HEY PEOPLE.
For those that are going for the concert on this coming Sunday, 23/9/07 ,if u wan to meet together and go.
Then please Meet Me and Cheris AT the PAssenger Service at the City Hall Mrt STation =) If u wanna meet together, please reachthe destination by 5.45pm. thanks. muacckks. haha, on that day can take picture together. =) for thost not going, dun be sad =). HAPPY. *smile*
post by: Xiuyun, =)
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Monday, September 10, 2007
some clarinet notes about tounging tone and articulation
For clear staccato playing and tone production,
clarinet students need to have the proper tongue
position, visualizing the oral cavity’s shape when
saying “ee” or “hee.” Blowing air through a straw
with the tongue in this position is a good beginning
exercise for proper air stream. Studying clarinet
harmonics (the sounds produced when overblowing
a note) further develops this shape and tongue position.
The following exercise will help achieve this.
First, hold an open G at a comfortable volume;
then overblow the G, producing a D6. Reach D6 by
arching the tongue slightly higher in the back of
the mouth while keeping the throat open and relaxed.
Sometimes it helps to play D6 with the proper
fingering for four counts to hear the pitch. After
hearing the pitch and feeling the proper tongue
position, once again overblow G to play D6 and
overblow D6 to play Bb6. Then descend chromatically
from G to E3, one tone after the next, holding
the fundamental and the two overblown harmonics
for four counts each (see Example 1). Students
should have a good feel for the proper oral cavity
shape after learning the pitches in this exercise;
they can only be played if the air stream is full and
the oral cavity is shaped correctly.
Example 1
Begin staccato studies by placing the tip of the
tongue on the reed tip, maintaining proper position
and shape of the oral cavity—especially at
the back of the tongue. Finger an open G. While
the tongue depresses the tip of the reed against
the mouthpiece, blow the air and remove the
tongue on signal. Prior to removing the tongue,
the student will be blowing, but no sound should
come from the clarinet since the tongue is on the
reed. Remove only the tip of the tongue, keepingthe back in the arched, or “ee” position. Fluctuations
in the soft under-chin area when removing
the tongue indicate that the entire tongue, not
just the tip, is moving.
Usually it takes several tries and some encouragement
to move only the tip of the tongue.
The next step is to finger an open G and, with
the tongue on the reed, begin to blow. Release the
tongue to play the G on signal, then try to stop
the tone with the tongue on signal (see Example
2). Although the tone will stop, the air pressure
should remain full. To see if the air pressure is
being maintained, leak a little air from the corner
of the embouchure while blowing. Though
playing with an air leak is not recommended, this
will verify if the air pressure is constant or choked
off when the tongue returns to the reed.
Example 2
Once this can be accomplished moving only
the tip of the tongue while maintaining air pressure,
shorten the rhythmic values (see Examples 3
and 4).
Example 3 q = 60
Most players accomplish this lesson in twenty
minutes, although it helps to continue to review harmonic
exercises for proper tongue position. Use the
phrase “breathe-blow-release” to encourage blowing
a full amount of air before the attack. Articulation
occurs as the tongue moves away from the reed,not as it moves toward the reed. Release the tip of
the tongue from the reed with the syllable “tee.”
kinda long but if u want the whole think u guys can go to http://bands.army.mil/masterclass/tusafb/2004/clarinet_techniques.pdf
For clear staccato playing and tone production,
clarinet students need to have the proper tongue
position, visualizing the oral cavity’s shape when
saying “ee” or “hee.” Blowing air through a straw
with the tongue in this position is a good beginning
exercise for proper air stream. Studying clarinet
harmonics (the sounds produced when overblowing
a note) further develops this shape and tongue position.
The following exercise will help achieve this.
First, hold an open G at a comfortable volume;
then overblow the G, producing a D6. Reach D6 by
arching the tongue slightly higher in the back of
the mouth while keeping the throat open and relaxed.
Sometimes it helps to play D6 with the proper
fingering for four counts to hear the pitch. After
hearing the pitch and feeling the proper tongue
position, once again overblow G to play D6 and
overblow D6 to play Bb6. Then descend chromatically
from G to E3, one tone after the next, holding
the fundamental and the two overblown harmonics
for four counts each (see Example 1). Students
should have a good feel for the proper oral cavity
shape after learning the pitches in this exercise;
they can only be played if the air stream is full and
the oral cavity is shaped correctly.
Example 1
Begin staccato studies by placing the tip of the
tongue on the reed tip, maintaining proper position
and shape of the oral cavity—especially at
the back of the tongue. Finger an open G. While
the tongue depresses the tip of the reed against
the mouthpiece, blow the air and remove the
tongue on signal. Prior to removing the tongue,
the student will be blowing, but no sound should
come from the clarinet since the tongue is on the
reed. Remove only the tip of the tongue, keepingthe back in the arched, or “ee” position. Fluctuations
in the soft under-chin area when removing
the tongue indicate that the entire tongue, not
just the tip, is moving.
Usually it takes several tries and some encouragement
to move only the tip of the tongue.
The next step is to finger an open G and, with
the tongue on the reed, begin to blow. Release the
tongue to play the G on signal, then try to stop
the tone with the tongue on signal (see Example
2). Although the tone will stop, the air pressure
should remain full. To see if the air pressure is
being maintained, leak a little air from the corner
of the embouchure while blowing. Though
playing with an air leak is not recommended, this
will verify if the air pressure is constant or choked
off when the tongue returns to the reed.
Example 2
Once this can be accomplished moving only
the tip of the tongue while maintaining air pressure,
shorten the rhythmic values (see Examples 3
and 4).
Example 3 q = 60
Most players accomplish this lesson in twenty
minutes, although it helps to continue to review harmonic
exercises for proper tongue position. Use the
phrase “breathe-blow-release” to encourage blowing
a full amount of air before the attack. Articulation
occurs as the tongue moves away from the reed,not as it moves toward the reed. Release the tip of
the tongue from the reed with the syllable “tee.”
kinda long but if u want the whole think u guys can go to http://bands.army.mil/masterclass/tusafb/2004/clarinet_techniques.pdf
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
heyys
back from band camp ahahas ;DD
its a nice thing although a few of us were injured wen playing the water bomb game ..
but i tink it was fun
dunt u all agree ??
ahahas ..
sec one juniors pls pls pls memorise all 4 scales that will be tested ..
concert Bb concert C concert D n concert Eb
For sec 2 pls memorise
Concert Bb Concert C Concert D Concert Eb n Concert F
- diiyyann -
back from band camp ahahas ;DD
its a nice thing although a few of us were injured wen playing the water bomb game ..
but i tink it was fun
dunt u all agree ??
ahahas ..
sec one juniors pls pls pls memorise all 4 scales that will be tested ..
concert Bb concert C concert D n concert Eb
For sec 2 pls memorise
Concert Bb Concert C Concert D Concert Eb n Concert F
- diiyyann -
Sunday, September 2, 2007
The Clarinet notes
Julie DeRoche is coordinator of the woodwind department and clarinet faculty
at DePaul University, where she teaches with Larry Combs and John Bruce Yeh,
fellow members of the Chicago Clarinet Trio. She served as acting second
clarinet with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra during the 2000–2001 season and
continues to perform and tour frequently with the CSO. In addition to her
involvement with numerous chamber and orchestral groups, she currently
serves as president of the International Clarinet Association. Her
instrument of choice is the Opus model Leblanc France clarinet. This is the
second in a series of articles in which Julie DeRoche details basic clarinet
technique.
One of the most important aspects of good clarinet performance is the
ability to achieve beautiful sound. It is something that all clarinet
players search for and yet is often difficult to define—especially in
writing. In fact, there are many different types of clarinet sound and many
ideas of what constitutes a beautiful sound.
To me, beautiful sound is much like a spectrum of light—with qualities that
are bright and lively at the top, warm and vibrant in the middle, and deep
or dark at the bottom. Good sound must have aspects of all of these
qualities. It cannot be too bright or lacking depth. It cannot be hollow in
the middle or lacking center. And it cannot be simply “dark,” lacking
vibration, clarity and projection.
Many things affect tone production on the clarinet. Reed choice, as well as
qualities of the ligature, the mouthpiece and the instrument itself, will
impact the quality of the sound. So will the use of air and the control and
relaxation of breathing. But the most important factor in creating beautiful
tone is the ability to form and control the embouchure and to maintain the
correct position of the tongue in the mouth while playing—whether slurring
or tonguing.
In this segment of “Clarinet Basics,” I will describe embouchure formation
and correct tongue position, which can be used by anyone of any age or
experience with great success.
One dictionary defines embouchure as “the method of applying the lips and
tongue to the mouthpiece of a wind instrument.” While this is technically
correct, I believe that there is a better and more productive way to think
of embouchure position. While you will in fact be applying your lips to the
mouthpiece, it is far better to think of building the muscles of your
embouchure around the structure of your face—your cheekbones, gums, teeth
and jaw—rather than around the mouthpiece.
It is this structure that gives the embouchure support, just as the beams
and girders of a building hold the walls, floors and ceilings. Therefore,
when creating good embouchure, it is best to concentrate on two areas: the
setup of this structure, followed by the building of the muscles around it.
To set the structure of your embouchure, begin by opening your mouth so that
your teeth are approximately one half inch apart. Gently move the lower jaw
very slightly forward so that the bottom teeth are almost parallel or “lined
up” with the upper teeth. This position of the jaw allows for good control
of the reed in a forward direction rather than an upward direction, which is
a key factor in avoiding biting the reed. In fact, it actually opens the
bite slightly, allowing you to maintain control of the sound without
pinching or cutting off vibration of the reed.
Opening your mouth the correct distance will allow you to set the top teeth
on the top of the mouthpiece approximately one quarter of an inch from the
tip. Your “pressure point,” or lower lip and teeth, will be approximately
one half inch from the tip of the reed. Do not open your mouth too wide, as
this will make it difficult to place the mouthpiece in the mouth correctly
and will adversely affect the angle or amount of mouthpiece in the mouth.
When you place the mouthpiece in your mouth, remember to apply some upward
pressure of the two hands toward the top teeth so that the weight of the
clarinet does not rest on the lower half of the embouchure. This will help
you to maintain firm, comfortable control of the sound without lower-lip
injury.
To set the muscles of the embouchure, begin by rolling the bottom lip over
the bottom teeth until the top edge of the lower teeth is lined up with the
area of the lip that forms the outer boundary between the lip and skin, or
the “color change” between lip and face. This is what I referred to as the
pressure point—the point where the reed touches your lip, which in turn
touches your teeth.
It makes no difference whether your lip is thin, thick or medium in width.
It is important to create the pressure point in this way, as this is the
strongest area of the lower lip. Too little lip places the pressure point on
a weak area of lip tissue rather than the line of muscle at the color
change. Too much lip makes it difficult to do the next important step.
Remember to move the jaw slightly forward. While doing this, and rolling the
lip into the mouth, pull the chin muscle flat against the jawbone. You will
now have a leverage of “lip in, chin down, and jaw forward.”
Next, pull the corners of your lips in toward your “canine” teeth. They will
be directed toward the sides of your mouthpiece when the mouthpiece is
placed in the mouth.
Last, but definitely not least, your top lip will also be held tightly
against the teeth and will move downward toward the mouthpiece. This is
important for two reasons. First, it eliminates the air leak that often
plagues clarinet players. Second, it causes the chin to remain flat.
To experience this, stretch your lip under your nose in a downward direction
and notice what happens to your chin. It automatically moves just as
described above. Now try to stretch your top lip down without moving your
chin. You will find that it is impossible. Therefore, one of the best and
easiest ways to accomplish the difficult task of keeping the chin down is to
use the top lip properly.
In addition to maintaining good basic embouchure structure and firm
embouchure muscles, the tongue must be in a position that will allow for a
well-focused air stream and consistent pitch. This means that the tongue
should be relaxed and high in the mouth and that it should not move or
change position as you play. (The exception is the motion involved in
articulation, which I will address in the next issue of the Bell and which
does not alter this basic position.)
To find good tongue position, say “sh” as if you are telling someone to be
quiet. You will note that your tongue is relaxed and that the air is
directed toward the reed in a small, focused stream. Keep your tongue in
this position when you form your embouchure.
Your tongue should not push forward or withdraw into your mouth unnaturally.
It should remain in its space inside your teeth. The middle of the tongue
should be raised and the back of the tongue should graze the upper molars.
Do not push the back of the tongue down in order to “open the throat.” This
creates a hollow sound on the clarinet. Dynamic and musical contrast is
achieved by changing air speed rather than opening the throat, and
consistent pitch and quality of sound over all registers can be achieved
only by keeping tongue position constant.
Furthermore, if you keep the tongue position high, you will not be able to
puff your cheeks. Puffing cheeks are caused by an incorrect, low tongue
position, which directs the airflow sideways toward the cheeks and forces
them out.
You are now ready for the final step.
Keep your embouchure held against the structure of your face, and then place
the mouthpiece in your mouth. Remember to set the embouchure first, and then
move the clarinet up to you with your arms. Do not move your embouchure
muscles and body or head toward the clarinet, and do not set the embouchure
after you have placed the mouthpiece in your mouth.
Finally, make a seal around the mouthpiece with your lips by pulling them
tight against your teeth and around and in toward the mouthpiece. Since you
were already in good embouchure position before placing the mouthpiece in
your mouth, it will take only a slight additional adjustment to make a seal
around the mouthpiece.
Achieving a well-controlled embouchure and correct tongue position requires
attention and practice; it may seem a bit complicated at first. However, if
you repeat these steps, either as you try to put them into practice yourself
or as you teach them, you will find that the tone achieved—by you or by your
students of any age—grows resonant, focused and in tune.
Furthermore, a correct embouchure will provide the flexibility and
consistency to allow your tone to serve your music making without discomfort
or too much effort. It is simply a matter of muscle development and
exercise—or “getting in shape.”
The effort will be well worth it. The wonderful clarinet sound that you
achieve will produce great satisfaction and reward.
Julie DeRoche is coordinator of the woodwind department and clarinet faculty
at DePaul University, where she teaches with Larry Combs and John Bruce Yeh,
fellow members of the Chicago Clarinet Trio. She served as acting second
clarinet with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra during the 2000–2001 season and
continues to perform and tour frequently with the CSO. In addition to her
involvement with numerous chamber and orchestral groups, she currently
serves as president of the International Clarinet Association. Her
instrument of choice is the Opus model Leblanc France clarinet. This is the
second in a series of articles in which Julie DeRoche details basic clarinet
technique.
One of the most important aspects of good clarinet performance is the
ability to achieve beautiful sound. It is something that all clarinet
players search for and yet is often difficult to define—especially in
writing. In fact, there are many different types of clarinet sound and many
ideas of what constitutes a beautiful sound.
To me, beautiful sound is much like a spectrum of light—with qualities that
are bright and lively at the top, warm and vibrant in the middle, and deep
or dark at the bottom. Good sound must have aspects of all of these
qualities. It cannot be too bright or lacking depth. It cannot be hollow in
the middle or lacking center. And it cannot be simply “dark,” lacking
vibration, clarity and projection.
Many things affect tone production on the clarinet. Reed choice, as well as
qualities of the ligature, the mouthpiece and the instrument itself, will
impact the quality of the sound. So will the use of air and the control and
relaxation of breathing. But the most important factor in creating beautiful
tone is the ability to form and control the embouchure and to maintain the
correct position of the tongue in the mouth while playing—whether slurring
or tonguing.
In this segment of “Clarinet Basics,” I will describe embouchure formation
and correct tongue position, which can be used by anyone of any age or
experience with great success.
One dictionary defines embouchure as “the method of applying the lips and
tongue to the mouthpiece of a wind instrument.” While this is technically
correct, I believe that there is a better and more productive way to think
of embouchure position. While you will in fact be applying your lips to the
mouthpiece, it is far better to think of building the muscles of your
embouchure around the structure of your face—your cheekbones, gums, teeth
and jaw—rather than around the mouthpiece.
It is this structure that gives the embouchure support, just as the beams
and girders of a building hold the walls, floors and ceilings. Therefore,
when creating good embouchure, it is best to concentrate on two areas: the
setup of this structure, followed by the building of the muscles around it.
To set the structure of your embouchure, begin by opening your mouth so that
your teeth are approximately one half inch apart. Gently move the lower jaw
very slightly forward so that the bottom teeth are almost parallel or “lined
up” with the upper teeth. This position of the jaw allows for good control
of the reed in a forward direction rather than an upward direction, which is
a key factor in avoiding biting the reed. In fact, it actually opens the
bite slightly, allowing you to maintain control of the sound without
pinching or cutting off vibration of the reed.
Opening your mouth the correct distance will allow you to set the top teeth
on the top of the mouthpiece approximately one quarter of an inch from the
tip. Your “pressure point,” or lower lip and teeth, will be approximately
one half inch from the tip of the reed. Do not open your mouth too wide, as
this will make it difficult to place the mouthpiece in the mouth correctly
and will adversely affect the angle or amount of mouthpiece in the mouth.
When you place the mouthpiece in your mouth, remember to apply some upward
pressure of the two hands toward the top teeth so that the weight of the
clarinet does not rest on the lower half of the embouchure. This will help
you to maintain firm, comfortable control of the sound without lower-lip
injury.
To set the muscles of the embouchure, begin by rolling the bottom lip over
the bottom teeth until the top edge of the lower teeth is lined up with the
area of the lip that forms the outer boundary between the lip and skin, or
the “color change” between lip and face. This is what I referred to as the
pressure point—the point where the reed touches your lip, which in turn
touches your teeth.
It makes no difference whether your lip is thin, thick or medium in width.
It is important to create the pressure point in this way, as this is the
strongest area of the lower lip. Too little lip places the pressure point on
a weak area of lip tissue rather than the line of muscle at the color
change. Too much lip makes it difficult to do the next important step.
Remember to move the jaw slightly forward. While doing this, and rolling the
lip into the mouth, pull the chin muscle flat against the jawbone. You will
now have a leverage of “lip in, chin down, and jaw forward.”
Next, pull the corners of your lips in toward your “canine” teeth. They will
be directed toward the sides of your mouthpiece when the mouthpiece is
placed in the mouth.
Last, but definitely not least, your top lip will also be held tightly
against the teeth and will move downward toward the mouthpiece. This is
important for two reasons. First, it eliminates the air leak that often
plagues clarinet players. Second, it causes the chin to remain flat.
To experience this, stretch your lip under your nose in a downward direction
and notice what happens to your chin. It automatically moves just as
described above. Now try to stretch your top lip down without moving your
chin. You will find that it is impossible. Therefore, one of the best and
easiest ways to accomplish the difficult task of keeping the chin down is to
use the top lip properly.
In addition to maintaining good basic embouchure structure and firm
embouchure muscles, the tongue must be in a position that will allow for a
well-focused air stream and consistent pitch. This means that the tongue
should be relaxed and high in the mouth and that it should not move or
change position as you play. (The exception is the motion involved in
articulation, which I will address in the next issue of the Bell and which
does not alter this basic position.)
To find good tongue position, say “sh” as if you are telling someone to be
quiet. You will note that your tongue is relaxed and that the air is
directed toward the reed in a small, focused stream. Keep your tongue in
this position when you form your embouchure.
Your tongue should not push forward or withdraw into your mouth unnaturally.
It should remain in its space inside your teeth. The middle of the tongue
should be raised and the back of the tongue should graze the upper molars.
Do not push the back of the tongue down in order to “open the throat.” This
creates a hollow sound on the clarinet. Dynamic and musical contrast is
achieved by changing air speed rather than opening the throat, and
consistent pitch and quality of sound over all registers can be achieved
only by keeping tongue position constant.
Furthermore, if you keep the tongue position high, you will not be able to
puff your cheeks. Puffing cheeks are caused by an incorrect, low tongue
position, which directs the airflow sideways toward the cheeks and forces
them out.
You are now ready for the final step.
Keep your embouchure held against the structure of your face, and then place
the mouthpiece in your mouth. Remember to set the embouchure first, and then
move the clarinet up to you with your arms. Do not move your embouchure
muscles and body or head toward the clarinet, and do not set the embouchure
after you have placed the mouthpiece in your mouth.
Finally, make a seal around the mouthpiece with your lips by pulling them
tight against your teeth and around and in toward the mouthpiece. Since you
were already in good embouchure position before placing the mouthpiece in
your mouth, it will take only a slight additional adjustment to make a seal
around the mouthpiece.
Achieving a well-controlled embouchure and correct tongue position requires
attention and practice; it may seem a bit complicated at first. However, if
you repeat these steps, either as you try to put them into practice yourself
or as you teach them, you will find that the tone achieved—by you or by your
students of any age—grows resonant, focused and in tune.
Furthermore, a correct embouchure will provide the flexibility and
consistency to allow your tone to serve your music making without discomfort
or too much effort. It is simply a matter of muscle development and
exercise—or “getting in shape.”
The effort will be well worth it. The wonderful clarinet sound that you
achieve will produce great satisfaction and reward.
Saturday, September 1, 2007
BOO. hehe. Xiuyun here. I very ben sia, today then i Know got this blog (oppss) hehe, hmm, so , CLARINET section, your got to start Learn ALL THE 12 MAJOR scales, and MEMORIZE ALL 12 major scales. hmm, sorry , its hard on your, but , got to do it nia, hehe, shall end here. TMOMORROW CAMP LE WOR! GIRLS, remeber to PACK your BAGS!!! hehe, BRing Sweater if u afraid of COLD, REMEMBER to bring toothbrush, toothpaste, facial stuffs all that, as its not written in the pack list, hehe. TAKE CARRESS. Muacckks. =))
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