Bandmasters Review - September 2019

Texas Bandmasters Association Bandmasters Review • September 2019 20 • Teach the three positions of the thumb and have the students practice going from position 1-2-3-2-1. - Position 1 - hole only - Position 2 - hole and register key - Position 3 - register key only (break the first joint of the thumb to roll up to the register key) Left hand finger exercises for clarinet can be found on the TBA website. Saxophone Make sure the students create a habit of putting the neck strap on before attempting to get the saxophone out of the case. To teach right hand position, hold the instrument at the top with the left hand and let the saxophone hang to the side of the right leg. • Place the fingers first and then add the thumb. Put the pinky on the C key • The fingers should be flat and centered with the tab of fingers in the middle of pearls. Students with large hands can touch the pearls with the fingertips. • Put the right thumb under the thumb rest and push the bell toward the knee until it rests on the side of the thigh. This will help the students anchor the mouthpiece later. • Stress that the fingers move from the large knuckles, stay low and move straight up and down above the keys. Right hand finger exercises for saxophone can be found on the TBA website. For left-hand position, use correct right-hand position to hold the saxophone. • Place the fingers first and then add the thumb. • Center the fingers on the pearls and then raise the wrist until the top of the first finger is the same height as the top of the 2nd palm key. • Place the pinky on the G# key. • The thumb should be at a 45-degree angle with the hard part of the thumb (1st joint) on the pearl. The thumb then rocks to the tip of the finger to push the octave key. Do not let the students lift the thumb to hit the octave key. Left hand finger exercises for saxophone can be found on the TBA website. Embouchure and Tone Product ion Prior to teaching embouchure and tone production, briefly discuss important aspects concerning breathing such as the face staying the same as you breathe and exhale and that the air should be calm coming into the body and going out to reduce tension. Have the students practice breathing and exhaling while watching their face in a mirror and spend a couple of days working on the correct shape of face before adding the mouthpiece. As embouchure and tone production are introduced, the students should still be working on the finger exercises. The best way to get the correct embouchure on clarinet is to have the students shape the face as if they are sucking a thick milkshake through a straw. The chin should be flat and sculpted with the corners toward the center and anchored to the teeth. Once the students get the shape of the face correct, have them form the embouchure as they exhale. On saxophone, have the students say “ooo”. The corners are still to the center, but the face should not be too tense or sculpted. Teach the students to open and close the jaw while forming the embouchure and make sure the lip moves with the bottom teeth. If the students can get the jaw open the correct amount before inserting the mouthpiece, they will not have to close the jaw for the top teeth to touch the mouthpiece which will help prevent biting. Be very detailed on how to put the ligature and reed on the mouthpiece and have the students practice this for several days. A detailed description of how to teach this can be found in the handout on the TBA website. When the students are ready to produce a sound on the mouthpiece, the instructor should place the mouthpiece in the mouth for the first few days. It is recommended that the mouthpieces are collected each day and not taken home until the students can consistently and successfully place the mouthpiece in class. Clarinet students can achieve the proper angle by holding the barrel with the thumb and two fingers. Saxophone students should hold the neck Single Reed Success ( Part 1 )