow out and what can i do to fix it? I already tried bending the key but it doesnt work. everytime I try to play middle B it either makes a growling sound or it takes so much pressure to blow out

Hello! I've always had a different ligature thingy from all the different schools I've moved to and did band. Right now, I'm using a plastic one that says, "Luyben" (made in U.S.A.). I've heard from some it's really good or bad/weird. What do you think?

@ClarinetMentors

8 жыл бұрын

+Scooter Murray The Luyben ligatures are good ligatures. They play better than most standard metal ligatures that come with the average clarinet. Every mouthpiece responds differently, so if you were to try other types, you might find one that you like even better, but you have a good one at the moment.

Mpc+lig? I use a vandoren bd5 and a leblanc bonade lig

Does that work for German system aswell

Hi Michelle, can you elaborate on how the Bb post is added? It's not very clear since it is shown just from one angle. Thank you!

@ClarinetMentors

8 жыл бұрын

+Shirish Malhotra If you are referring to the little post I have inside of my register key pad, I had a repair person do that for me. It is about the thickness of a pencil lead, and perhaps 4 mm in length. I've also had a similar effect from a very thick pad used, with the edges beveled into the centre to make almost a trapezoid shape. Most high level clarinet technicians will have their own preferred technic to help vent that key better.

You are talking about written pitches for the clarinet and not sounding ones throughout this video, right?

me gustaria que me enseñaran paso por paso cada nota en la escala cromatica grave agusdo.

Hi! I am a student. and my major is music composition. When I was young, i heard clarinet played E and another tone at the same time. I wanna know how to play that. Can you explain for me?

@ClarinetMentors

8 жыл бұрын

+김다솜 That is called multi phonics, and is a special effect that is not very common on clarinet. There are a few books published about this. I would Google Clarinet Multiphonics and see if you can find some direction on it.

Why do you put your ligature upside down. so the screws face up instead of down?

I've been reading a book about the clarinet (by Jack Brymer,) and he explains how the register key's position and hole size is a poor compromise, both for the throat Bb and as a vent key. He mentions some alternative mechanisms, such as the S-K mechanism, in which the left thumb key opens one of two different tone holes, one for Bb and another for the higher register. Yet I've never seen a clarinet with such a key. Why wasn't the S-K (or some variant) eventually adopted for all clarinets? The mechanical issues should not be a problem, as the saxophone has a similar trick where a single thumb key activates a different vent key depending on which note is being played. The 2nd side key gives a sweeter Bb, but I find it a big stretch (and I worry about hitting the wrong key in quicker runs...)

@ClarinetMentors

8 жыл бұрын

+Stanley Alama You are correct that this is a "design flaw" in the clarinet. Modern clarinet makers, such at the Backun clarinets and others, have improved this, for sure. I use those side keys whenever I can do it smoothly, but as you say, this is awkward. My hope is that more and more manufacturers make some of the modifications that help us clarinetists out!

You have a Buckun Clarinet? If so which one? You like it?

@ClarinetMentors

8 жыл бұрын

+Dima Clarke I play on a Backun Grenadilla clarinet with cocobolo MoBa barrels and bells (as well as a MoBa mouthpiece). I love the instrument! I had a good instrument prior to my Backun clarinet, but now I find tuning much easier, and the richness and variety of sound is wonderful. Even the barrels can really help improve the tone of any clarinet. They all respond differently with different setups, so it is worth trying with different designs and different wood types on your own instrument.

@dmitryclarke2127

8 жыл бұрын

+Clarinet Mentors (Michelle Anderson) wow. That's cool. Thanks. I live in Oregon and the closest place is in the Bay Area California. I will need to drop by sometime soon. I need a new clarinet badly. I had a selmer 10 series clarinet that is 49 years old!! It's having problems and I really want a cocobola Backun protégé clarinet!! I just need the money! I will definitely check out the barrels! Thanks

Will these tricks work with bass clarinet? I'm switching to bass clarinet really soon but I haven't gotten my actual bass clarinet yet

@ClarinetMentors

8 жыл бұрын

+4lpHa SKruB Bass clarinets sometimes have different mechanisms, so this may or may not work. You should experiment with it once you have your bass in hand. The Bb is usually not as bad on bass as it is on the smaller clarinets.

what number reed do you use?

@ClarinetMentors

9 жыл бұрын

AnnieOhhAnnie I use a 4, which is where many players eventually level off. However, it is common to work your way up 1/2 size at a time. Where you end up also depends upon your mouthpiece, and the style of music that you are playing.

Hi, I'm in high school and recently bought a new clarinet. The model (a Yamaha 550al) is wonderful, but is a few decimals off tune in my throat tones, any tips?

@ClarinetMentors

8 жыл бұрын

+Galvan Bladeworks Usually the Yamaha clarinets play quite well in tune. Many clarinets are a bit sharp in the throat tones. If you are sharp, you can try adding some resonator fingers to adjust pitch, but also improve tone. This video may help: kzread.info/dash/bejne/f3ikmLh9hcq1f7g.html

how do u play Bb on clarient?

@ClarinetMentors

7 жыл бұрын

A good fingering chart will show you how to play all of the notes. Here's one: www.clarinetcloset.com/clarinet-fingeringchart.html

Only a minute and a half in and my problem is solved

My phone bugged out

just get to the business and stop praising yourself!

@ClarinetMentors

6 жыл бұрын

I do think that the information here is useful to many clarinetists. If you have already learned this elsewhere, then it is either simply a review, or you could jump to one of the many other useful videos that clarinetists can find on KZread.

@is02ub

6 жыл бұрын

Yes, that's all fine and dandy, but I really don't need to hear that you're a founder of clarinet mentors and that you've been a teacher for 30 years. It starts at 0:30 and goes on to 0:50. Who cares? I personally don't! and it just sets a bad tone about yourself. The title of this video is "How to improve your throat tone ..." and not "Michelle Anderson - founder of Clarinet Mentors and a teacher with 30 years of Experience" right?

@ClarinetMentors

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your feedback. I understand that some people like to get right to the content. Other people do like to know the credentials of someone teaching online since there is quite a variety out there. You'll find that I use a variety of introductions on my videos to hopefully find a balance between all of those styles. If you are watching my videos and you hear me start to say that, you can just skip ahead 20 seconds! In the big picture, I think that most people don't mind a bit of background when they have access to nearly 100 free videos that will help their clarinet playing.

@is02ub

6 жыл бұрын

I really appreciate your videos as they provide a lot of useful information. In one of the videos, you helped me decide which BG ligature to choose. You're right that I can always skip ahead when watching your videos and that some people need to know about the validity of knowledge by telling them about yourself.

@marcioluisdeoliveira2473

3 жыл бұрын

Unquestionably, isO2ub is an extreme example of psychosis associated with absolute lack of good manners.