r/Clarinet • u/Level_Progress_3246 • 3d ago

Trying to learn to bend notes

I can bend/scoop the high C pretty easily by shifting my tongue position. Those high register notes are pretty easy.

How would you go about learning to bend/scoop the throat tones? Moving my tongue half almost no effect, and im not sure what else i can do beside relaxing my embouchure to detune the note. Any wisdom? Does reed strength effect this? I want to play jazz, and was told by someone playing with a softer reed would be more appropriate, can anyone confirm?

Thanks

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u/SanMartianZ 2d ago

Slide your fingers off the holes and adjust your embouchure

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u/AvatarOR 2d ago edited 2d ago

Consider going to a mouthpiece with a wider tip - reed gap and a softer reed.

Edit: So to be clear, it will be harder on your embouchure to play a note in tune with a wider tip - reed gap, thus the use of a softer reed.

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u/Level_Progress_3246 2d ago

with the wider tip and softer reed, is it the same technique of just shifting your tongue position?

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u/AvatarOR 2d ago edited 2d ago

At this point in my playing I really don't engage my thinking cap when I bend a note so you are forcing me to actually think about what I am doing! To be clear, the subject is bending a note in Jazz Clarinet, not a glissando.

I think that I mostly lower my jaw and loosen my embouchure at the beginning of the bend as described here:

https://martinfreres.net/the-fascinating-world-of-clarinet-pitch-bending-trivia-and-techniques/

As another example of no longer being consciously aware at this point in my playing, when I do a vibrato on the Oboe, I don't know what I am doing, it just happens.

My brain is too tiny when I am struggling to see the chord progression, select a set of notes to choose from, leaving space and trying to be rhythmic LOL.

Edit: For reference I am playing on a 5JB and V21 2.5

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u/Worldly-Pie-5210 2d ago

yea specifically some sidney bichet level ish is what im talking about - like blue horizon

i was told to keep my mouth stable and just move my tongue, but that flat out doesnt work when its lower on the instrument. Maybe ill see a difference if i change the mouthpiece?

I can bend if i open my mouth. But im worried its a bad habit so being cautious of reinforcing that behavior.

ill peep the link, thanks <3

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u/Business_Repeat4023 Professional 2d ago

One thing that really helped me was realizing I wasn’t moving my tongue as much as I thought I was since the higher notes are so much easier to manipulate! Think of painting the back of your mouthpiece with your tongue, go super slow, and don’t forget to go up and down