The clarinet is blest with the largest range of the entire woodwind family unit. Only Voltaire (and Peter Parker) were right when they warned united states, "With neat power comes cracking responsibility."

Our responsibility? To perfect the altissimo register then we don't burst nearby eardrums or alert whatever dogs in the nearby vicinity.

The clarinet follows a logical fingering and keywork organisation. Once you've mastered crossing the break from the pharynx tone to the clarion register, all is fine and dandy until y'all start inching higher abroad from the staff. Things quickly turn from straightforward to clunky and confusing once clarinetists venture above the upper suspension (above loftier C) into altissimo-land. So all bets are off.

Take a deep breath (no, really – you'll need it for these high notes) and get prepare for my complete guide to the clarinet altissimo annals!

First things first! here's a refresher of the 3 registers of the clarinet:

  1. Chalumeau (named for the clarinet's predecessor) – low E to the throat tones
  2. Clarion – above the middle interruption up to high C
  3. Altissimo – above the upper break; above loftier C

***Dissimilar books list various starting and stopping points for each annals. These are the points I use with my students.***

Tools of the merchandise

Achieving expert high notes on the clarinet is a combination of proper fingerings, a secure embouchure, lots of air, and a picayune luck. Before you venture in the altissimo register, here are some things that volition help you lot in your journeying:

  • A trusty fingering chart. The ideal fingering chart should have several fingering suggestions for each note. Don't be afraid to arroyo altissimo notes armed with several dissimilar fingering charts. Two of my favorites are Ridenour's Clarinet Fingerings and Opperman's The New Extended Working Range. The Woodwind Fingering Guide is also an splendid online resource.
  • The proper reed. If you're a beginner and have been playing on forcefulness 2 or two.five reeds, at present'southward a good time to graduate to strength 3. Because loftier notes produce much faster reed vibrations, you will need a reed that'south up for the challenge. If a harder reed is too resistant for you, effort raising your normal strength reed slightly college on the mouthpiece to add resistance.
  • Excellent equipment. Your altissimo journey will be much easier if you lot are playing on quality equipment. Make sure that you have a great mouthpiece and reed combination. I love Vandoren products, and I use the M13 mouthpiece, V12 reeds, and M/O Gold ligature, but try out different products to find your ideal setup.
  • A fresh embouchure. High notes are an unrivaled chop-buster, so brand certain you programme your practice routine to avoid embouchure fatigue. Limit altissimo practice time, and make sure you do methodically and efficiently.
  • Lots of air!!! I can't stress this 1 plenty! Most of the issues students face when approaching the altissimo register is simply non using plenty air. A fleck of audio-visual science: college notes=higher frequency=faster reed vibrations. If you are using slow air in pocket-sized quantities, y'all volition probably only sound the undertone (that annoying grunty/groany sound your grandpa might brand).
  • A tuner. I suggest leaving the tuner off until you can consistently hit the high notes. Don't get me wrong – tuning is of import, but we have to take baby steps in the altissimo annals. In one case you tin can consistently striking the loftier notes, then you can worry about finessing the tuning.
  • A saint-like amount of patience. Altissimo notes are tough. Work methodically and focus on mastering one annotation at a fourth dimension. Don't go discouraged if it takes you a while to play the high notes. Learning the clarinet is a journeying, so enjoy the ride!

Altissimo Advice

One time you've armed yourself with proper fingerings and adept reeds, here's some communication to approaching the altissimo annals:

  • Have it a (half) step at a time. Make certain you tin consistently and confidently play i note before moving higher to the next. Offset at loftier C two ledger lines in a higher place the staff and gradually increase your range upward. Beginners: Make certain that you can consistently play your left mitt clarion notes approaching loftier C before attempting to go above the upper break.
  • Try a variety of fingerings. The one great (and overwhelming) thing about altissimo notes is that near of them accept multiple fingerings. If one isn't responding, endeavor another! Pro tip: If an altissimo notation is similar to i next to it (such equally high E and high A), I "crash-land" it out by slightly altering the fingering, such as using my RH (right hand) C# pinky key instead of the RH pinky Eb primal. I might use a different pinky primal or other small adjustment to help crash-land the note out so that it speaks clearly.
  • Don't forget the Eb pinky key. Brand sure that you apply this on your altissimo notes (excluding C#, which becomes even more atrociously abrupt with this key). I know it'due south a pain for younger students who might non hear a huge divergence and don't want to accept i more finger to worry about, only using this pinky key on altissimo notes improves response and tuning.
  • Accept in enough mouthpiece. Make sure that you are playing with plenty mouthpiece. By and large, your upper teeth should exist 1/3 of the way down the mouthpiece (approximately 10mm from the tip), or where the reed and mouthpiece meet. This allows maximum reed vibration to produce solid altissimo notes. Pro tip: If I accept an isolated altissimo passage, I take in a flake more mouthpiece earlier the section then I'chiliad sure that the high notes will speak. Call it altissimo insurance.
  • Check the annotation with the lower octave. The altissimo overtone series contains closer partials, so sometimes it's easy to play a high note – but you lot're non quite sure if it was the correct one! Play the octave lower to see if the pitch matches and y'all accept the right note.
  • Practice note identification. All those ledger lines are overwhelming at starting time, and so make sure you practice note identification every bit you learn the fingerings.
  • Make your ain altissimo fingering chart. I keep a notebook where I write downward my favorite altissimo fingerings, along with suggestions from teachers, colleagues, and friends. I likewise notate my own fingerings that I've "created," and I make certain to write downward any notes (expert response, great for softer dynamics, slightly sharp, etc). Keeping my own fingering chart ensures that I don't forget any fingerings and has been an invaluable resource when I'm stuck and demand fingering suggestions.

Troubleshooting

You lot know the classic game Rock, Paper, Pair of scissors? Well, here's the nerdier version and then you tin troubleshoot your altissimo register! Information technology's chosen Embouchure, Air, Fingers:

  • Embouchure. Are you playing with a proper embouchure? Is there enough upward pressure on your upper teeth? Are there whatsoever air leaks from the corners of your mouth? Are you biting the reed? Are you using too much force per unit area? Are you lot taking in enough mouthpiece? Is your tongue position affecting the response?
  • Air. Are you lot using plenty air? Is your air fast plenty? (One easy way to tell: Grab a canvass of paper and stand up nearly a foot away from the wall. See if you tin can hold the paper against the wall using just your air. If the paper immediately falls to the ground, you aren't using enough quantity or velocity of air.)
  • Fingers. Are you using the correct fingering? Would some other fingering work better? Would this speak easier you vented using the throat tone G# cardinal? Did you remember to add the right manus Eb pinky key? Are all of your fingers roofing the tone holes entirely?

Altissimo Exercises

One time yous've achieved the altissimo notes, information technology'southward time to incorporate them into the rest of your practice routine. Here are some ways to build up your altissimo technique:

  • Add together-a-note chromatic scale. Once you've learned the altissimo notes, it's time to add together them to your chromatic scale. Your finger muscles will freak out if you try to add together them all at one time, and so showtime with one note at a time. Brainstorm at middle C (third space C in the staff) and become up one octave. Repeat 3 times, then brainstorm from C# in the staff and go up one octave. Next comes D, then D#, etc. Repeat each octave several times until you tin can play it without errors. Your goal should be to eventually play up to altissimo C (or every bit I like to telephone call it, "Super C"). Bonus challenge: Alter the rhythms to farther optimize your technique.
  • Octaves. Play all octaves of each note to lucifer tuning, pitch, and timbre. This will also facilitate technique and assistance with big intervallic leaps. Use a tuner to make certain all octaves friction match.
  • Squeaking game. Simultaneously practice altissimo notes while learning about the clarinet'southward overtone series! Brainstorm on low C, and so "squeak" up the partials of the clarinet. You can apply your register fundamental at first to "bump" out the 12th, but the central is learning how to arrange your air and embouchure to produce these upper partials. Since squeaks are simply really high notes, this controlled squeaking will assistance you perfect your altissimo register.
  • Practice everything upwards an octave. True confession: I pride myself on my altissimo register, and I attribute my altissimo conviction to my high schoolhouse clarinet friends RG and PW (initials used to protect the squeaky). During marching band when we were bored (which was frequently, since we preferred concert band), we would play football tunes up an octave and have competitions to see who could play the highest annotation. We wrote downwards peculiarly good fingerings, and by the time concert band rolled around, I had loftier notes of steel. I don't advise doing this in your band (sorry to all the piccolos for getting you lot called out so many times!), but practicing familiar sections of repertoire up an octave to build up your altissimo technique and confidence.
  • Arm yourself with a multitude of fingerings. Equally you lot know by now, there are tons of different fingerings for altissimo notes. One time y'all've mastered the basics, information technology'due south time to add some more fingerings to your repertoire. Some fingerings will work better for ascending intervals and some ameliorate for descending. Choosing the best fingering takes practice, so it'south upward to yous to become an altissimo detective. When you lot acquire new music, determine which fingering will piece of work best in each specific musical circumstance, whether for response, dynamics, trills, technique, etc.

May your practicing be to altissimo and beyond!

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