Jazz Clarinet Q & A: Clarinet Angle

From reader Mike Kaiser:

I notice guys like Shaw or Goodman or even yourself seem to hold the clarinet facing outward, almost like you're playing a recorder, yet all the beginner clarinet method (that I'm currently following) want a player to point more towards the knee or lap.  It's not a matter of tilting your head back, or you'd all be looking at the ceiling...so is it a different embouchure or mouthpieces with different beak angles?   Just curious.

Mike....

Thanks for the question, Mike!

The 'proper' angle at which to hold a clarinet is a much debated topic. I'm tempted to give you the short answer that Goodman, Shaw, and I are correct and everyone else is wrong. I'd be joking, of course, but unfortunately that's about the level of discussion many teachers or methods will give you, in a nutshell, though such dogma was more common a generation or two ago than it is today.

The fact is that a player's musical goals, equipment, dental structure, and other concerns all factor into the right angle to hold the clarinet. For instance, the angle Benny used changed throughout his career, especially after his years of study with Reginald Kell, when he took on a double lip embouchure and began focusing more intently upon classical performance. 

Artie Shaw's embouchure was unorthodox, with a scowling muscular formation. Whether this was a legacy of his saxophone embouchure, I don't know (among the great clarinetists of the 20th century, he was one of the few who mastered saxophone before switching to clarinet, rather than the other way around). Because of this, he had a pretty unique sound concept, in many ways flipping emphasis from the chalumeau to the altissimo register. 

My embouchure, compared to either of theirs, is a rather natural, simple, relaxed one. The muscles have developed well over the years, but there is far less strain to mine than Shaw's, and while I played double lip for a time (just to see what it would do for me), pretty quickly reverted to a more comfortable sing lip. 

Beyond the discussion of embouchure, both Shaw and Goodman changed their equipment throughout their careers. In the 1930s and '40s both of them played on large, relatively straight bored Selmers. Shaw was also known to record and play on large bore Conns, but though he endorsed them, later admitted he preferred the Selmers for actual performance. His last recordings were made using a Buffet--but I'm not sure if it was an R13 (the revolutionary polycyclindrical model that changed clarinet culture) or a pre-R13.   

Benny played Selmers on most of the famous recordings before 1950, but switched to Boosey & Hawkes for a time and then permanently to the Buffet R13.

I mention this because the angle he needed to play might have been decisively effected by the equipment change. In my own experience (and that of other pros I've talked to), large straight bores are better played while held out farther from the body--one tends to blow straight down the instrument more. If you look at pictures of clarinetists playing large bore German instruments even to this day, you might note they tend to hold the instrument out farther, but the same principle holds for vintage French made instruments (such as the Selmer Centered Tones I play). Contemporary instruments (whether they are Buffet, Selmer, Yamaha) tend to follow the basic reverse conical or polycylindrical bore that took over the market in the '50 and '60s, and tend for reasons of intonation to demand a different blowing angle.     

Mouthpieces also effect things, but generally not beak shape (unless you're using something like this Morgan from the '80s.) 

Most importantly, the player's dental structure and body play a decisive role. Clarinetists with overbites tend to hold the clarinet in more tightly--but students should be careful not to think that because some great player or teacher does so, they ought to as well. Your own dental structure will impact the angle more than any pedagogy. 

Trail and error, experimentation with different angles and equipment: these are the best ways to find out what will work for you. Comfort, flexibility, ease of projection, ability to properly balance the instrument, and ability to properly articulate: these are the ways to determine whether an angle is correct.  

Thanks again for the question, Mike, and KEEP SWINGING!

Eric

Jazz Clarinet Q&A: Mouthpiece Strategy for Selmer Centered Tone

Hi,

Great blog. It's a joy to read. Because of your blog, I have a question. I'm a life long sax player, studied in college, etc. Unfortunately, I never needed to play clarinet. My double was always flute. Anyway, for the past year or so, I've been diving into clarinet. I've always loved it, especially in traditional Jazz and Brazilian choro. I play soprano in a trad jazz group and in a choro group, but I really want to play clarinet as well.  So...

I recently acquired a beautiful Selmer Centered Tone and I'm in love. Can you recommend one, two or a few good mouthpieces that seem to work well with the Centered Tone? It came with a HS* oval mouthpiece which is way more closed than I'm accustomed to, but it definitely sounds good. I know how personal sound and mouthpiece choice are, but some of problems have to do with how open I should go. I know a lot of sax players seem to like open clarinet pieces, but I like to approach the clarinet as its own instrument.

Thanks.

Wayne Swanson

Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute & EWI

www.wayneswanson.net

***

Hey Wayne--

Congrats on the Centered Tone and thanks for the kind words regarding The Jazz Clarinet. As you probably know I'm a CT player myself--I think they're the Mark VI of the clarinet world. 

As to your mouthpiece question, all the usual caveats apply (I'm sure you know them)--the choice is individual; use what works for you; etc., etc. 

Having said this, I think you're smart to ask, because it's quite possible to make a mistake with that HS* oval, which would be a real shame. The obvious advice would be to say "go ahead and have someone open it up", but the trouble is that it's axiomatically easier to take rubber off than add it back on, and you're looking to stabilize your concept right now, first and foremost. 

So, my suggestion would be to do something like this:

Although they're not perfect for a CT bore, you can sometimes get very good results from a contemporary Selmer C85 mouthpiece. If you have the time, money, and inclination, I'd buy, or at least test, a few different facings (105, 115, 120), and see if one of them is more comfortable than the others. You're job might be done there--if a C85 120, for example, works well for you, the search might be over. Be forewarned, though, that while many players like myself have had no trouble with the C85 on a Centered Tone, others have experienced intonation problems--a lot of it comes down to embouchure and air flow concept. 

After experimenting with the C85, and determining which facing is best for your playing, you might want to have the HS* oval opened up to your specs. But I'd make sure you really believed in what you were asking for first--in other words, make sure you know and are comfortable with your playing before having a great vintage piece worked on. That HS* oval is, in my opinion, the equivalent of a vintage Otto Link for a tenor player. If and when you get to that point, let me know and I can offer a suggestion or two regarding who to send it to.

Keep swinging, man!

Eric   

Jazz Clarinet Question & Answer: Legere Reeds and Backun Products

Hi Eric;

 

First I want to thank you for excellent "The Jazz Clarinet" that you produce every month. It's very informative and just FAB!

 

I have a couple of question about clarinet accessories:

 

What are your feelings about the synthetic reeds manufactured by Legere, a Canadian firm? I read an article about Artie Shaw that he used a plastic reed called Enduro. [...]

 

Lastly, does pay to purchase the Cocobolo Barrels and Bells from Backun? Does the tone and projection really improve?

 

Thank you, very much, for your time and consideration.

 

Best regards,

J. A.-Chicago

 

 

 

Thanks for reading, J.A.!

 

I'm glad you brought up the question of synthetic reeds, as I've been meaning to get to it for quite awhile.

 

If you check out any of my reviews, you'll see that I "rate" recordings in either "good reeds" or "broken reeds." All of my good reeds are Legeres; the broken ones are cane from an undisclosed reed manufacturer who will never see any of my money again. When I first tried Legeres over a decade ago, it was one of the best moments in my clarinet playing career. Not only did they eliminate the frustration and time consumption of reed selection and adjustment, they just flat out sounded and felt better to me in all registers.

 

It's true that Artie Shaw used Enduro reeds extensively. The Enduro was developed by Arnold Brilhart, who also made Artie's mouthpieces (even producing an Artie Shaw model) and served as editor to Shaw's Clarinet Method. In interviews, Shaw noted that his famous 'Stardust' solo was played on an Enduro. No doubt it benefited Shaw to be in the unique position of having his reeds and mouthpiece made by the same craftsman.

 

Ultimately, the choice of a reed is a very personal matter, and each player makes their own decision, but my experience has been that Legeres smooth out the timbral contrasts between registers, making a more homogenous experience from the bottom to the top of the horn. Perhaps the Enduro did the same for Artie.

 

Regarding Backun cocobolo barrels and bells, I have no experience. I play vintage large bore Selmer Centered Tones and am not looking to change. Having said this, many pros use and endorse Morrie Backun's products. If you're looking to change your sound, I say check his stuff out for yourself and see if you like them.

 

Keep swinging!

 

Eric

 

 

Jazz Clarinet Question & Answer: School Jazz Band: Clarinets Need Not Apply?

This past weekend a reader of The Jazz Clarinet contacted me about an issue that is rather close to my heart:


Hi Eric,

I stumbled on to your blog "The Jazz Clarinet", so far I'm really enjoying it. Thank you. I have a question for you. My son is 12, he has played clarinet since the 4th grade (he's now in 7th). He is quite good, he has a nice natural feel, or so I think, I am a lifetime guitarist. He isn't able to join jazz band at school until next year, but his teacher suggested he learn sax since they do not have clarinet in the jazz band! He and I are both a bit confused by this. I have exposed him to Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman and the jazz of the 20's-40's. So, for now I would like to get him started myself on learning jazz clarinet, particularly improvising. Do you have any suggestions on book, ways to teach him jazz?

Thanks for your time.

Sincerely,
M. C.

***

 

 

Thanks for reading, M.C.!

 

Both the question and my ultimate advice on this matter require a decent amount of historical and personal background. It's a question that comes up frequently among jazz clarinetists, and one I've wanted to address for awhile now in more depth.

 

First, there is a long history of saxophone/clarinet doubling in jazz band history. While the Swing Era (circa 1935-46) has rightly been considered the golden era of jazz clarinet, it's important to realize that only two of the top bandleaders--Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw--were full time, virtuoso clarinetists. Others band leaders associated with the instrument (such as Jimmy Dorsey and Woody Herman), were almost invariably doublers, and equally invariably sounded better on saxophone than clarinet.

 

To play clarinet within the saxophone section was a standard double for many bands. Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Harry James and most other bands employed reed doublers, often hiring important jazz clarinetists such as Barney Bigard, Jimmy Hamilton, and even Lester Young to do so (Prez was not only one of the greatest tenor players ever, but a fairly interesting clarinet soloist too).

 

Up through the 1940s, clarinet parts were an important part of jazz band arrangements. This started to change sometime shortly after WWII, though the reasons for it are vague. As early as the 1950s, publications like DownBeat were wondering why the clarinet was losing prominence in the jazz world. As a touchstone for historical trends we might look to arguably the most important Big Band album of the decade, 1958's Atomic Basie, which featured an array of now classic, benchmark arrangements by Neal Hefti--none of which called for a clarinet. To my knowledge, no one ever complained.  

 

The 1950s also saw an exodus of Big Band alumni, now looking for work and stability, into the ranks of public school teachers. The impact of these musicians on our culture has been profoundly positive. If the Big Band has been preserved, it has been largely through High School educators and their college counterparts since the 1950s. Unfortunately, though, the need for a large number of simple, educational arrangements and methods coincided with a trend away from clarinets in the jazz band. The vast resources of jazz educational literature that have developed since then have tended to neglect instruments that weren't fashionable during the 1950s. That means that if a student plays clarinet or banjo (both of which are musically essential and culturally important to early jazz), he or she is generally asked to switch to saxophone or guitar. 

 

Ordinarily, this is no big deal. Most 12 year olds who want to play jazz aren't in love with a certain instrument, and just want to be in the band. But there are important exceptions.

 

Imagine a girl who has a natural coloratura soprano voice, trying out for the school musical, only to be told she has to sing mezzo--because those are the only roles they intend to do. Or imagine a boy who can sing countertenor told he has to be a Heldentenor. In such situations, you'd hope the music director would have the sense to use the talent they have, rather than slotting people into roles that go against their natural abilities.

 

Instrumental music is not quite so dependent upon natural endowment as these: it is true that a kid can generally hold an alto as well as they can hold a clarinet. Still there are natural traits, and even basic attractions to an instrument, that ought not be ignored. It's relatively rare for a kid to be able to play easily over "the break" early on, or cover the open holes of a clarinet deftly, or reach into the altissimo without instruction. I was like this, and therefore could have been one of those kids put in a bind wanting to play jazz. Which brings me to the personal part of this response.

 

The question of doubling came at around the same age for me. By 13, I had been casually transcribing jazz for a few years (though I wouldn't have known the word for it--I just copied recordings for fun), I had learned to improvise some basic blues, and was reaching into the altissimo as a regular feature of my improvisations. When the question of whether or not I should switch to saxophone to follow my love of jazz came up (this was in the mid-1980s), I was fortunate to have asked the question in the company of  some old New York veterans of the Big Bands, and a unique trumpet maker named Jerome Callet.

 

Callet, who has a specialty of teaching altissimo trumpet, put it best when he heard me play at age 13 and said "He has a natural sound on the clarinet: don't ruin that. Let him develop his voice." This concept of personal voice and distinctive sound is unfortunately growing less common, and I fear that if we lose it, as a society we're going to opt even more for a utilitarian approach to music rather than something that enhances basic human dignity. While this might sound very heady, the old jazz musicians I spent time with as a kid felt exactly this way, and often expressed it in similar terms--they saw voice and sound development as spiritually and culturally important. Rather than becoming cogs in a wheel (as classical orchestras have too often turned into), the jazz community was supposed to be a bastion for respecting and encouraging the unique and personal.     

 

Fortunately, my High School Band director agreed with these assessments--he was one of those enlightened jazz musicians too--and while our school didn't have a jazz band, he comped for me daily during Study Hall, featuring me during Concert Band concerts. He also lobbied at the County Band level, suggesting to those who ran the auditions that I might perform as a "featured soloist" if there were no charts with clarinet. I continued this approach at music camps, and was never turned down.

 

It has been my experience that jazz band directors are among the more open minded people in this world; usually quite enthusiastic about what they do. Jazz is a medium that prizes originality, risk-taking, creativity, and non-conformism--it's one of the few paths in our education system that actually encourages many of these qualities.  If a kid really wants to play jazz clarinet, or tuba, or flute, unless you're dealing with one of the very worst personalities in the music education business (and if so, I haven't met them yet), chances are they're going to reward that enthusiasm and determination with a chance.

 

My advice: If you're a kid who is addicted to Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw; if you're wailing the blues on the clarinet and feel great doing it; don't feel you need to switch to sax. When all is said and done, there probably will come a time when you play sax (even Benny and Artie did--and so have I), but if you really feel the clarinet is your thing, let your band director know. Tell him or her about the recordings you're into, and how much they mean to you. Suggest that you might read out of a trumpet or tenor sax book, if it's a question of method materials. Show that you're willing to be flexible. Chances are your band director will be impressed and want to encourage such enthusiasm.  

 

If it doesn't work out, and you have a very rare closed minded teacher to deal with, well, then  you have to look at your options again. Playing sax can be an extremely valuable experience, and even help your clarinet playing, so there is certainly more than one way of looking at this. But for me, a decisive moment happened when I asked this very question: it was a moment when a bunch of enlightened jazz musicians heard me and said my "voice" was important and worth something. A kid doesn't forget that lesson any time soon, believe me.

 

Best of luck to your son, M.C. Keep swinging, and please let us know how it turns out.

 

 

Eric