Clarinet Basics: Part Six - Instruments and Early Success by Julie DeRoche
Quality instruments are crucial to students' early success and commitment
Many people have asked what I think makes a young person stay involved with music while in school. I have found no single, simple answer. Music is a pursuit that combines the seemingly contrary qualities of being unique to the individual while, at the same time, providing an experience in which each musician is important to group success. Therefore, music teachers must find ways to help each of their students achieve personal success and foster an attitude of cooperation so the success of the group can also be ensured.
One of the most important things any player needs in order to achieve this kind of success is good equipment. Without high-quality instruments, good mouthpieces, reeds that are the correct strength and so forth, it is almost impossible to learn proper playing techniques. No matter how good the embouchure or how clean the articulation, without a good instrument the student will find that success is more difficult to achieve, and consequently, the potential for giving up in frustration can be greater.
Furthermore, quality instruments will help the group's success by adding stability of tone, pitch and acoustic feel. When students have well-built, well-designed instruments in their hands, teachers can teach their sections with confidence, knowing the equipment will help students accomplish what they are being asked to learn. I firmly believe that when students succeed, they stay involved with music.
Still vivid in my memory is the day when I received my first instrument. It was a Noblet clarinet. I remember the smell of the wood, the look of the shiny keys, the beauty of the blue velvet in the case. I felt as if I were receiving something very important and that I was going to do something "real" with it. I had no idea what was possible at the time, but I couldn't wait to find out. This partnership that a player feels with the instrument is an important part of a lasting relationship with music.
Unfortunately, there are many times when students receive clarinets that do not deserve this kind of dedication. Keys are broken, the instrument leaks, the tone holes are not properly drilled, the design is poor (so the instrument plays out of tune) and the case is cheap. The instrument is easily discarded because it is unimportant and unhelpful, and in fact, it makes the student's job more difficult. In other words, it is not the precious gift that inspires dedication to a long-term project.
What is it that one should look for in a clarinet? What is it that a teacher should recommend? How do you test-play a clarinet? And what effect will a good clarinet have on a student's ability to learn?
Playing a clarinet is a difficult task. The instrument has four completely different registers — the chalumeau (lowest) register, the throat register, the clarion register and the altissimo (highest) register. Each of these has a distinct quality of sound. However, clarinetists strive to make each one as homogeneous as possible so the tone will be even and fluid from register to register, with consistent pitch. An inferior clarinet forces the player to compensate for pitch and tone color differences that are inherent in the instrument by making adjustments in embouchure and tongue position. This makes playing much more difficult. It also makes a teacher's job more difficult, as it becomes impossible to teach consistency.
That's why the most important and desirable aspect in a good clarinet, whether it is a plastic one for beginners or a top-of-the-line wooden model, is an even acoustic feel and a consistency of pitch from note to note. The goal is to be able to play with minimal change in embouchure or tongue position while feeling minimal change in the instrument's resistance and hearing minimal pitch fluctuation from note to note. Whether you are a teacher testing beginners' clarinets for an entry-level band or an advanced player looking for a great new instrument, the following steps can help guide your choices.
First, be sure that a tuner is available so the instrument's intonation can be checked with accuracy. However, begin by warming up the clarinet without looking at the tuner so you can get a "feel" for its qualities. Remember that a cold instrument will be flat, so it needs to be warm before the intonation test will be accurate. Conversely, a warm instrument will play best in tune if it is pulled out slightly at the barrel.
Play a very slow chromatic scale from low E to high G (or beyond) while looking at the tuner and listening to the evenness of the different notes and registers. Avoid making any embouchure or tongue-position adjustments so you gain an understanding of what the clarinet can do for you, rather than what you must do for the clarinet. If you are a band director who does not play clarinet, ask one of your more advanced students to try this for you. It does not take long for acoustic comfort to become clearly desirable to students. Play slow scales and arpeggios, thinking of the solidity of pitch and the tone color of different registers. Are they even? Do the registers feel the same as you cross the breaks? Can you keep your embouchure still and in place no matter what notes you are playing?
Next, play portions of pieces that are difficult. Does the instrument you are testing make it easier or harder for you to play? A good instrument will make your job easier; conversely, a bad one will make it far more difficult. Remember, a good player can achieve a beautiful sound — as long as he or she is playing with good "clarinet basics" and has an instrument that will allow it. If you are testing more than one instrument, play the exact same material on each one to ensure that you are comparing instruments rather than musical selections.
If you are testing instruments for beginners, make sure the mouthpiece that comes with the instrument is a good one. It is by far best to have a mouthpiece that does not have too wide of a tip opening. The reed must vibrate against the face of the mouthpiece, causing the air column to vibrate through the instrument. A mouthpiece that has an "open" tip will require a reed that is too soft and lacks good, classical sound. Or it may require the student to use a harder reed and then "bite" to get it to work, which is also undesirable. Using a medium tip opening allows the student to exert proper hold on the reed with the jaw, which will make a slightly harder reed feel quite comfortable.
Make sure that the clarinet is clean, the pads are sealing and there are no leaks that make the clarinet feel stuffy. All keys should be working properly without much clicking noise. The case should be sturdy and should protect the instrument so that it does not move or wobble around inside. Your students should have several good reeds, and should keep them in a good case so they are not playing on any that are chipped, moldy or warped.
Whether you or your students are playing a rental instrument or are buying a more advanced clarinet, the importance of the gift of quality cannot be overstated. Ease of playing, comfort and confidence in the instrument will foster success, and success will create dedication to a long-term commitment. My own experience as a student, a teacher and a performer has shown that it is truly rewarding to play a clarinet that allows me to focus on music rather than on wrestling with the instrument.
Young players who are entrusted with something important — such as a beautiful new clarinet they know will help them — will have a better chance of establishing a lifelong love of music.
Julie DeRoche, associate professor of clarinet and coordinator of winds at DePaul University, Chicago, also serves as director of performance education for the Leblanc division of Conn-Selmer, Inc.
