Breathing!A car needs gas to make it move just like instruments need air to make sound. The higher the quality of gas, the better the car performs. The same thing is true with air! When you inhale, the inside of the mouth should feel like a big yawn. The back of the throat should be open and unobstructed. Think of the word "oh" when you breath in. |
Embouchure
The way you hold your mouth to play the clarinet along with great posture and great airflow will result in awesome clarinet tone. Check out a well formed embouchure and the steps to get it!
Say Shoe...
Say shoe and notice what it does to your tongue. Your tongue should be high in your mouth and shaped like a water slide
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Chap-stick
Pretend your putting chap-stick on your bottom lip. This firm bottom lip is vital to playing clarinet
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Shoe- oohh
You said shoe your bottom lip is firm, now add "oooh" to the end. There you have a pretty great start to the right embouchure.
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First Sounds!!
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Trouble shooting
If you had a hard time producing a good tone on your mouthpiece and barrel, have a look at the table below for trouble shooting ideas. If you're still struggling, be sure to ask your band teacher or a professional clarinet player for some help.
Fingering Location Chart
Below is a graphic to help you determine where to put your fingers. There is also a fingering chart located on the downloads page.