I`d just like to know how to do some fancy tricks on the clarinet, like growling, bending, good vibrato, glisandoes etc. Please reply to this. I`d also like some pointers on improvising on the clarinet in a jazz band.

Hey there! My name`s Ryan, and I`m a clarinettist of 7 years. My speciality is swing clarinet, so maybe I can be of some help to you.
Let`s start with the growl. Try rolling your tongue, as if you wanted to roll your `R`s. Apply that to the breathing process while playing your clarinet; bear in mind, this effect won`t work on all notes. Another kind of growl is to loosen up your embochoure almost to the point of cracking the note but holding back at the last second <~~Easier said than done.
Next, the good jazz vibrato. Most will say fluctuate your air, but that`s a GREAT CONCERT vibrato, not for jazz; it`s to diliberate for jazz. Jazz is more laid-back, and mellow. Try lowering your jaw and bending the note then picking your jaz back up to make the note in tune again. Make that in rapid motions and after a while you`ll figure out how to do it without making it obvious to people that you`re moving your jaw. That is the perfect swing vibrato. This same technique can also be used to bend notes: I can bend a high C from C down to G and up to high A above that.
The glissando is always a good effect in any style or tempo in almost any piece of music. First thing is look at the key of the piece. Let`s say it`s in the key of B minor (like in Sing, Sing, Sing). the sharps are F# and C#. practice the B minor scale and get it up to speed. Now practice the arpeggio, then practice an improv cadenza. Bring it up to speed by practice the B minor along with the chromatic scale from each note up one octave MINIMUM. From this point, you should be able to facilitate a good even glissando. Practice the original arrangement of Moonlight Serenade: there`s a GREAT glissande in there that is fairly easy and good for starting off.
Now on to the fun stuff: improvisation! Improvisation on the clarinet is the exact same as on any instrument (except obviously drums). Look at the key, practice the triads of the chords, practice the modes - take each note in the scale and go up the scale starting on that note without changing the key (there are 7 modes) - practice your arpeggios...then try practicing REALLY HIGH and REALLY FAST. My personal favorite is improv to Blues in Bb
I do a Benny Goodman style solo which starts on high A and I do a triplet between G and A and go down to E, then down to Eb, then down to D, then up to C; you`d have to hear it actually. Try Making something up, just make sure it fits the feel of the song you`re soloing to. Also, range is everything. My range is from the lowest E (E1) all the way up to upper altissimo G (G5). I have good range, excellent tone, and good technique. All I can really say is practice practice practice! Remember: "Practice doesn`t make perfect; PERFECT practice makes perfect."


Ryan

You sound good Ryan- and you have one up on me- you sound like you can play jazz well- i dont stray from classical clarinet too much, well, apart from Klezmer type music......
Ryan- if u want to talk about clarinet technique and other stuff like that, my aim is insanitygonebad( dont ask, its really old).
What clarinet do you play on?
Probably Buffet ( r13 or rc)........
,
Bradley

Hey, you guys all sound like you`re really great clarinetist, if you ever want to talk my aim is Bb Clarinet 88

I`ve always done a growl by singing a pitch while playing a pitch on clarinet (Like brass players do multiphonics). It doesn`t matter what pitch you sing. Dropping your jaw will only distort your intonation, and a tongue trill is called flutter tongue not a growl. They`re two different things.

Ryan,

How does practicing a b minor improvised cadenza improve a glissando? For glissando I practice scales and arpeggios on the mouthpiece. You should be able to play an entire octave on your mouthpiece alone. I also practice the remington scale study starting on a thumb and register key c but then bending the pitch rather than using the fingers to change notes.

Theres also 14 modes not 7. There are major and melodic minor modes. Also, you can`t just practice the specific modes for the key a tune is in because every good jazz tune changes keys multiple times.

Also why is Bb Blues your favorite set of chord changes? You are aware that every BASIC blues has the same set of chords (I7, IV7, and V7) no matter what key?

And if anyone really wants to learn how to improvise, playing "really high" and "really fast" doesn`t help. Try listening to recordings of actual jazz greats.

Hey,Ryan
Like you I love the style Jazz. Though, I`ve had few experiance and I wish, more like desire to learn more.
I believe that I can participate with our jazz band if I just find a good solid clarinet solo and audition with it. Do you have any suggestions?
I`ve been playing since 4th grade -and am now a junior in HS. I`m currently working on playing the high A- the highest note on a clarinet written for a piece called Planets-Mars grade 6.

So, if you any suggestions at all, I want to hear them. I love Benny Goodman and if you want to hear more of his music, one of my favourites is Benny Goodman playing Mozart at Tanglewood. It`s so amazing.
Thanks.

A lot of Duke Ellington`s pieces have clarinet parts for them. I mean his actual compositions though, not lame high school jazz band arrangments of Take the A Train. BTW the A in Mars isn`t the highest note on clarinet the clarinet can go to a G above that; almost a full octave higher.

This A, I`m talking about is the high E fingering and is two octaves above the staff. It can`t get any higher. I want the" lame highschool music". I want it with some sort of difficulty. Not with whole notes and half notes. And with this A, you have to play a string of 16th notes leading up to it, reaching high G sharp while maintaining quarter note = 85 tonguing all.

im pretty sure the clarinet can go up to the C above that (1 octave higher than thumb and register C)

Jazz band pieces that change up the standard instrumentation (adding flute, clarinet, flugelhorn, etc.) are usually above a high school level so you`ll have a hard time finding anything good.

I`m absolutely sure that the clarinet can go to a G above the A in Planets. Mars really isn`t that hard, Jupiter (from the same suite) is much harder. It goes up to a high B above your A. But playing high really isn`t hard either if you just practice your scales full range and have a good embouchure.

If your embouchure is good, you can go 1 octave higher than the high G above thumb C... seriously.

Right, right...and the purpose of this is? It`s not written in any music I`m ever gonna play. And so far, I only need to know anything about Jazz pieces with Clarinet solos fit for a highschool band.

Wagner...Weber 2, etc. etc.

Laura- you really don`t like being corrected, do you?
You CAN go up to the G an octave above the one above the thumb C. I have done it before. The fact that you`ve never heard of it doesn`t mean it doesn`t exist. Ok?
(i wonder if this`ll get another "someone said something really rude to me" thread....)

Hmm, that`s nice Rachel. No, do you like being corrected? Look, I`m a highschooler getting bossed around by stupid adults. You think I like this? These are from people who think Mozarts too hard. OOOh, I love Wagner SO much. He has awesome music.