TAKE NOTE BEGINNER CLARINET! – Fun with Fundamental Skills

Examine both the robust and delicate parts of the instrument and appreciate why its important to handle it in a specific way.

Pick your wits against the countdown clock – have fun!

Learn to keep a natural body shape as you sit or stand to inhale the air correctly. Imagine the shape of the column of air as you push it through the instrument to make the best sound in town.

How the position of the neckpiece and the length of the sling will enhance your playing experience considerably.,

Instil good habits of natural hand and arm positions before you play. Make playing feel comfortable and avoid discomfort.

How to angle the clarinet to help produce an open, round sound.

Learn how to use the Music Stand to your best advantage so it doesn't affect the way you make the sound. Practice assembling the stand and avoid bending it.

Revise this section frequently until all the body positions become habitual – get the most out of your playing experience.

Can you shout out 6 correct answers? We're just checking you have been listening!

Learn about the muscles of the mouth, and how to put the mouth and teeth around the mouthpiece to make the sound easily. Learn to make the sound in a few short steps, then slowly follow a series of mini exercises to ensure you breathe in through the mouth correctly (the nose is never involved in playing) and tongue the reed correctly. You will need to use a mirror at head height to make sure you learn each small step correctly. Take plenty of time with this exercise. 

Learn exactly what to do if the sound doesn't come out as you want. Learn to make sound production comfortable and easy. Learn what to do if you have a wobbly lip or you look like a frog.  

Get into the daily habit of improving your sound control and quality with this simple exercise. Develop your listening skills at this early stage by asking the right questions about the sound you are making.

The muscles of the mouth have not been used in this way before so can not be expected to have good "muscle memory" yet – revise these important principles frequently to ensure good embouchure habits and avoid practising in any unhelpful habits that may impair your playing in the future.

Time for the quiz – how many questions can you get right?

Appreciate how learning to read is going to be simple. Learn the lengths of the notes in both American and English terminology. Learn the rest values and where they are written on the stave.

Become familiar with the stave. Learn the names of the notes within the stave and a rhyme and a word to help you identify the name of each note. Understand the concept of how the pitch of the note rises the further up the stave it is placed.

Learn to be "pulse aware" from the outset to bring your playing alive.

FEEL the pulse then THINK/count the rhythms of the written music to the pulse you FEEL. You will be surprised how easy this is.  

Learn New Note "E". LISTEN to how the note sounds, SEE where the note is written on the Stave and FEEL the fingers on the Clarinet as you play "E".

Play along with Bill Worrall's fabulous accompaniment and follow the music on the stave as you play.

New Note "D"

FEEL the note, SEE the note, HEAR the note.

Play "Swing with D"

Learn New Note "C"

Play along with the accompaniment and count as you go. Follow the indicators as the notes move along.

The notes C,D, and E are combined in "Smoothly Please" . Play along with the accompaniment and see the fingerings as you follow the movement of the notes.

"Remember to RECAP regularly" – keep your skill sets and knowledge refreshed.

Shout out the right answer before the clock counts down! Can you score 6 points?

Understand:

• The most common musical signs and some more detailed instructions that make the music much more interesting
  

Recognise:

• Dynamic markings, speed words, repeat marks and slur signs.

Learn:

• What a quaver/eighth note is
  
• How to recognise the quaver/eighth note rest
• How to count quaver/eighth rhythms to the pulse you are feeling.

Learn:

• How to interpret the Time Signature.
  
• The meaning of both the upper and lower figure of the time signature

Understand the meaning of the flats and sharp signs at the beginning of the lines of music and how they affect the pitch of the written notes.

This huge section – apart from being for your FUN, ENJOYMENT AND ENTERTAINMENT has THREE MAJOR OBJECTIVES

1) To teach a SYSTEM OF READING MUSIC, enabling you to BECOME MUSICALLY LITERATE forever.

2) To teach the awareness and importance of PLAYING WITH A PULSE and BRINGING THE MUSIC TO LIFE

3) To teach the RANGE OF NATURAL NOTES in the chalumeaux and throat registers of the clarinet  plus low and throat Bb and F# (first space).

This chapter:

• Makes sure you are comfortable with the technical handling of each new note.
  
• Develops strong Sound Production Skills.
  
• Teaches articulation – you will understand where to tongue and slur.
  
• Exercises Dynamics, Time Signatures and recognition of "Key." 
  
• Teaches various types of Repeat markings.
  

Each section is a unit on its own, introduces either one or two notes and is a progression on the previous section. Read about the Specific Teaching Point of each section before you start it, then give it your focused attention.
The above musical concepts are introduced gradually building up a comprehensive and robust skill set towards the end of the chapter.
You are encouraged to feel the pulse before you play, and count yourself in – developing a sense of setting the speed of the piece and establishing the pulse. There are two accompaniments to all the tunes. For your initial support,the first accompaniment incorporates the melody that you will play along with then the next accompaniment allows you to play the melody on your own and feel a more soloistic experience.

Take your time with this chapter. Measure progress, not by the number of notes known or the number of tunes played but the quality of your sound and how ease at which you get your sound.There are specific instructions throughout where to pause the recording and exercise your newly acquired skill set before moving on.

You are encouraged throughout to SEE HEAR FEEL. Link up your senses and make your playing a sensory experience full of life and energy right from the very start.Rather than just thinking "This note's an "E" or "This note's a "G" ...................  ASSOCIATE YOUR SENSES!!!

• SEE THE NOTE – Memorise the position of the note on the Stave

• HEAR THE NOTE – Get into the habit of listening to the quality of your sound and always producing the best quality of tone you can.

• FEEL THE NOTE – Give focus and attention to how your hands feel on the instrument when you play the note

Learn New Notes "F" and "G" (throat register)

Play along to the accompaniment of "F&G Swing"

Teaching points:

• How to support the instrument having few fingers on the clarinet.
• Become aware of 4 bar phrases and breathing with the 4 bar phrases.

Play along to the accompaniment of "Jingle Bells"

Teaching points:

• Learn Repeats using First and Second Time Bars
  
• Exercise easy transition and hand movements between the notes "C" and "F"

Learn New Notes "A" and "Bb"

Play along to the accompaniments of "Rocking A&Bb"

Teaching Points:

• Learn to balance the instrument whilst playing the throat register notes.
•  Recognise the key signature of "F Major" and play in that key.

Play "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" Play with the accompaniment.

Teaching Points:

• Learn Crotchet Rests.and exercise Quarter note/Crotchet Rests
  
• Use Dynamics – levels of louds and softs

Learn New Notes Low "A" and "B" 

Play "A Minor Creepy Song"

Teaching Points:

• Learn how to Slur on the Clarinet.
  
• Using dynamics to add interest and vary the energy of a piece.
• How to achieve the loud's and soft's by controlling the air differently.

Learn New Note Low "G"

Play "Low Low Down" and play along to the accompaniment

Teaching Points:

• Learn techniques to get the low clarinet notes every time.
• Focus on good hand and finger positions for the right hand as well as the left – to secure a good technique for the future.
• Develop strong breath control for the bottom of the instrument.

Play "Running Quavers"

Teaching Points:

• Learn  4/4 time
  
• Exercise slurring.
• Learn to count Quaver/eighth note rhythms.

Learn New Note Fsharp . 

Play "Quavers/Quarter Notes in G"

Teaching Points:

• Combine the musical elements of 4/4 time, the key of G Major, tonguing, repeats and varied dynamics.
  
• Become fluent reading Quaver/Quarter Note rhythms
• How to achieve a crescendo
• Learn the speed word "Moderato"

Learn New Note Low "Bb"

Play "F Major in 3"

Teaching Points:

• Combine the musical elements of 3/4 time, the key of F Major, slurring, repeats using first and second-time bars.

Use this chapter in the future to revise all the essential points to keep your knowledge, technique, and quality of sound on track.

Can you get all the answers right? There's a countdown clock so you better be quick! 

Start to learn finger patterns, strengthen your technique and learn...

• What are scales and arpeggios and how they are constructed?
  
• The importance of learning them rhythmically and on a pulse.
• How to play the scales and arpeggios of G Major, F Major, A Minor and their related arpeggios.

Discover the solutions to those usual challenges that are encountered by beginners...

• Squeaking like a Mouse?
• Sound not coming out?
• Sounding like a Frying Pan?
• Got a Stiff Neck?
• Got a Sore Thumb?
• Just not sounding right?
• Clarinet wobbling in your mouth?