CLARINET OR SAXOPHONE? 8/1/12

These instruments are closely related, despite their appearance. They are both “single reed” instruments. The little piece of cane on the mouthpiece vibrates to produce the basic tone, which is then modified by the bore of the instrument. One is often asked “Is it better to start on the clarinet, then move to the saxophone?” Or – ”I’ve heard that if you play clarinet, saxophone is easier.” There is some truth in all of this. Blowing either instrument need not be difficult – if you can blow most of your birthday candles out, you’re on your way. My own preference for young players is indeed to start on the clarinet. The tone is more refined, and it is necessary to exercise greater discipline over the fingers, as they must seal every hole which they cover, otherwise permitting squeaking. The saxophone holes are closed by pressing buttons, which are far more forgiving. This often allows careless placement of the fingers, which hampers advanced development. A teacher will monitor this of course, but will always be aware of the huge variation in finger sizes and shapes.

Naturally, to many, the appeal of the saxophone compared to the clarinet is like the appeal of the guitar compared to the violin – the saxophone is simply funkier, while the clarinet is capable of the most beautiful abstracted expression. For young players, the technique of the saxophone is actually simpler, and playing it is more straightforward and less complicated. In reality, if an instrument does not “speak to you” there will be little point in trying to play it, but it has been my experience that those who have worked on both have appreciated it. I have also had brilliant saxophone pupils who have never touched, and have never missed,  a clarinet.

 

 

COMPARATIVE WOODWINDS                              by Paul Williams

 

In presenting a “comparative woodwind” session for the VMTA's Summer Conference, I confined myself to the flute, recorder, oboe, bassoon, clarinet and saxophone. Mindful that the audience would range from highly knowledgeable to blissfully ignorant, I tried to cover the main bases with material ranging from banal to insightful.

 

“Familiarity breed contempt” we are told. This is not a happy outlook for the much-maligned recorder, the best-known of the woodwinds. St. Paul said “When I was a child, I spoke as a child and thought as a child, but now I am become a man I have put away the things of a child.” This is advice which all too many promising young recorder players have acted upon when beginning High School. The ubiquitous and overworked recorder has borne the stigma of “primary school tool” for too long. In reality it is a highly expressive instrument capable of virtuosic display.

 

It does however, present certain challenges. Its very simplicity makes it highly effective in simpler keys, but renders chromatic passages extremely difficult, hence its fine record in music of the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries. Modern composers have produced much engaging and challenging literature for the recorder in both solo and ensemble form, and virtuosi like our own Genevieve Lacy provide fine models across all forms. It will hardly come as a surprise that the most effective recorder groups are those which are led by dedicated and well-supported individuals, either in studios or schools. Intra-group peer support seems to be an important factor in actively establishing respect for the instrument and its repertoire.

 

And since nothing grows from nothing, the fine work of many hundreds of recorder groups across the country must be acknowledged. The teachers who run these groups have been responsible for seeding many careers, mostly on other instruments. In many cases these teachers are the thin red line between culture and the forces of materialism. I would love to see the work of these teachers carried on to higher levels by their talented graduates.

 

The flute, which we also know well in its metal form, developed from the recorder, and features an array of keys. The early flute looked rather like a recorder but was held sideways. The sound was produced by blowing across the mouth-hole, splitting the air stream. The recorder channels the airstream down a tunnel, and the stream splits against a fipple (or little ledge) which is fixed in place. The angle of the air stream on the fipple is fixed – you can't change it. On a flute, you can change this angle, giving the player more control.

 

When the English player, Nicholson, produced a bigger sound than his continental counterparts, they were very annoyed. They found that his flute had large finger holes, producing a bigger sound – he had enormous hands. Boehm, the German flautist, produced an instrument with large holes, but closed them by an ingenious system of levers and springs, which is the modern flute, capable of three octaves at dazzling speeds. The primitive flute of Mozart's time (he didn't dislike the flute, just abhorred the poor intonation so frequently encountered on it) was soon superseded by the instrument we know today.

 

The lowest register is problematic for the young player, as the tone is naturally weak. This is not an insuperable problem, but needs consistent and dedicated work.  The commonest complaint for a beginner is dizziness. This is merely oxygen surfeit from frequent blowing attempts, and passes quickly.

 

The next problem is the inability to produce a sound. If the player can produce an airstream of the right velocity and focus, the flute (or just the head for starters) can be brought into line with the stream, thereby starting the tone. It then becomes a “knack”. Some have it right away, and others take a considerable time achieving it, but ultimately may do just as well.

Flutes have no reeds, and few moving parts to service. Maintenance is generally inexpensive, and the instrument itself not hard to acquire. Flute groups are fun and are found in most schools. Tuning adjustment is done firstly, by pulling the head joint out a little (this makes the instrument longer, and therefore flatter), or conversely, pushing it further in to make it sharper (often necessary in Winter). This is only an approximate tuning, and the player gradually learns to adjust for more refined tuning, by turning the head joint outwards (sharper) or inwards (flatter). These adjustments are necessary to counteract the tendency of the flute to play sharper in “f” and flatter in “p” dynamics.

 

One problem for the young flautist is the difficulty of finding solo spots on such a popular instrument.

 

One solution for some has been to play the oboe. It looks rather like the clarinet, being small and black. However, it is a reed instrument, the reed being a double-bladed piece of cane (really “Arunda Donax” the Mediterranean giant grass from southern France). Whereas the flute player communes with their muse in a natural singing style, the oboe player must come to grips with the reed, which provides considerable resistance. Sitting behind orchestral oboists, one is in no doubt of the back pressure involved, which results in bulging collars and eyes. As you would expect, this is not completely necessary, and there are many players who play beautifully with minimal resistance. This said, it must be acknowledged that the oboe is a very physical instrument.

 

Early efforts at the oboe can be hard to live with, but modest gains become very effective. “A little oboe goes a long way” would seem to be the maxim of many a composer. Pick up the woodwind books of major Symphonies, operas and ballets, and you will find thick volumes for the clarinet, flute and even the bassoon, but the oboe volume is a slim one. The oboe has two and a half octaves compared to the flute's three and the clarinet and bassoon's three and a half. Good composers realise that the instrument must be used sparingly, for both aesthetic and practical purposes. However, the oboe has a disproportionate number of highly expressive solos to play, making it a satisfying and rewarding instrument.

 

As with the all woodwinds, a good ear is necessary to make the final adjustments in tuning, mainly through altering lip pressure. The student oboe is usually at least twice the price of the flute, reeds can be expensive, and a specialist teacher is advisable, particularly with reed selection and adjustment.

 

The oboe's close relative is the bassoon, the tall chimney-like instrument lurking in the orchestra. Most non-musicians, upon being shown a picture of a bassoon, will identify it as the oboe, the sound of which word reminds them of the tone of the bassoon. This is an understandable mistake, based of course, in ignorance. If you would correct them most bassoonists will be deeply in your debt.

 

The heyday of the bassoon is long gone. Vivaldi wrote 50 concerti for it, Mozart 4 and Weber 1. Yet in that period the expressive powers of the orchestral bassoon increased enormously. The bassoon is a creature of half-moods. In its native register one would use the cello for lushness of tone. With the bassoon one gets dignity. For power the trombone is unrivalled. The bassoon offers earnestness. The French Horn gives grandeur, while the bassoon offers quirkiness. The bass clarinet, snarling, suggest evil, but the bassoon can only manage cantankerousness. You will hear the bassoon as an unrivalled spare-parts instrument, colouring a cello solo, offering a woody octave sound to the clarinets, being, for all practical purposes, a fifth horn here, and a third trombone there.

 

In chamber groups too, the bassoon is popular and useful. The bassoonist is never short of colleagues, all of whom want that warm, solid bass to underpin their efforts. The reed is larger and more forgiving than the oboe, and the amount of back pressure is quite a satisfying one.

Expense may be a problem, as  most school bassoons could cost as much as two flutes, two clarinets and an oboe all put together (or, roughly, six flutes, or five clarinets or three oboes or dozens of recorders).

 

All the instruments so far mentioned are in concert pitch. That means that they can play piano music unaltered. Now the picture changes. May I introduce –

 

The clarinet!  Like the flute and the oboe, pressing down the first second and third fingers of the left (upper) hand, gives us three descending tones. On the flute and oboe and recorder, these are B A and G. On the clarinet, these are called E D and C. However they sound D C and Bb, a tone lower than their names. Consequently, clarinet music must be specially written a tone higher to compensate.

 

There are many instruments like this, and their pitch is named after their named note C. The alto saxophone, playing a written C, sounds Eb a sixth below. It is, in consequence, the Alto Sax in Eb. Other instruments like this are the French Horn, Trumpet, Cor Anglais and  Alto flute, just to name  a few. It's an historical accident that they have turned out like this. For example, the C Melody saxophone was popular in the 1920s, but eventually it proved to have neither the mellifluousness of the alto or the virility of the tenor saxophones, so was abandoned.

 

Like the flute, the clarinet is an extremely nimble instrument, featuring the same Boehm system of keys levers and springs used on the flute. However, there is an anomaly in the clarinet sound as it comes out considerably deeper than one would expect for an instrument of this size. This is because  it acts as a stopped pipe, the vibrating column of air being a U-shaped one, twice the length of the instrument. This gives a pleasant woody, hollow sound n the bottom register which is easy to learn and admits of fast progress. However, on the left thumb is a special key, known on the other instruments as an “octave key”. Press this and tighten the embouchure, and suddenly, you're singing soprano. Try this on clarinet and you are in for a shock-the note jumps not eight notes, but twelve. In the upper register one has to re-learn the clarinet. The home sequence of notes in the bottom register is F Major, like a treble recorder, but in the upper register it is C major, like a descant recorder.  

 

Since the clarinet is an instrument of the mid-eighteenth century, it has little baroque or early music, but much has been adapted, with varying degrees of success. It was a highly popular instrument in the 30s and 40s in the hands of the swing masters, but has largely been overshadowed in jazz by its glamorous cousin, the saxophone.

 

The saxophone was invented in the 1840s and has prospered. It looks like a highly complicated instrument, but in reality all that metal key-work enables a simple technique over two and a half octaves. The precision demanded of a clarinet player's fingers in sealing the finger holes is considerably relaxed on saxophone, the pearl buttons being quite forgiving of less-than-perfect finger placement. Saxophone tone is powerful and manipulable, enabling fast progress, but also allowing great freedom of expression in the right hands. The low notes are hard to produce unless the instrument is maintained in top condition – rarely the case in hard-worked school instruments. The alto is the best known, and is in Eb, while the larger tenor is in Bb, an octave below the alto. The baritone is rarely privately owned, because of expense, but is an essential part of the stage band saxophone section, and provides a rich bass for the sax section. There is much literature, in both “classical” and contemporary styles, to engage and entertain the young saxophonist.

 

As a family, the woodwinds are highly individualistic and colourful. They are worth getting to know even if occasionally temperamental, and will provide a rewarding relationship.

 

 

THE NEW OLD STRADIVARIUS 7/1/12

Eric was excited when he mentioned his violin to us. He'd found it in a little antique shop, and it didn't look like much, he said. Could he bring it over for Margaret to check?

Well. Of course, but we didn't hold our breath. We'd seen them before, and the clearly visible “Antonio Stradivarius, Cremonensis 1722” was all too pat. But then again, they do happen, and one would feel a chump if a rough diamond were to slip through one's grasp. After all, we knew of a teacher who provided his student with an expensive (over-priced actually) instrument, only to feel guilty a couple of years later. In this repentant mood he offered the young man a choice of various instruments of humble provenance.

 Taking one of these instruments because he liked the sound of it, the student then had it refurbished and re-valued, and was delighted to find that its value had increased ten-fold. The teacher felt a little sick.

Eric's violin, sans case, certainly looked “pre-loved” and had evidence of extensive and rather rough repair work. Nevertheless, there is every chance that it could still be a worthwhile instrument, probably what is known as a “German trade instrument”, or an instrument made in Germany probably 100 years ago, on the lines of a Strad. There are many of these around and are respected by professionals if they are any good. But refurbishment would be expensive and probably raise the value to less than $1000 (at most) if the instrument is viable at all.

 On the other hand, if it turned out to be the genuine article, Eric would soon be buying a rather nice beach house (or taking violin lessons).  

 

I WANT TO SUPERVISE MY CHILD'S PRACTICE BUT I DON'T KNOW THE FIRST THING....ABOUT THE CLARINET; (other instruments to follow)

 

Let's take the clarinet for example. All instruments seem to come with their share of arcane knowledge, and the clarinet is no exception. What a little miracle it is to see a teacher make a few adjustments which transform a shrieking monster (the clarinet, not the child) into a smooth and mellifluous sounding object, with limitless potential for musical expression.

 

ASSEMBLY

Of course you should be at the first (and possibly a few more) lesson. Lining up the joints is important, so that the finger holes on the two main joints are lined up. In joining the two main sections, it is also important to have the overlapping, projecting plate at the bottom of the smaller joint fit neatly over the corresponding receiving plate on the larger joint.

 

THE WASHING AND THE IRONING

The reed should be moistened (washing) and its flat surface pressed for some seconds against another flat surface (ironing). A dry reed is unresponsive and squeaky (you've noticed?).

 

CLAMP

The reed is held against the opening in the mouthpiece by a clamp called a ligature (from the Latin “ligo” – “I tie”) usually metal, but not always. Traditional German clarinettists wrap the reed on with special string. This should be done up firmly, but not tightly.

 

THE EMBOUCHURE (pron. ombechure, meaning the mouth grip)

The top teeth rest on the mouthpiece's upper slope about half-way. The bottom lip curls over the lower teeth, which then bite upwards, pressing the lip against the reed. This provides variable control of pitch (tuning) and tone (sound quality).

 

THE HANDS

The left hand goes on top, and the right hand on the bottom The right thumb has a special support. This thumb can feel the strain at times, and there is a special device for young players. It is a sling (like the saxophone one) but just a little different. It is an elasticized velcro loop which just takes the weight off the right thumb, and is a great idea.

 

THE FINGERS

Fingers are amazingly different. As is the case for most instruments, the fingers should be curved, with the pads of the fingers covering the holes firmly. This is not always as simple as it sounds, and it is wise to work from 1-finger notes to those involving successive fingers. Hasten slowly here, concentrating on long notes and beautiful sound. Any leakage of air through inaccurate finger placement will result in the unfortunate squeak. Fingers live close to the holes they cover, and any excessive movement is not conducive to good technique or expression.

HUFFING AND PUFFING

Generally one plays the hardest reed one can manage with comfort. Reeds are numbered according to the thinness of the tip. A soft, thin reed is #1, while the hardest grade is #5. I have never used more than a three and a half, and mostly use two and a half and three.

“No puffum cheekum” my Indian mentor would tell me. The Dizzy Gillespie look (see him on YouTube) is frowned upon, and the cheeks should be firmly held in using the dimple smile we reserve for photos. It's good exercise for the face muscles, and will keep you looking young forever.

Diaphragm breathing is essential. Basically, just think of it as breathing through the stomach.

POSTURE

It's like having your soup – as your parents told you, you don't go to the soup, the soup comes to you. Similarly, on clarinet, the head should be upright and straight, not forward or to the side. This is important for one's health. The instrument is then lifted into position, providing the best basis for tone production and a pleasing look and style.

MIRROR PRACTICE

This is very useful, for often the player sees immediately what others may have noticed, and is keen to remedy the problem without being chided.

PRACTICE

Practice sessions should be short at first, but should number at least 5 a week. As stamina and technique build, sessions may become longer, which will not be tedious because of the more interesting repertoire being essayed.

YOUR ROLE

In our “connected” age, many children find it hard to work alone, so any company you can provide is good, any sense of sharing is valuable, particularly if you can simply relax and encourage, especially in the early stages. Later on you may be evicted from lessons and practice. That can be a sign of progress.

Enjoy!!