My school is putting on the play, "Ragtime" this year, and I am playing my clarinet in the band. As anyone who has played in a musical before knows, almost everything is in a crazy key, and for the First Clarinet, in the altissimo range a lot. I`m a senior in high school, and first chair in our symphonic band, and I like to think that I`ve become a very accomplished clarinet player, I can comfortably play all the way to double high G without too much trouble. If I try really hard, I can get double high A, and sometimes double high B. Anyway, in on of the songs, "Success", I have to trill a low E, and then gliss all the way up to a double high F-sharp and trill (any pointers on how to successfully gliss/smear all or part of that range? I know how to smear already). After the double high F-sharp trill, I have to trill a double high A, any tips on how to just get that note out on short notice, nontheless trill it?

Thanks

Ok. Well, for starters:

1. The Glissando: Unless you use a really soft read and compromise tonal quality in your playing...it`s almost impossible to even attempt to gliss over the break in the throat G, G#, A, A#. My suggestion is to complete the gliss like in Rhapsody in Blue...just peel your fingers off the clarinet slowly from 4th line D up. To reach the F#....as you finish sliding up to the C...Slide your thumb off of its tone hole...then slowly add the Ab side key, A Key, A#/Bb Side Trill Key (right side trill keys...third one up from the bottom), then the False B Key which is the one at top...that will be F#...but you have to use a regular fingering for F3 to trill to G or G# (I don`t know what key you`re playing in).

2. F# to G trill -
a. Reg. Key, LH Thumb, LH Middle, (RH Pointer), (RH Middle), Eb key
b. This will take forever to explain - so: Finger Third Space C# and add your LH Pinky on the C#/G# key. That`s F# and then trill the LH Pointer, LH Middle, and LH Ring. Sometimes it`s more in tune if you trill the C#/G# key also.

3. F# to G# trill - (really sucks)
I can`t find one to do it totally in tune so we improvise.
a. Reg. Key, LH Thumb, (LH Pointer), (LH Middle), RH False B Side Trill key on top, Eb key. This really is just a few cents sharper than a G. Enough to make it sound ok when using it very fast.
b. Reg. Key, LH Thumb, LH Middle, (LH Ring), (RH Middle), Eb Key. Very tempermental. You have to have a very tight embochure to get the G# to come out.

4. A to Bb Trill -
a. Reg. Key, LH Thumb, LH Middle, (LH Ring), RH Pinky on C# Key. Notice the C# Key. It`s not the Eb key.
b. That one was easy enough I hope!

5. A to B Trill -
Reg. Key, LH Thumb, (LH Pointer on A key), LH Middle, LH Ring, (RH Pointer), (RH Middle), RH Pinky on C# Key.

Keep in mind that all of the keys in ( ) are the ones you trill with. Also, since you will be entering into college next year - I would definitely advise you of learning your chromatic scale up to C7. Check out the following website for fingerings. It gives you all sorts of fingerings for altissimo range notes.

http://www.wfg.woodwind.org/clarinet/

It also has Multiphonic notes, Trills for all sorts of notes, etc. Enjoy!

-Dennis

playing for musicals was so much fun ^_^ easy music, but hellish key signatures. It is easier if you transpose the more difficult songs into A clarinet instead of B flat. This especially is useful if, like at my old high school, your school gives you the music less than a week before the play. The odd key signatures are doable, but with that little time, I would usually give in to transposing a few of the quicker songs with odd trills and fast awkward runs. good luck