Clarinet Secrets: 52 Performance Strategies for the Advanced Clarinetist

Michele Gingras

Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, 2004 - Juvenile Nonfiction - 127 pages

Written for advanced clarinetists aspiring to master their instrument and attain a higher level of artistry, Clarinet Secrets contains concepts that have been repeatedly and successfully used with students over a period of 20 years of teaching. Each strategy is explained on two facing pages with accompanying graphics, photos, and musical examples.

The advanced clarinetist who is eager to improve quickly often hits a wall on challenging techniques such as rapid tonguing and the precise control of intonation. These difficult techniques and concepts are discussed right away to assuage the anxiety students usually feel when first presented with these issues.

Techniques covered include:
·Fingering
·Memorization
·Practice strategies
·Tonal control
·Musicianship
·Using the right equipment
·Non-traditional repertoire
·Career-planning exercises

Contents

• The RocketSpeed Tonguing Exercise: 2
• The OneMotion Tonguing Exercise: 4
• The EnergySaving Tonguing Exercise: 6
• The FingerTongue Coordination Exercise: 8
• Effortless Staccato across All Registers: 10
• The Relaxed Jaw Exercise: 12
• The Light Tongue Exercise: 14
• The Ping Exercise: 16
• The Articulation Vocabulary Exercise: 18
• Intonation Strategies: 21
• The Drone Exercise Part 1 Hearing Intervals and UnderAttacking Notes: 22
• The Drone Exercise Part 2 Hearing Difference Tones and Tuning with the Piano: 24
• Using Fingers to Modify Intonation: 26
• The Chin Exercise: 28
• Training Wheel for Lowering the Pitch: 30
• Voicing the Throat Tones: 32
• Technical Strategies: 35
• Natural Finger Motion: 36
• Ravels Daphnis et Chloé with a Little Help: 38
• The Left Index Finger Exercise: 40
• The HalfHole Exercise for Wide Intervals: 42
• Perfecting the Chromatic Scale: 44
• Perfecting the High Register: 46
• The Little Finger Exercise: 48
• Developing Technical Independence: 50
• SightReading Rhythm: 52
• SightReading Notes: 54
• Predicting Mental Concentration: 56
• Unusual Transpositions in Orchestral Excerpts: 58
• Working with a Practice Partner: 60
• Tone Strategies: 63
• Hearing Harmonics: 64
• The Stereo Effect: 66
• Tone Shopping: 68
• The Bodys Resonance Cage and BreathingPart 1 Inhaling: 70
• The Bodys Resonance Cage and BreathingPart 2 Exhaling: 72
• Practice Tone vs Concert Tone: 74
• Dissecting Tone: 76
• Printing Sound into Memory: 78
• Stabilizing the c³ Fingering: 80
• Musicianship Strategies: 83
• Remembering Nature: 84
• Composing Lyrics: 86
• Reeds and Equipment: 89
• ExpressSpeed Reed Balancing: 90
• Installing an Instant NeckStrap Ring: 92
• Equipment Pouch: 94
• Enhancing Repertoire: 97
• Glissando Portamento: 98
• Vibrato: 100
• Double Tonguing: 102
• Circular Breathing: 104
• Special Sound Effects: 106
• Klezmer Repertoire: 108
• Klezmer Technique: 110
• Klezmer Ornamentation: 112
• Technology and Electronic Music: 114
• LastMinute Secrets: 116
• CD Contents: 119

About the author

Michèle Gingras, Professor of Clarinet at Miami University in Ohio, is an active recitalist, author, and recording artist. She has performed as a soloist and as a member of the Miami Wind Quintet in Canada, Australia, Venezuela, Taiwan, Singapore, and throughout the U.S. and Europe. Previously, she was Principal Solo Clarinetist with the Santiago Philharmonic Orchestra (Chile). She has recorded seven CDs-four of them as a solo artist-and has published widely. Her publications include over 75 articles in The Clarinet and other international music journals, as well as a 550-page textbook translation (Roncorp) and a musical arrangement (Presser). She is past Secretary of the International Clarinet Association (ICA) and was named Hays Crossen Curry Distinguished Educator at Miami University in 2002. She also performs as a klezmer musician throughout the U.S. and abroad. She has a been a Visiting Artist at the Luxembourg Conservatory, the Oslo Music Academy (Norway), the Elder Conservatorium (Australia), the Simón Boliver Conservatory (Venezuela) and Indiana University. She is sponsored by Rico International.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Clarinet Secrets: 52 Performance Strategies for the Advanced Clarinetist; G - Reference, Information and Interdisciplinary Subjects Series
• Author: Michele Gingras
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, 2004
• ISBN: 0810849712, 9780810849716
• Length: 127 pages
• Subjects: Juvenile Nonfiction / Music / General; Music / Instruction & Study / Techniques; Music / Musical Instruments / Woodwinds