Download THE HIGH REGISTER

THE HIGH REGISTER
The management of the altissimo register i.e. the notes above high C (c''' or
thumb/register key) are those which, because of various reasons, are unstable
and very much unwelcome in the repertoire of fingerings of young players. It is
not enough to have the correct fingering. In addition to the finger position, the
most important element in stabilizing these altissimo notes is EMBOUCHURE.
Assuming a good reed and mouthpiece are to be had and are in good working
order, it is first the embouchure followed by proper breath support that creates
the stability and color of all the notes above high C. This is not to preclude the
fact that one supports properly in other registers as well.
Good breath support alone does not secure the altissimo register. Adequate
breath support in addition to over-gripping (pinching) the mouthpiece will net poor
results and a very sore lip. These symptoms most assuredly apply to hundreds of
young high clarinetists who have not been properly instructed in how to play the
high register. If one keeps squeezing (biting) harder on the mouthpiece and reed,
the muscles used in gripping the mouthpiece grow fatigued provide little support;
we then bite even harder to sustain the tone, and then the reed collapses. The
next step toward self-destruction is finding a harder reed to play on and this is
where the trouble really begins. The harder reed gives a heavy, airy tone, and
the player has to bit even harder to sustain it. This situation now becomes a
vicious circle of events which defeat all reasons and artistic goals for playing the
clarinet - making music.
A final point concerning the upper register is the position of the tongue and throat.
Many teachers do not emphasize the fact that the throat must be kept open at all
times, and the tongue in a raised position. Since I am rather emphatic about
using a syllable for articulation, (i.e. dah, nu, lu or other variables) to keep the
tongue stroke consistent, it is necessary to mention the change of syllable when
playing the high register. Using 'dah' in the upper register pulls the tongue down
and creates an unsupported throaty sound. Even though urged not to pinch in the
upper register, the player must create a narrower focus keeping the tongue high
and the syllable to an 'ee' sound. What is high? With the mouthpiece positioned
in the mouth and the tip of the tongue placed on the tip of the reed ready to play,
withdrawing the tongue slightly away from the reed creates a rather basic tongue
position. Lowering the tip and dropping the back of the tongue loses the proper
'tone center,' tongue position, and the high notes become almost impossible to
control.
The bottom line is simply this. Besides the visual aspects of playing; clarinet
angle, hand position, embouchure etc., one must use the ear critically, and play
'twenty questions' in order to determine what the problem is, and how to solve it.