Clarinet High Notes - How to sound good while tonguing

Do you find that your clarinet tone is worse in the high register, especially when you need to tongue notes? Michelle Anderson, founder of Clarinet Mentors (www.learnclarinetnow.com), presents a clarinet lesson on how to sound better on clarinet high notes. This video provides 3 strategies to improve tone while tonguing in the high register.
For more great video resources, try the following:
Copy into your browser: www.betterclarinetarticulation.com This is the definitive Clarinet Mentors course on improving clarinet articulation. Click that link for a series of free preview videos that give you more valuable tips to help you play clarinet more easily.
For more information on clarinet voicing (tongue position inside mouth), see: • Improve Clarinet Tone ...
For more information on which clarinet reed strength is best for you: • Clarinet Reeds: What s...

[@lacroixr41]

I have recommended your videos to all of my students on clarinet

[@ClarinetMentors]

Thanks Raymond. I appreciate it.

[@thefallingpepper8502]

Where do u teach

[@mistervee123]

Your videos are always good and almost always amazing. Thanks so much.

[@ClarinetMentors]

Thanks for the kind words.

[@prettyflower9]

I just started playing the clarinet for the first time in over 10 years and your videos have really helped me. Keep up the great work!

[@ClarinetMentors]

Thanks Katie! You will likely be surprised at how quickly your former skills return. I hope you are enjoying your clarinet.

[@prettyflower9]

@@ClarinetMentors oh yeah! I'm loving it! I'm trying to learn those high notes, especially the high F. I just joined a volunteer orchestra and we already have a concert! Definitely going 0-100!

[@barristersolicitor4234]

no , YOU keep up the good work. She's a professional, you're the student. ;)

[@raymondsauve358]

I enjoy your videos, You are concise, clear. and you go to the subject immediately without any unnecessay words. Thank you !

[@ClarinetMentors]

Thanks for the kind words, Raymond. I appreciate it.

[@ronlivaudais6523]

Great job of communicating. You are a gifted teacher! Keep up the great work!

[@MattScriven]

Michelle thank you so much for your help in my clarinet playing. I really appreciate all the work you've done to make it easy for anyone to learn.

[@edepillim]

Very useful. I use 3 1/2 reed. My clarion A, B and C sometimes go into the stratosphere! Very high pitched squeaks . If my tongue says tee it’s no good, if my tongue says taa the notes are generally ok. Say tow or tuh and it’s bad again. I will take on board the airflow/ tonguing advice. When l go back to the sax it’s like going on holiday! Still l knew it would be a challenge.

[@naurbody8214]

thank you michelle anderson my high notes actually sound nice now

[@hermanbelgraver4072]

Very good educatinal video for bettering playing high notes. I practiced last four weeks wirh long notes on pace 88 . It was not spectacular but i found it a tremendis good excercise to improve my play. Thank you for teaching me.

[@roccogagliano303]

hey michelle, could you do a video about glissando? Thank you for your awesome videos!

[@annahbraybray4964]

This was REALLY helpful, thank you!!

[@delargydom]

Oh my God! Instant improvement! Not perfect yet but I definitely know what to work on.

[@wtmo5405]

Hi Michelle, thank you for the great advice. And good luck with the Mendelsohn

[@ClarinetMentors]

Thanks!

[@zennacailyn5268]

Thanks! This helped me so much as an intermediate clarinetist

[@nazarenotom873]

I'll tell my students to subscribe. Thanks for the tip I was copying you on this lesson and I might say for a trombone player to play like you? Man..totally different world.

[@roydm100]

Hey Michelle, thank you for this lesson! Have you ever done a video covering the issue of double-tonguing in that register? Would be very helpful for me...

[@ClarinetMentors]

I haven't put out a "high note double tonguing video". I think that Michael Rusinek has posted some videos that deal with this. Usually with any tonguing in the upper registers, the main thing that can cause trouble is letting our air support "huff" with our tongue. If we can keep air maintained independently of what our tongue is doing, the notes should work as well as when we slur.

[@watchoutforwattchow9187]

Thank you! This was very useful and exactly what I needed.

[@elgoogernut]

Thanks for that. it really helped ! :)

[@ClarinetMentors]

I'm glad this helped.

[@roccogagliano303]

Thank you!

[@ClarinetMentors]

Your welcome!

[@fewwok1966]

thank you!!

[@intoNation75]

Hey Michelle, and thank you for your videos! It´s also very interesting to hear the clarinet in different cultures. See my list Clarinet Best Off! Best wishes from Austria!

[@ClarinetMentors]

Thanks! It is great to be part of a worldwide clarinet community.

[@ManuelC98]

Hello. First of all i would like to thank you for your videos they are very very helpful. I have a small question: when it comes to high fast staccato notes which should be played on pianissimo/piano (stamitz clarinet concerto no 7. Has many of these quick piano staccato notes) how should these be tackled. High notes require a lot of air support whilst tounging so how should these be tackled? I thank you once again for your support and videos :)

[@s.trickshots.ace8909]

Thanks so much

[@lincolnpoesiaforroefua5611]

Perfeito professora gostei da aula!

[@dumpling3343]

That you so much!

[@maameserwaaawuah5744]

very helpful :)

[@mannah_hassey2967]

Does anyone know the name of the introduction song on clarinet?

[@sharonhiggins1221]

Love your videos, Michelle. You are awesome! The link for the articulation course doesn't work. Says "this site cannot be reached."

[@ClarinetMentors]

Thanks for the kind words. I think the link doesn't work, but the address works if you enter it manually: www.betterclarinetarticulation.com

[@cavendish009]

Is it a good idea to practise this with just the mouthpiece with the reed? I find tonguing with high notes difficult so use just the mouthpiece!

[@leshmanbetienne5170]

That ligature, i think is a silverman...I want one!

[@apaschal6141]

Hi Michelle! Informative and thorough video, as always. Thanks! Just one thing: The link to the articulation course didn't work for me. It might be a temporary thing, but you might want to check it.

[@ClarinetMentors]

Thanks for letting me know. I think the link doesn't work, but the address works if you enter it manually: www.betterclarinetarticulation.com

[@apaschal6141]

👍

[@stoneminer4464]

The combination of "he" and "oh" sounds like a German ü...

[@erwl8255]

I need help 😫 I am playing tuning C with stacatto. It produce sound really weird and frequently squeak. (I’m using 3 reed)

[@MarvinMCJames]

Nice :)

[@roxieann7885]

How do you stop squeaking on those high notes?

[@ZheWang-kw2kg]

I love u Michelle

[@pocketciabatta654]

Hello, doubling from saxophone here for my school's symphony orchestra and I have some issues that I simply cannot get my head around. 1. For some reason, it seems I've fallen into the trap of anchor tonguing, and only on clarinet. In result, tonguing always feels very awkward, mushy, and not nearly as precise as on any saxophone I play. Are there any rules on tongue position that could help me stop this? I'm trying the tip to tip method but it always feels even more awkward and it causes any note above the break to "squeak" (pretty sure they're just a partial above we're they're supposed to be). 2. In general, despite playing 3/3.5 reeds on saxophones, when playing clarinet, I'm constantly squeaking in the Clarion register and higher if on a 3 Reed or higher. I can get by without squeaking at all on 2.5s but the tone is much more edgy and bright than I prefer. All the teachers I've asked about this haven't had any straight forward answer, so I'm really not sure what I'm doing wrong here

[@ClarinetMentors]

With clarinet, you generally want a higher tongue (voicing) than saxophone. It is as if you are saying "HHEEE" when you play. If you squeak when you tongue, it is usually because you are accidentally biting when you tongue. This is very common...Try to round the corners of your mouth in and practise literally speaking "TEE" into the instrument, and think about your tongue touching as gently as possible.

[@frahiwotlegess6199]

I have a 2.0 reed i am a begenneir, or a 6th grader i should say

[@JaeWiki]

Heyy Michelle, My Band director gave me a 3.5 reed and it is really hard to play on... how can I make it less hard?

[@ClarinetMentors]

It may be too stiff for you. Some people sand the tip to make it softer, but this can also wreck the reed if you do too much. To grow into a stiffer reed, you need to use faster air. If it is really hard to blow, and sounds airy, you maybe need to stay with a 3 until your airspeed is faster.

[@JaeWiki]

Okay!! Thanks :)

[@rhythmscout2992]

Question: when I play G# on the clarinet (throat tone) I tend to squeak while tonguing, I play on a 3 and a half reed. Any reasons why this might be happening?

[@SuperReeseP]

Nicholas Ruiz there can be a few reasons. 1) embouchure too tight. 2) throat not open enough 3) too much air in attack. 4) fingers falling on other keys or covering them. 5) a combination of all of these or just a few of these

[@rhythmscout2992]

Thanks for the help! it was the tight embouchure and air attack that caused it.

[@jkaviervanegas1691]

I have a 2.5 reed

[@substitoad7069]

Jkavier vanegas upgrade to a 3 or 3.5 soon those 2.5 sucks

[@ClarinetMentors]

This video is to give you guidelines on how a soft reed can hold back your high notes. If you can comfortably play your higher notes on the 2.5, you are fine. If they tend to wimp out, then you may want to explore a stiffer option.

[@musiciangal02453]

@@substitoad7069 It depends where you are and how long you've been playing. 2.5 reeds are more for beginners which he might be. You can upgrade to 3 or 3.5 when you go serious with the clarinet at an intermediate or professional level.

[@summerrejmankova1491]

:P