"I have to say I'm LOVING your tone right now! Ready to have some more fun?! Below you will find a progressive set of exercises that you can apply your new knowledge of tone and intonation to. Our clarinet expert is here with us as well so you can listen to him play each exercise first, or even play along with him! Ready? Set? Let's gooooo!"
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These 3 Notes are E, D, C
*** You should recognize these notes from the first 5 you just learned! Keep actively listening to your tone and intonation as you play. And speaking of intonation, if you recall your knowledge on clarinet pitch tendencies you will notice that the E you are playing is naturally flat on the instrument while the D you are playing is naturally sharp. Keep this in mind as you are practicing this exercise and those that follow. ***
Catching the Light of the Moon
*** A phrase is a musical sentence. In this exercise, try to keep your air and sound going until you get to each rest. Then you will be playing 4-measure phrases! It may be a challenge at first, but through correct practice and repetition, it can be achieved! ***
Mary Had 3 Little Notes
*** Mary has the same notes you have been playing! You may notice the little 'comma' at the end of the 4th measure. In music, this is known as a breath mark. In addition to long rests, breath marks show where to breath so that you don't interrupt the phrases. ***
Mary's Reaching Higher Now
*** You will notice that an additional note from the beginning method book is being used here. In addition to the D, which is naturally sharp, and the E, which is naturally flat, you will also want to take note of the G you are playing, which is naturally sharp on the clarinet. Keep this in mind as you practice this and the next exercise. Time to reach higher! ***
Holidays with ExTon!
*** Whew, this is going to be a workout! Some things to focus on with this longer exercise are the 4-measure phrases, the natural pitch tendencies of D (sharp on the clarinet), E (flat on the clarinet) and G (sharp on the clarinet), and of course great tone! ***
Flying Along! ...
Wasn't that fun?! Well we're not done yet! Before we bring things back down to earth, there are some clips of master clarinetists for your Listening pleasure we would like to make available so you can continue to train your ear in the pursuit of the perfect tone!