Preparing for a national conference is no easy task. Especially when the audience is filled with the world's leading music educators. This is the hour-long training that I gave (along with John Warren, Assistant Professor of Clarinet at Kennesaw State University). Over 150 sessions participants came to this training, and the session was a complete success. In preparation for this training, I used powerpoint to deliver the graphics and served as the lead facilitator. In addition, I used a live clarinet ensemble to complete the final product.

2. WELCOME TO OUR SESSION!
Mevonnie Biggins
Peachcrest Elementary
John Warren
Kennesaw State University
Tara Winds Clarinet Choir

3. GROUP ARTICULATION EXERCISE
1.Make a small rectangular
opening at the base of the cup
2.Place the end of the cup in
front of the lips. (Eeee-ewww)
3.Practice introducing the
tongue to the surface of the
cup.

4. GROUP ARTICULATION EXERCISE

5. ROLE OF THE CLARINET IN THE WIND
BAND
“A leading role in the wind band…” -Mozart

6. IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM
Tone Clarity
Playing in the Chalumeau Register
T
RESULT
Weak, worn down tone
Squawky tone lacking in focus
Musical Excerpt: Ammerland by Jacob de Haan

8. How do I teach this?
Problem Strategies
Weak, worn down tone
 Check the quality of the reed. Students of all level tend to use
a reed well after its shelf life has expired.
 Reeds will get dirty or split or chipped tip.
 Reed may be worn WITHOUT any external evidence.
Small, pinched or muffled
tone
 Too little mouthpiece in the mouth. Have the student push up
from the right hand
 Too much pressure on the reed from the lower jaw. Relax a little
Squawky tone
(Lacking in body, flat, no
focus)
 Check that lower lip is supporting the reed.
 Check that the upper lip is providing enough pressure around
the mouthpiece.
 Engage the corners inward
Tone Control issues
 Caused by inability to keep a steady air column
 “Yawning” exercises” (Yawn while keeping your lips closed)
 Focus on the follow through
 Flow of breath always move forward, or to the front
Hard, cold tone
(inflexible)
 Check the reed strength. May be too hard.
 Mouthpiece has a lay that is too open or too long

9. IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM
BlendingTones
BalancingChords
Intonation
Melodic Direction
T
RESULT
Unbalanced “Top Heavy” Sound
Lack of Expression
Musical Excerpt: Chester byWilliam Schumann

11. How do I teach this?
Problem Strategies
Influences in intonation
 Embouchure formation
 Reed strength
 Mouthpiece
 Barrel
 Breath Support
Throat Tone Resonance
 Sensitive to breath support and embouchure
 Place a “sour m” in front of a vowel to emphasize the support of
the lower lip (Ex. Ma Me Mi Mo Mohh)
 In general, opening the tone holes will raise the pitch, closing
the tone holes will lower the pitch
General Rules for “shading”
throat tones
 Add the 4th, 5th and/or 6th fingers to the basic fingering
 Experiment with adding the 3rd, 2nd, or 1st fingering
 Students must play in tone and in tune ( no one size)
 Additional vs. Alternate
Adjusting Notes in the upper
clarion register
 Notes tend to lean on the sharp side, depending on the
embouchure
 Reed alone is not the determining factor, but harder reeds tends
to make the instrument sharp and soft reeds tend to make the
instrument flat.
 Air is almost always an issue.

12. IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM
ClarinetArticulation
RapidTonguing Passages
RESULT
SluggishTongue
Throating
Mouth Movement (“Chewing”)
Musical Excerpt: The Italian Girl in Algiers (Rossini/Calliet)

14. How do I teach this?
Problem Strategies
Diagnosing the correct
problem
 Have the student play only on the barrel and the mouthpiece (F#
pitch) when diagnosing tonguing problems
 When you reduce the variables, errors become more apparent.
 Repeat after me, “Tip of the tongue to the top of the reed.”
 Tongue uses minimal effort
Lack of Clarity
 Sensitive to breath support and embouchure
 Use daily tonguing exercise with a breath attack initiating the
tone first
 While sustaining the whole note, use the tip of the tongue to the
top of the reed to interrupt the whole note
 Keep the tongue HIGH and FORWARD in the mouth (angry
kitty)
Sluggish Tongue
 Use the tonguing cup to get the tongue to actually move
 Introduce tongue to the reed surface using articulation Ex. 2
 Long tones will help strengthen the facial muscles to encourage
a strong embouchure foundation
“Throating” (Back of the
Tongue)
 Eliminate the tonguing completely from any and all playing
 Re-introduce the tongue to the reed surface
 Method takes time, but it is most effective

15. IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM
Performing GroupTechnical Passages
Tempo
RESULT
Trading speed for “accuracy”
Sloppy execution
Musical Excerpt: Ignition (Todd Stalter)

17. How do I teach this?
Problem Strategies
Crossing the Break
 Student should use the psychology of having nonchalant
approach to crossing the break
 Check the thumb position (Should be at an oblique angle) Short
thumbs should move up slightly. Long thumbs move down
 Lips should remain stationary as the fingers move up and down
Hand Position
 Left hand-Use the C-U-B method
 Right hand-Use the C-U method
 Basic hand position vs. Advanced
 Fruit test to measure hand size/application of pressure
Finger Position
 Left/Right Thumb position
 Left index finder
 Visible pinky fingers (No more keep away)
Technical Mastery
 Extended Scale Patterns-Encourages students to recognize
scale patterns in the music
 Interrupted Pattern-Developing even fingers, air and tone quality
through shifting registers of the clarinet
 Thirds-Foundation for mastering patterns involving skips

18. Technique Mastery Strategies

19. IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM
Creating a style character
Pitch Bending
RESULT
Improper interpretation
Grunting or Squeaking
Musical Excerpt: Blue Shades (FrankTicheli)

21. How do I teach this?
Problem Strategies
Embouchure Grip
 Use the sour lemons approach
 Sour vowels
 Forget about “flattening the chin”
 “Ohhh” or “Ewww “
Corner Engagement
 K.I.S.S. your corners (Keep the corners In, Sealed and
Secure)
 Can’t happen realistically, but students will start to
identify parts of the mouth they may normally miss.
Lower Lip Support
 The amount of lip over the lower teeth is dependent on
the size and thickness of the lips of the individual
students
 Experiment with varying amounts of lower lip to get the
proper sound.
Supporting Exercises
 Coffee Stirrer
 Reed
 Pencil

22. Get those clarinets playing!
Clarinet Quartet
ClarinetTrio w/Bass
Clarinet
Clarinet Ensemble
Full Clarinet Choir