Fundamental Music Instruction Clarinet
Welcome to the Fundamental Music Instruction First Songs for Band a beginner s starter kit. The goal of this booklet (and the Supplement Book) is to help the very beginning student explore the first sounds, begin a study of basic rhythmic playing, learn to play in a smooth pleasing fashion and master several notes appropriate for this level of study. To make the most progress possible, a student must find a quiet place to practice and get in the habit of truly listening to the sounds being produced. Learning to critique one s sound is the best tool for building a lasting mastery of musicianship on every level. The music in this book is sequential from initial sounds to songs that are appropriate for the first performance. It is designed to go along with the Supplementary Workbook so students should work through both books together many concepts are repeated from book to book to help reinforce important aspects of musical development. Ed Kelly, Fundamental Music Instruction Administrator
Assemble your Clarinet: All the corks on a new clarinet are dry. You need to grease them. Rub a small amount of grease on the corks of the mouthpiece, the upper joint, and the lower joint. Clarinet Assembly (Clarinetcloset.com) The clarinet has many different parts, and putting it together can be a daunting task for a beginner. Ideally, it would be best if you wait until your teacher can demonstrate it so that you won't risk damaging your instrument. Please ask one of your parents for assistance the first few times you put it together. By using the following guidelines, you should be an expert in no time. Begin by sitting in a chair and setting the case on the floor. It can be difficult to balance it on your lap and put your clarinet together at the same time. Make sure that the case is right side up. Start by putting cork grease on all of the corks where the pieces will fit together. This will not always be necessary, but is important when you first get your clarinet. Remove the reed from its protective case, and put it in your mouth. It will play better if it is wet. Remove the bell and second joint from the case. Carefully twist and push the cork end of the second joint into the bell, turning it back and forth until it is all the way in. (see picture below) Next, remove the first joint from the case. In the picture below, a black arrow points to the bridge key. This key is very important, and can easily be bent if you are not careful. Hold the first joint in your left hand, with your fingers over the ring holes on the front of the clarinet as shown. This will cause the bridge key to lift up. Holding the second joint close to the bell with your right hand, slowly twist and push the first joint into the second. Look at the picture to see where the two sections should meet. Try to turn it back and forth in small motions, so that the keys don't bang into each other.
Students need a supply of extra reeds - especially at the beginning since they tend to chip often! Remove the barrel from the case and twist and push the large end onto the first joint. Remove the mouthpiece from the case and take off the ligature (the ligature is the metal or sometimes plastic piece that has one or two screws in it). Twist and push the cork end of the mouthpiece into the barrel. The flat side of the mouthpiece should line up with the back of the clarinet (the part with the fewest keys). Slip the ligature over the mouthpiece. Remove the reed from your mouth and slide it down between the mouthpiece and the ligature. Line it up so that the tip of the reed doesn't extend beyond the tip of the mouthpiece. If your mouthpiece has lines on it, slide the ligature down until the top of the ligature is below the top line of the mouthpiece. If your mouthpiece doesn't have lines, slide the ligature down to the point where the top of the ligature is below the bark part of the reed. The ligature screws should be tightened securely enough to keep the reed from slipping, but not so tight that they are difficult to unfasten. Do your best to avoid touching the tip of the reed with anything - fingers, the ligature, mouthpiece cap...
Left Hand Position: The fingers should form a C. Place your fingers on or over your left hand tone holes. As you place your fingers over the tone holes, keep this natural, relaxed state The only correct marking is full circles - if they are not full you did not seal the holes completely! Often, many people have too much curvature of the hands and try to play with the tips of the fingers. Maximize the use of the fingers by placing the finger pads on the tone holes. Test this by placing your left fingers on the tone holes and grip the clarinet slightly. After you ve gripped it, look at your fingers. You should see an indenwdtion of the tone holes in the fingers. Are they on the tips or on the pads? Do you see a full tone hole? If you see a full, round tone hole indenwdtion on the pads, you will seal the tone hole well. Take a look at the back of your clarinet; place the left hand on the tone hole. The base of the thumb should hold at roughly a 7:30 or 8:00 O clock position (the tip of the thumb should point at the 1:30 or 2:00 O clock position).
Making your first sound: Take the barrel off (the mouthpiece will remain attached to the barrel for this) see picture. Goal: Warm, rich and focused sound that is controlled yet flexible. Various articulations and dynamics are performed with ease in all registers of the clarinet. 1. Chin is pointed as if blowing through a soda bottle (wee-too). 2. Lower lip over lower teeth. Feel the teeth about half way between the fleshy part of the lower lip. Pressure from the bottom is necessary and good. 3. Upper teeth rest gently on mouthpiece about ½ inch from tip. Magic Spot Many players do not The "Magic Spot" is the take in enough mouthpiece, resulting in a small and stuffy sound. Do not apply place you put the reed on pressure from the top, this is the biting feeling that results in squeaks. your lip so the clarinet 4. Keep head up with the clarinet at a 30-40 degree angle from body. makes a comfortable, 5. Upper lip stays firm. Cheeks will not puff out if the corners are firm. Excess pleasing tone, free of squeaks. tension, however, may result in air escaping from corners. 6. Do not let a loose embouchure allow the mouthpiece to move around (more pressure Ĩ rom bottom). 7. To check correct pressure from bottom and tongue position ( ee ), the mouthpiece and barrel when played by themselves should produce a concert F# - check yours with a piano.
Clarinet in Bb First Songs for Band Preliminary Songs and Exercises &4 4 Use Only Top 1/2 of Clarinet w w w w Open Thumb and Pointer (Hold Barrel With Right Hand) & w w w w Thumb Only Open & w w w w Thumb Thumb and Pointer Rain Rain & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
2 Inch Worm & w w w Vitamin D & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ Inch Worm 2 & w w w
3 C D E Song Section It Takes 3 & w w w w w w & w w Hot Cross Buns & w w œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w
4 Apache Warrior & œ œ œ œ w œ œ œ œ w œ œ œ œ w œ œ œ œ w French Song &.. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w Christmas Chimes & w w œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Ó w
5 Mary Had a Little lamb & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w Down by the Station & œ œ œ œ œ œ w œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w Gotcha Cha Cha & œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ
6 Hot Cross Buns & w w œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w Apache Warrior & œ œ œ œ w œ œ œ œ w œ œ œ œ w œ œ œ œ w Mary Had a Little Lamb & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w To be awarded this level you must: Know the Notes, Fingerings and Rhythms. You must also play with a pleasing Tone, use Breath Control and Style. Belt Level Awarded
7 March C D E F Song Section & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Indian Song 1/4 Scale &. œ œ. œ œ Rockin' & œ œ œ œ œ œ Ó œ œ œ œ w œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w
8 Whose on First &.. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickeled Pepper Polka & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ
9 Ladders & œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ w Looney Tunes & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ Circular Motion & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w
10 Indian Song & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Rockin' & œ œ œ œ œ œ Ó œ œ œ œ w œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w Whose on First & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ To be awarded this level you must: Know the Notes, Fingerings and Rhythms. You must also play with a pleasing Tone, use Breath Control and Style. Belt Level Awarded
C D E F G Song Section 11 Oats Peas and Beans & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ Rain Rain 2 & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Joyful Joyful & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ j œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. j œ & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. j œ
12 Jingle Bells & œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ w œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 1. 2. œ œ œ œ w Dreydle Dreydle &. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. w œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w Old English Song & œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œœœ œ œœœ œ œœœ œ œ
13 &. Small World. œ. œ w. œ. œ w &. œ. œ œ œ w w. w Sweetly Sings the Donkey & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w œ œ œ œ & œ œ œ œ. œ. œ. œ œ œ œ œ w
14 Good King Wenceslas & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 5 Note Scale & w w w w w œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w 4 3 Cuckoo &4 3 œ œ Œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ. œ œ Œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ. & 4 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ Œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ.
15 Rain Rain &4 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Joyful Joyful & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ j œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. j œ & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. j œ Good King Wenceslas & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ To be awarded this level you must: Know the Notes, Fingerings and Rhythms. You must also play with a pleasing Tone, use Breath Control and Style. Belt Level Awarded
Elements of Music Whole Note: Four beats OR Four evenly timed taps of your foot Half Note: Two beats OR Two evenly timed taps of your foot Quarter Note: One beats OR One note for each evenly timed foot tap E C A F Grass Eat Cows All Fine Does Boy Good Every Always Fine Do Boys Good Some helpful terms: Allegro: a quick and lively tempo Andante: a moderate tempo Adagio: a slow and relaxed tempo Piano (p): soft Mezzo forte (mf ): medium loud Forte (f ): loud Fortissimo (ff ): very loud Fermata: hold note for longer than its value Sharp sign: raise note 1 half tone Natural sign: note returns to unchanged pitch Flat sign: lower note 1 half tone