Learn to Glissando in Two Weeks! (Week One)

Head of Clarinet
Heather
1 mth ago
26replies

Hello everyone!

We are starting this week's TWI with a video all about bending pitches on the clarinet - this a crucial first step for learning to glissando and will help you a lot with control!

Do watch the video, but I just want to stress how much it will help you in this exercise to play with a big, full, loud sound: glissandi need lots of air to work best.

Your assignment for this week is to post a video of your bends - especially if you're having trouble with them. The more you can show me, the better I can help you with them! Do post any questions you have!

Can't wait to hear your progress!!

- Donald_Lurye
- 1 mth ago
- Reported - view
I'm looking forward to improving my bend/glissandi skills! Is this skill feasible with any reed, or do you recommend "going soft" on reed choice? My usual is a standard blue box Vandoren 2.5 (I slightly prefer Zonda, but you can't get them anymore, at least not in the US). Thanks! I'll post a video soon.
- Head of Clarinet
  
  Heather
  
  1 mth ago
  
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  Hi Donald - good question - a 2.5 should do the trick, but if you're having trouble it's not a bad idea to go softer, at least at first. It'll be easier to eventually really control the bends with a slightly harder reed, but to get the feel of them something softer might be interesting to try!
- Donald_Lurye
- 1 mth ago
- Reported - view
Sorry, one more question. I have an existing YouTube channel, Dr. Don And His Clarinets. These are all public multi-window Acapella recordings I've made. However, I'd rather not include videos of me practicing bends and glissandi to that channel. I'm a bit unclear as to where to post my practice video(s) and to what audience. Could you please clarlify? Or can we just post a video to this thread? Thanks.
- Head of Clarinet
  
  Heather
  
  1 mth ago
  
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  Another good question! If when you upload your videos you set them to 'unlisted' rather than 'public', then you can share the link here and we can see them (but your subscribers won't). Don't set it to 'private' because then only you will be able to see it!
- Luke
- 1 mth ago
- Reported - view
Here's a video and some thoughts.

I initially tried this on my usual setup (Vandoren 7JB and Legere 2.5 reed) but found it really difficult to get any bend. As soon as I altered the voicing of the note, it stopped sounding. So this video is recorded on a Selmer C85 which is significantly more closed. I think I'm able to get about a 1/2 step bend on each note. It's tempting to decrease airflow as the pitch drops! I'll keep trying the crescendo technique but welcome any other tips.
- Head of Clarinet
  
  Heather
  
  1 mth ago
  
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  Hi Luke! These bends sound great - could you show me what happens when you try to do it on your other setup? Because Donald’s right, to a point they should be independent of setup (I mean, a strength 5 reed and a super closed mouthpiece isn’t going to help but none of us are playing on anything really crazy)
- Luke
  
  1 mth ago
  
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  Here's a quick video with my usual setup. After some extra practice and thought, I'm able to get better bends on C and B. I do feel like I'm still dropping my jaw along with my tongue position/vowel change to make it happen though. So I'm trying to think about those things separately. On A and G it seems like I can't get any pitch change even with moving my tongue all over the place! I'm going to keep trying and see if I can figure out what needs to change to make it work better.
- Valina_Eckley
  
  1 mth ago
  
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  just saying, I love your vibrato!
- Head of Clarinet
  
  Heather
  
  1 mth ago
  
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  Hi Luke - yeah it does get significantly trickier as soon as you leave the C/B area, that's pretty normal. I can barely see you moving in the video, which makes me think most of the moving is happening in the oral cavity, which is fine (even desired) for the bends. They sound really good to me! And is right about the vibrato :)
- Luke
  
  1 mth ago
  
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  Thank you both! :)
- Donald_Lurye
- 1 mth ago
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- great minds think alike! Here is my attempt at bends shortly after watching Heather's demonstration video. I'll try again at the end of the two week intensive, and you can all tell me if I've improved. makes an interesting point about set up - shouldn't bends and glissandi be independent of set up? I once had a chance to chat with a clarinetist from the Preservation Hall Jazz Band (New Orleans), and he told me he used 3.5 strength reeds - don't recall his mouthpiece, but I recall it had an average tip opening. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ba8Zk41UYsg
- Donald_Lurye
- 1 mth ago
- Reported - view
As you said, this is easier in the upper rather than the lower clarion register. I can get a half step bend going down to F on a good day. However, I find that I can do this only with some forward and down motion of my lower jaw in addition to tongue repositioning. In the video you emphasized keeping the lower jaw motionless and doing all the work with the tongue. Do I just need to keep trying, or am I missing something? Thanks!
- Head of Clarinet
  
  Heather
  
  1 mth ago
  
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  Hi Donald! Thanks for your wonderful video - really appreciate the introduction, it’s so nice to meet you!
  
  I can see your jaw moving there - I think we should try to avoid that. Can you try doing the exercise and experiment with just your tongue position and see how much changes with that? If you say the word “hoo” like an owl so that you have a nice open throat position, and then play a bit with changing your tongue position (you should be in a relatively high position for that clarion C so it should just be a matter of lowering it) that might work?
- Head of Clarinet
- Heather
- 1 mth ago
- Reported - view
I made another short video (sorry I’m staying in a room in a monastery as I’m playing in the crypt downstairs later tonight - thus the bad sound quality and enormous cross behind me) - a bit more about the tongue/throat matrix. Plus an idea for another practice strategy. Particularly with in mind but it might be useful for everyone!
- Donald_Lurye
  
  1 mth ago
  
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  you get some really interesting gigs! I'm going to try what you suggested and share another video. Unfortuantely, I will have to miss next week's Zoom because of a conflict with a dental appointment.
- Donald_Lurye
- 1 mth ago
- Reported - view
Here's my next try in which I did my best to follow Heather's advice while also starting with a more open/oval embouchure coupled with a firmer top lip and corners. Everyone please let me know if you think this is better, worse or the same.

https://youtu.be/c773HPBhudE
- Head of Clarinet
  
  Heather
  
  1 mth ago
  
  Reported - view
  Hi Donald! This is really great thank you - I really appreciate your taking the time to talk things through on your video, that really helps me when it comes to giving feedback (and hopefully everyone else too when it comes to understanding what you're trying to do!)
  
  I think you're right in talking about a more oval embouchure, I think this is what I'm trying to say when I talk about making space in the oral cavity - but I think that's made a big difference.
  
  To start getting bigger bends, I thought your using mouthpiece and barrel was really illuminating, because here's what I can hear: you are doing the bend, but it kind of sounds like two different notes, with almost a step between them. (This is sort of masked when you do it with the full clarinet) I hear a dip in the sound when you get to the bottom of the bend. So I would suggest trying to focus on the action of bending rather than how far you get, we want the whole thing to be crystal clear and at the same dynamic! That will, in the long run, help with the breadth of your bends!
- Head of Clarinet
  
  Heather
  
  1 mth ago
  
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  And yes, the monastery was really cool! We had such a fun concert in the crypt :)
- Gabrielle_Tymkow
- 1 mth ago
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Hey, here is my first-week attempt. I have not really tried this before, but it's fun so far!
- Head of Clarinet
  
  Heather
  
  1 mth ago
  
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  You've not tried this before!? These are amazing bends! I would say just lots of fast fast fast air to avoid the undertones but this is phenomenal for one week! Bravo!
- Valina_Eckley
- 1 mth ago
- Reported - view
Ok. Here is my very first time trying this. I think I can learn how to do this pretty well with where I am starting :) As I mentioned in my video, I think my little bit of brass has helped me bend, since this jaw movement is how brass players get all the partials needed to play the instrument, so I am definingly leaning on that... Whether or not it is 'proper' per se, that I guess is up to interpretation
- Head of Clarinet
  
  Heather
  
  1 mth ago
  
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  Hi Valina, impressive bending! Really good for your first time! I can see what you mean with the brass technique hanging over -- I'd love to see what you're doing side on or a little big closer just to get a better view of what's going on with your embouchure - I'm a little worried there's too much movement going on, which might hold you back down the line when it comes to this week's glissandos.
- Valina_Eckley
  
  1 mth ago
  
  Reported - view
  Thanks for the warning. I will have to take that into consideration as I go through this weeks lesson.
- Donald_Lurye
- 1 mth ago
- Reported - view
Here is my attempt at glissandi, starting with B-C and working my way down, which was a great suggestion. I've put some thoughts at the beginning of the video about what seems to work for me with the "finger peel". Feedback, please!
- Head of Clarinet
  
  Heather
  
  1 mth ago
  
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  Donald this is great! Your self-reflection is so good - I'm SO excited for your rhapsody in blue video.
  
  Maybe it would be worth working on F-G, E-G, D-G - to just really smooth out that right hand. I think you're right that there's a kind of 'general' movement of the hands rather than doing each finger one at a time.
  
  I have a few other thoughts on this and some other people's experience, I'm going to make a short video in a moment, I'll be sure to tag you when I post it :)