Jan 2017 - More of your questions answered
In This Issue
January 10, 2017
- A Note From Michelle Anderson - Happy New Year!
- Free Training - 10 MORE of Your Clarinet Questions Answered - Clarinet advice based upon 10 questions from our recent worldwide live clarinet online event
- Michelle Recommends - BG Reed Saver - revive an old cane reed
- Clarinet Mentors Live Event - experience the power of this amazing live, learning experience
- Further Clarinet Training - Michelle's step-by-step clarinet courses all designed to help you learn much faster and play more easily
Hello From Michelle Anderson
Hello !
Happy New Year! Thanks for being a part of the Clarinet Mentors worldwide community. I hope you are enjoying your clarinet, and perhaps even have some clarinet New Year's resolutions. If one of them is to meet some other great clarinets, and see some of the world's best clarinetists in performance, consider joining me at the Clarinet Mentors Live Event at the Backun International Clarinet Competition in March. I would love to meet you there in person. There is still space for about 5 more participants to have a guaranteed lesson spot during the masterclasses. Details below...
In today's newsletter, you will find answers to 10 questions from clarinetists like yourself which continues the series started in the last newsletter. If you have questions that you'd like to see answered in a future video, you can comment on the comments page below the YouTube video.
I'm getting back in shape after a long family holiday that involved lots of cold weather, snow, and fun gatherings. Time for those long tones to get my clarinet sounding good again!
I hope you are enjoying your clarinet, wherever in the world you are!
Michelle
Free Training: 10 (More) Clarinet Questions Answered
I get asked many things about clarinet, and I know it is valuable to share these questions and answers with you in case you have the same question. Recently, I hosted a live online event for the entire Clarinet Mentors community. We had over 80 people from over 15 countries all online and interacting together. It was awesome! I will definitely schedule another one soon.
Here are some of the questions and answers that were not addressed during our live event. If you were part of this masterclass, your question may be here. I've also put links to other videos that are related to these questions in the YouTube description if you want more details after watching today's video.
0:32 How do I work on reeds? (sanding, clipping etc.)
3:15 My (throat tone) A is always sharp. How can I fix this? (clarinet intonation discussion)
6:54 Can you recommend a good clarinet fingering chart with alternate fingerings?
7:32 Is there a trick to preventing my right hand from going numb while I play clarinet?
12:45 How do I tighten the top and bottom screws of my clarinet ligature?
14:01 Can I keep my right hand fingers down on throat tone A and Bb when I cross the break up to B and C?
16:28 How do I create a warmer, more resonate tone in all registers of my clarinet?
20:50 How can I have faster tonguing, do double-tonguing and flutter tonguing?
24:21 “Reeds are driving me nuts! A Vandoren 3 gives me good high notes, but is fuzzy in lower notes. A Vandoren 2.5 sounds better down low, but does not work in the highest register. What can I do?”
28:27 “I’ve seen your video before about the Bb fingerings. How do I choose the best fingering for my clarinet?”
For the answers, click on the photo above, or by clicking here.
Michelle Recommends - ​​​​​​​BG Reed Saver
This is an interesting clarinet device that is worth trying out. They are basically stickers that you place on older clarinet reeds to revive them a bit. I was very skeptical that they would do anything, but they do in fact seem to add a bit of resonance to a reed that is starting to lose it. I have colleagues who like them as well. They don't make a huge difference, but they can help to revive an aging reed, and they are an inexpensive experiment to try out. I"m curious to know if it works for you!
Clarinet Mentors Live Event
(Registration closed)
I am very excited to announce that the very first live, in-person Clarinet Mentors event is happening in conjunction with the Backun International Clarinet Competition March 9 -11, 2017. We have been invited to host a special Clarinet Mentors event designed for you, the enthusiastic amateur clarinetist, AND we get access to all of the amazing events at the Backun International Clarinet Competition. It is like a 2-for-1 clarinet extravaganza!
When I reflect upon where I have learned the most in my life, it has usually been at intense live events like this. The summer musical programs for me (such as the Aspen Music Festival) which combined lessons, concerts and masterclasses probably accounted for about 80% of my "clarinet breakthroughs". All the months in between, where I had the odd lesson and worked on my own, made up the rest. These live events can really fast-track our progress. I want you to experience this power and have a clarinet breakthrough for yourself.
To discover more about this event, (registration closed).
This event includes at least four live Clarinet Mentors masterclasses, where participants get mini lessons with Michelle. There will be special clarinet ensembles led by Michelle, chances to try out incredible clarinet gear, and access to view a competition with some of the clarinet world's rising stars. There will also be some "fireside chats" with some of the world's greatest clarinet players.
The recitals are amazing and include world-class players such as David Shifrin, Ricardo Morales, Corrado Giufreddi, Bil Jackson and more. The concerts alone make this event worth attending!
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