New training to make your highest notes sound better, plus reeds and other things "clarinety"

CLARINET MENTORS NEWSLETTER - March 20, 2018

In this issue:

• Hello From Michelle Anderson - Happy Equinox
• You're Invited - Clarinet Question and Answer Session - free live clarinet training for you in 4 days
• Free Training - How to improve tone in your altissimo (highest clarinet register)
• More Free Training - Five pointers to playing clarinet high notes more easily (the basics)
• Michelle Recommends - Silverstein Alta Reeds - comes with a guarantee that you can send back unplayable reeds
• Further Clarinet Trainings - Did you know that Michelle offers several detailed courses to help you play clarinet more easily? Many of them have a systematic 30-Day Workout plan for you to have clear improvement in a month

Hello From Michelle Anderson

Happy Equinox to all clarinetists in the Clarinet Mentors Community! Today is a day where most of the world has equal daylight and darkness hours. A good time for all to be in balance. Are your clarinet routines balanced? Do you regularly have a combination of working on fundamentals (long tones, breathing exercises, finger patterns, articulation patterns) as well as the repertoire that you enjoy? Sometimes I get so caught up on the music that I need to learn, that I neglect the basics. I'll notice it if this goes on for long, because things within the music just won't feel as easy.  I encourage you to look at your routines, and see if you can add at least one new habit that works on a fundamental area of your playing.

If you find any aspect of clarinet high notes tricky, that is my theme this month. I have an all-new advanced training in this newsletter for your highest notes. If that is a bit advanced for you, there is a link to some more basic training, that is one of my most useful clarinet trainings of all time.

I really appreciate having you in the Clarinet Mentors Community. I am beginning to realize just how wonderful the worldwide group of clarinetists are! I am hosting a worldwide clarinet question and answer session in four days. I hope you can join in. (Details below)

Thanks for being in my community!

Michelle

YOU'RE INVITED - Save the date!

I am hosting a live, online training session for everyone in the Clarinet Mentors community. I will be teaching Three Steps to Playing Clarinet High Notes Better Now, and I really believe that these technics can help you right away. I'll also be taking questions from all of you on this live call, so it is your chance to ask me any questions that you have about clarinet playing. I wanted the full invitation in this newsletter, but I am having some technical issues. I am hoping to send out a separate invitation with login information to you tomorrow. This special session is Saturday, March 24 at 9:00 am PDT.

Look for your invitation with your login details tomorrow. I hope you can join me.

FREE TRAINING

Easier Clarinet Altissimo (really high) Notes

I just created a new video for you on a technic that can really help you play your very highest notes with a warmer, mellower tone. This has worked so well with some of my students in the past week, that I wanted to share it with all of you. (Disclaimer - this can work for everyone, but is especially designed for more advanced players who play in the third register, or altissimo notes. If you want to skip to easier training, see the link below this section.)

Click here to watch this video: https://youtu.be/pSkmfb8Moy8

MORE FREE TRAINING

Last week I sent out an invitation to many of you to check out my clarinet high note video called Five Things To Improve Clarinet High Notes. It covers many of the important basics for producing easier and better sounding clarinet high notes. If you missed it, you can view it as part of a free 3-part mini course here: www.masteringclarinethighnotes.com

MICHELLE RECOMMENDS

Silverstein Alta Reeds - comes with a guarantee that you can send back unplayable reeds

We all use reeds, sometimes to our great frustration! I believe that the reed is one of our most important pieces of equipment, and some are definitely better than others. I have found that every person has different preferences for reeds and mouthpieces, but they are crucial to how easy it is for us to play, and for creating a great sound. I recommend to all of my students that they find the set up that most easily gives them the tone and response that they like. With that in mind, there are a few types of reeds and mouthpieces that I believe are good quality, and are worth recommending. You need to try for yourself to determine what you like best.

I have long admired the Silverstein Works Company. I use Silverstein ligatures, and I find that they are company that really is dedicated to making quality clarinet products. The Alta reeds are very good quality, and I have tried them myself, and with several of my students over the past few months. Many people have gotten great results with them. They have one idea that does set them apart in the reed industry - they don't want people paying for bad reeds. We all know that there is a certain amount of inconsistency with cane reeds, and any box has some that play better than others. This is true of the Alta reeds as well. However, if there are any that you really don't like, they have an innovative return policy, which you can read about on their website. I love the idea of a reed company replacing reeds that are not good quality! If you haven't tried these, they are definitely worth a try. They come in a very nice box, as pictured above. These reeds are definitely on my "recommended reeds list", and I wanted to make sure that you knew about them. https://www.silversteinworks.com/altareed/

FURTHER CLARINET TRAININGS

Did you know that Michelle Anderson of Clarinet Mentors has created several step-by-step courses to help you play the clarinet better? Do you want to improve your tone, or move your fingers faster, or play high notes better? Check out all of the courses (which all have free samples for you to learn from) by clicking below:

Further Clarinet Trainings And Samples

Thanks for being a part of my clarinet community! Feel free to email if you have questions, comments or things you would like to see in future newsletters. I hope that you enjoy great music with your clarinet playing this week.

Michelle Anderson, Clarinet Mentors