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I’m thrilled to share a post by Flutist Aleah Fitzwater on the benefits of multi-tracking. Her expertise on this subject and contribution is greatly appreciate and sure to improve your playing.

The Benefits of Multi-tracking Tool

https://unsplash.com/photos/o9Fg-XaW0iU Photo by Paul Pilarte

Multi-tracking replicates an ensemble where you perform all of the parts. The process of creating a multi-track performance has many benefits including highlighting areas for improvement in your playing. Multi-tracking makes the following inconsistencies obvious:

  • Pitch
  • Vibrato
  • Rhythmic micro-differences

Multi-tracking has taught me a surprisingly large amount about arranging and limits. Oftentimes, the arranger/composer in me wants it all: loud low notes, long spans of running eight notes with no breaths, and percussive beatboxing. Multi-tracking has taught me to be realistic with my expectations of performers.

This short cover of “Swing Swing” by the All American Rejects is an example of multi-tracking on a woodwind instrument using the Acapella App.

If you are working with digital instruments (such as an electronic drum-set or workstation piano) in order to create a backing track, I suggest recording the instrument with a USB to lightning cable. I record my piano accompaniments to GarageBand (via the lightning cable) because it limits latency problems like other programs. If you are using a USB-compatible instrument, try starting the track in GarageBand, and then transport it to a bigger DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), like Reason or Logic. If you aren’t a pianist it is easy to layer separate parts to create a convincing grand piano backing track for the instrument of your choice.

Once I am done recording digital instruments, I import the track to Reason. My setup allows me to record my flute play through a small microphone that is attached to my headjoint. This microphone runs through a mixer, pre-amp, and interface, which then sends the sound to my computer. While Reason is an expensive production program, its reverb and other FX are much better than those in the free DAWs like Garageband.

If you want to get fancy (fancier than me) and make higher quality multi-framed, multi-track videos, try DaVinci Resolve by Blackmagic Design. This is a free video-editing program that many musicians I know use to create their videos. https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/

Multi-tracking is not without challenges. As I mentioned earlier, I quickly discovered that my expectations were not always realistic and I learned my audience’s preferences. People seem to like the paired-down version of the multi-tracks I record, rather than complex cover projects that take hours upon hours to arrange. https://open.spotify.com/album/5fd3mlQrbyjlVfUZ1hO7sl

Multi-tracking is another great way to be creative with your instrument, especially if your local ensembles aren’t back in-person yet. Practicing with these multi-tracking tools has benefit me in more ways than I could have imagined. If you try it out for yourself, comment below and let me know how it goes! 

Shawn-Thank you so much for the featured post!

About the Author: Aleah Fitzwater is a flutist, arranger, and music blogger. You can find more of her music writing work at https://scan-score.com/ ,  https://aleahfitzwater.com/ , and https://yamahaeducatorsuite.com/authors/aleahfitzwater. In her spare time, you can find her cooking and gardening, or crafting for her Etsys!

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There are more clarinetists than ever sharing tips and ideas about playing clarinet online (including this website). It’s truly wonderful that information about our art is so readily available and freely shared. However, because every clarinetist has individual philosophies and ideas about playing, there is a lot of conflicting information. This can be confusing for musicians looking for advice on how to improve their playing. Clarinetists navigating the large amounts of instruction online should examine all information with a critical lens to ensure the tips and ideas you are receiving are beneficial to your musical development. In the spirit of providing clarinet advice, here are few ideas when considering online clarinet resources:

  • Consider the source. Does the person providing information have a reputable career and credentials?
  • Do you like the playing of the person that is giving advice? Teachers provide their students with tools and methods that have proven to be successful for them. If you don’t like their playing, it’s best not to take their advice.
  • Test out ideas and concepts that you are curious about. From a critical point of view, try out new ideas and see if it has a positive impact on your playing. Talk to your teacher and colleagues you respect about new ideas you have discovered online.
  • Talk to your teacher about the best text, audio, and video resources on clarinet playing.
  • Always refer back to your teacher. If you don’t have a clarinet teacher, consider finding someone to teach you. They will provide a consistent approach to clarinet playing.
  • Keep an open mind. Everyone does things slightly different.
  • Let your ear guide you. If it doesn’t sound good, don’t do it!

Developing as a clarinetist, or on any instrument, demands critical thinking. There are no right or wrong ways of doing things, but methods and techniques that have been passed down throughout history, and what works best for individuals. For continued development as clarinetists we should strive to understand different approaches to clarinet playing that have worked for successful musicians and evaluate what works best individually.

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Practicing tuning with a pitch drone is one of the best ways to improve your intonation. Using a tuner is also important when practicing, however a tuner provides visual cues to indicate if you are sharp or flat. In rehearsal and performance the tuner won’t be helpful and the ear will be the only guide. A drone provides an audible pitch reference which trains the ear. The best tool that I have found to use for a pitch drone is the Tonal Energy app. Tonal Energy not only includes a pitch drone function, but also a metronome, tuner, and the ability to record and analyze pitch tendencies.

The sound setting allows you to choose sounds on a wheel, guitar, or piano. I find it easiest to use the piano setting and to change the transposition to accommodate the clarinet I’m playing. Tonal Energy also allows you to select a drone sound. I prefer a sound that is rich in overtones, this helps to hear the pitch before you play it on your instrument. The saw wave and organ sound settings provide the most harmonically rich tones. Next you will need to select the temperament. I typically use just intonation rather than equal temperament. In equal temperament, not all intervals are truly in tune. For example, if you play a third in equal temperament you will hear beats. In just intonation all the intervals will be in tune. I use the equal temperament if I will be performing with piano because the piano uses this intonation. Lastly for set up, I amplify the pitch drone using an external speaker. I find the speakers in my iPhone and iPad too quiet to play with.

The best exercise for practicing intonation with a pitch drone is slow long tone octaves. I set Tonal Energy to sustain octaves on the pitches I will play. Then I will start low, move up an octave, then return to the lower octave. Before moving to the upper octave I ensure that I’m hearing in my mind the upper pitch. If there are any inconsistencies in pitch I will repeat this exercise until the pitch is accurate. If I’m having trouble hearing the pitch I’m moving to, I isolate that pitch on tonal energy and match it on my clarinet, then set octaves in the app and return to the original exercise. I play octaves chromatically ascending the full range of the clarinet ensuring each interval is in tune. This exercise can also be repeated with other intervals. The best progression is to start with perfect intervals (8ve, 5th, 4th). Once you move to non-perfect intervals you need to make adjustments for accurate intonation (i.e. major 3rd will be flat and minor 3rd will be sharp in just intonation).

There are other pitch drones that can be used, but I have found Tonal Energy to be the most useful. A free pitch drone can also be streamed on YouTube.

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I will be releasing my first album “The Cross-Cultural Clarinet” on January 20th 2020. It will be available on all streaming services. This album features works by Tawnie Olson, John Mayer, Robert Rosen, Derek Charke, Sandy Moore, and Elliot Weisgarber. Click here to read more about this recording

The album features works influenced by different cultures. Music is a fantastic way to learn about about the world. The process of learning the pieces featured this album has not only been about learning the music, but also about cross-cultural similarities and differences.

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In my previous post, “How to Play with Beautiful Throat Tones”, I discussed how to improve the resonance and tone quality of throat tones. In this post I also outlined that throat tones have a weak tone quality because they only engage the top quarter of the clarinet with the rest of the lower tone holes open. Resonance fingerings are a great way to increase resonance and improve intonation by adding fingers on the lower three quarters of the clarinet. I often use these fingerings in slow lyrical passages. When playing fast resonance fingerings are less ideal because there often isn’t enough time to add extra fingers. The resonance fingerings below are effective, but should always be checked with a tuner and pitch drone to ensure they are in tune. Because each clarinetists setup is different, it is important to experiment with variations on these fingerings by adding or removing fingers for the best tone and intonation.

 

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G

50B2DBFB-677B-491E-87C5-DB70DF011319
G

8B19D416-5C27-4044-8378-5EA51A7D8A46
G sharp

82548E52-5719-40B6-89DF-D6983783476D
A

 

D0AEE192-40AF-4ED3-801F-9982EB767D6C
B flat

 

 

 

 

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Throat tones have the weakest tone quality and projection on the clarinet. While other registers are dark, focused, and project well, throat tones are often airy, unfocused, lack projection, and out of tune. This area of the clarinet range encompasses all the notes between E4 and Bflat 4.

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Clarinet registers

Throat tones use the top quarter of the instrument (only the mouthpiece, barrel, and the top of the left hand piece) for the sound to resonate. Because only the top of the clarinet is being played, there isn’t the opportunity for the full tube to be engaged to focus the sound.

Our job as clarinetist is to match the tone quality across all registers. If close attention is not paid to matching tone, the clarinet can sound different in each register. Matching throat tones to the other registers is quite challenging. With these tips your throat tones will sound beautiful!

  • The chalumeau is the easiest register to achieve good tone on the clarinet. I use the chalumeau as a model to match and compare throat tones. The best exercise is to play long tone octaves between the lowest chalumeau notes and throat tones.
  • The bottom note should be held long and be mezzoforte, focused, and dark.
  • Slur up an octave to the throat tone maintaining the same resonance and tone quality. This is best achieved by not changing the embouchure. Resist the urge to tighten the embouchure and pinch the reed. Tightening will limit resonance in the tone; we want to enhance all vibration because such a short section of the clarinet is being played.
  • Maintaining an open throat (like yawning or saying “Ah”) will open up the sound. Be sure the tongue remains high like saying “Heeeee” and do not back off on air or air speed; fill the instrument with air through to the bell even though only the top of the clarinet is engaged.

octaves

Adding this exercise to your daily warm-up will improve your throat tones and tone quality in all registers.

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Squeaking is often a dreaded feature of playing the clarinet. The acoustics of the clarinet make it overblow at every other interval (the first partial is a 12th). Other wind instruments, like the flute, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone, overblow at regular intervals (the first partial is an octave). This feature creates the dark tone colour characteristic of the clarinet. This acoustic feature is also what makes the clarinet squeak. There is a lot of information that can be gained from a squeak. When approached with curiosity and an open mind squeaks can help to build control and refine clarinet playing.

 There are three main reasons why clarinets squeak:

  1. Fingers not covering the holes. If your fingers don’t cover the holes completely, air can escape and disrupt the airstream inside of the clarinet emphasizing a high pitched partial.
  2. Moving the embouchure. Embouchure movement disrupts the consistency of reed vibration which can make the clarinet squeak.
  3. Moving the clarinet. Moving the clarinet also forces embouchure movement which disrupts the consistency of reed vibration.

These are the primary reasons the clarinet squeaks. Embouchure fatigue, water in tone holes, a warped reed, warped mouthpiece, and poorly sealing clarinet are also factors that can disrupt the airstream and cause a squeak.

While a squeak can be embarrassing, when practicing, a squeak can be used to refine control. If I squeak during a practice session I always try to replicate the squeak intentionally to determined why it happened. If I can replicate the squeak intentionally and determine its pitch I have a new sense of control and have learned a new note (this can especially be valuable for contemporary music). This approach is an effort to have complete control over the clarinet and bring legitimacy to an often less desirable aspect of playing clarinet.

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It is important to provide students with a good foundation when starting the clarinet. This will ensure student success and enjoyment in the future. Throughout my teaching career I have started countless clarinet students and have learned that beginning students with the barrel and mouthpiece alone is a great way to ensure a good embouchure and tone. Playing with the barrel and mouthpiece eliminates the challenges of holding the clarinet, reading music, and knowing fingerings. Students are able to focus on the fundamental aspects of playing the clarinet: tone, air, and embouchure. Here are few tips for playing on the barrel and mouthpiece:

  • The pitch the barrel and mouthpiece should produce is a concert F#. If students aren’t creating this pitch their embouchure and tongue position are likely not correct. For specifics about the clarinet embouchure read my post Embouchure Tips.
  • Students should hold the barrel and mouthpiece with their fingers so that the bottom of the barrel isn’t covered, this will change the pitch. The angle should also be similar to when playing the full clarinet. I have found that students tend to hold the top two joints out like a cigar rather than down.
  • The sound on the barrel and mouthpiece should be beautiful. I have students describe their sound and compare their tone to mine. It should be smooth, have no wiggles or bumps, be a concert F# pitch, and be consistent,
  • I use the barrel and mouthpiece as a warm-up long after students have mastered their first notes on the clarinet. This exercise helps to set their air, tone, and embouchure before tackling notes and rhythms. When students move to the full clarinet, I remind them that playing the full instrument should be the exact same as with the barrel and mouthpiece. The embouchure, air, and tongue should remain the same.
  • The barrel and mouthpiece is a good way to introduce tonguing as well. I often do repeat-after-me on the barrel and mouthpiece using rhythms in their music.

I have had a lot of success with this method of starting beginning clarinetists. I am never in a rush to stop having students play on the barrel and mouthpiece. At the Saint James Music Academy I would see students three times a week for groups lessons and we begun every lesson with the barrel and mouthpiece for a full year! The gains in tone, control, and speed of future progress make this an invaluable method for beginning clarinetists success.

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Since we are now in the depths of winter it important to take extra precautions to care for your clarinet. These tips will help you get through the winters months without cracks or too much trauma to the bore:

  1. Never play a cold clarinet. It’s imperative to warm up your clarinet before playing. If your instrument is cold to the touch, hold it in your hands or under your arms until it is warm. I find that touching the wood to my face is the best way to test to see if the wood is warm. We want to warm the outside of the instrument first before blowing warm are into the clarinet.
  2. Be sure to remove all water from your clarinet after play. Swab your clarinet regularly when playing and be sure to do a good clean at the end of your playing session. I find it helpful to look into the bore of the clarinet after swabbing just to be sure all the water is gone.
  3. Blow water out of the tone holes on the top joint. Use cleaning player or cigarette paper to take the water out from under pads under the trill keys and A and G sharp keys.
  4. Never leave your instrument in a cold space. Keep your clarinet in a room temperature environment. Avoid leaving your clarinet in the car or being outside for extended periods of time. This is also true for hot weather as well.

These tips should help you keep your clarinet in great working order over the winter. It’s best to see a repair person right away if you do notice a crack in the wood of your clarinet.