Community Bands around Perth
When a student finishes high school and does not want to pursue clarinet through tertiary education but wants to keep up the instrument, what can they do?
Around Perth, there are a number of community bands where people of all ages join and make music. Here are a list of some of the community bands in perth:
- Armadale City Concert Band (ACCB)
- City of Perth Concert Band
- Claremont Concert Band
- Mandurah Concert Band
- Perth Concert Band
- Western Australia Symphonic Wind Ensemble (WASWE)
- Australian Army Band, Perth
- Royal Australian Navy Band, Perth
There are also Symphony Orchestras:
- City of Fremantle Symphony Orchestra
- Hills Symphony Orchestra
- Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra
- West Australian Symphony Orchestra
- Western Australian Charity Orchestra
Please check the website for membership requirements as some ensembles requre auditions and certian levels of playing in order to join.
Clarinet Supplies
in addition to buying the clarinet, there are supplies you will need in order to play, enhance and maintain the instrument.
Here are the must have items for the clarinet
REEDS
Beginners start on size 1.5.The higher the number, the thicker the reed will be and also harder to blow through
Recommended brands for beginners: Rico, Rico Royale,Reeds Australia, Razz.
CLARINET PULL THROUGH
This is a pieces of cloth (there are pull throughs made with different materials such as cotton, chamois, silk…) with a shoelace like string sewn on diagonally and a weight on the other end inside of the lace .
I do not recommend pull throughs where the weight is not covered (e.g hecro brand) as the metal will scratch the inside of the clarinet.
CORK GREASE
Cork grease is used to grease the cork on the end of each joint. This makes it easier to put together and take apart the clarinet. If the clarinet does not have enough grease, you may end up bending keys trying to pull the clarinet apart. Cork grease can come in a lip balm stick form or in a small tube.
It is not recommended to use vaseline. Vaseline contains petroleum and can degrade the cork.
MUSIC STAND
Music stand is important for a musician’s posture. If a music book is placed on a place such as a table, reading the book will prevent proper posture for the clarinet playing and also strain some part of the body causing some sort of injury.
CLARINET BOOK
What clarinet book to buy depends on what the clarinet teacher reccomends. Here are some books that I get the students to use in lessons:
- NEW Tune a Day
- Learn, Sing and Play the Clarinet
- Mark Walton books
- ABRACADABRA
- Roundabout
What I choose depends on the student, level, age, size of group so I do not stick with one book for every student.
OPTIONAL
These items are not as important as the top ones but still recommended.
NECK STRAP
If you find the clarinet heavy to play, I highly recommend buying a clarinet neck strap. It is similar to the saxophone neck strap but the attachment is different. There are different types of neck straps (hooks and leather with slits in them) and they attach to the thumb rest on the back of the clarinet.
Playing the clarinet without a neck strap can cause incorrect posture, and also muscular & joint pains (there are short term and long term effects). I will be creating a new page which will elaborate on this matter sometime in the near future.
CLARINET STAND
Even though the clarinet can stand up by itself, it is also easily able to fall over and break something on the clarinet. Clarinet stands help prevent this happening.
TEETH SAVERS
This is a sticker that goes onto the beak of the mouthpieces that is made out of a thin clear or thick black rubber. it is to prevent teeth slipping down the mouthpiece, prevent vibrations on the teeth while playing and also to protect the mouthpiece from teeth marks.
METRONOME
A metronome is a mechanical device that gives off a beating sound at various speeds. The numbers on a metronome indicate how many beats per min (BPM). 60BPM means 60 beats per min (like a clock) 120BPM means it is beating 2 x faster. It helps the player play in time, help count, speed up pieces or even help small ensembles play at the same speed and time.
TUNER
A tuner is also a mechanical device but tells you if something is sung or played flat (sounds lower than what it is suppose to be) or sharp (sounds higher than what it is suppose to be). Sounds are made by vibrations called frequencies and each pitch has to be sung or played at a given frequency if wanting to play in-tune. A tuner can pick up the frequency of a pitch through a mic and tell you if the pitch is flat or sharp. As musicians, it is important to be trained to use our ears to be able to hear this by ourselves. A tuner is a tool to help this given that they are showed how to use one properly.
This is important when the student starts playing in ensembles.
ITEMS THAT ARE NOT NEEDED
There are items in the shops for the clarinet that you do not really need.
KEY OIL
Key oil is to oil the screws that keep the keys together. This involves taking the screws out, which I do not recommend you do yourself. When you get the clarinet repaired every 6 or 12 months, the repairer will do this for you anyway.
BORE OIL
Bore oil is used to oil the inside of a wooden clarinet to prevent it going dry and cracking. Beginner clarinets are made of plastic and do not need oiling.
PAD SAVERS
is a metal stick with cotton on it (stick out like wool on a pom pom ball). They rest inside of the 2 large joints of the clarinet to dry the pads when not in use. The problem with this is the fibers come off the stick and stick onto the moist pads doing more damage than good. Drying the clarinet with the pull through a few times will suffice.
Performance Nerves
For a musician, performance nerves is something everyone experiences some point in their life. Here is a list of things I have experienced and learnt from performing over the years that may help you.
- THINK POSITIVELY
A most common fault I find in students performing is negative thinking. “I don’t want to play, everyone will hear all my mistakes” , “That was such a bad performance“.Instead, try thinking something similar to this:
“I am going to go on the stage and show everyone how well I can play” ;
“If anyone out there is picking out my mistakes, lets see them come up on the stage and perform in front of all these people!” ;
“It wasn’t as good as when I practiced at home but I think i did pretty well performing the piece in front of people“Think about this: most of the people in the audience (especially in a school setting) wont know how to play an instrument.
Put yourself in the audiences shoes, would you pick out mistakes people do when they perform?
Before the performance think about the negative things that you are worried about and try to think of a solution to fix it weeks leading into it than on the performance day. - ‘ACT’ CONFIDENTLY
Performing is all an act. When you are performing and making several mistakes, pretending that the mistakes are meant to be there will be less noticeable to the audience that you made a mistake. Making gestures such as eye movement when a mistake is made will give the game away.When you walk on stage, your presence will give the audience their first impression of you, if you look like you want to be there to perform, the audience will want to listen. When a piece is finished and it was the worst performance ever done, still pretend it was the best performance and walk off confidently with a smile. Remember First and last impressions are the 2 things that stay in the mind.
- PRACTICE AS IF YOU WERE PERFORMING
Every practice session should always be as if you were performing in front of people. Try practicing a piece from beginning to end without stopping. This is a great way to practice not making gestures when a mistake is made.
- GET PEOPLE TO WATCH YOU PRACTICE
Invite people to watch you practice. Even if it is just 1 person, it really makes a difference. If just learning to perform in front of people, play a few tunes you have mastered already as the confidence of performing tunes from there will be greater. - MEMORISE YOUR PIECES
Memorising helps reduce the number of mistakes made in pieces considerably. Memorising helps with analysing a piece such as the form, harmony and patterns in the melody. By memorising you know what will be coming up in the piece and know where you are likely to make mistakes which you can fix.You will be less worried about making a mistake and feel more confident. Learning by memory doesn’t mean you have to perform it by memory though!
- WATCHING PERFORMANCES
How will you know how to perform if you haven’t seen other people perform? Its beneficial and educational to go an see a variety of live performances (not just performances on your instrument) ranging from orchestral – solo. Its a great way to see how professionals present themselves on stage and see how they perform pieces musically.If you can’t see live performances, Youtube is another place to watch clips of people performing. There is a range of different levels of performance ability to help you compare what style of performing you like and don’t like.
- PERFORM OFTEN
Take every opportunity to perform, even if it is with a large group or just by yourself. Busking is another way to get over nerves and you can get a bit of extra pocket money while you are at it!
If at school, ask the teacher if you can perform in front of the class, assembly or have a group of friends and perform to them during lunch or recess in the music room. Joining ensembles such as community bands gives extra opportunities to perform and you can meet new friends with similar interests. - RECCOMENDED READING
- The Inner Game of Music by Tim Gallwey and Barry Green
If you want to remark on any of these techniques or want to share your experiences, please add a comment
Clarinet Terminology
There are specifications on different models that you may have no idea what they are. Here is some terminology (and more on the way) to help you understand the different parts of the clarinet. It may seem like there is too much detail but it may be an interest to those who are more advancing clarinet players.
Obviously there are many things I still have not mentioned and left out details in each term but, if you find something else that you are wondering about the clarinet, add a comment I’ll try my best to find out for you. If you find an error please comment as well!
Difference between a student clarinet and a Professional clarinet
Student clarinets are made of plastic which can be identified by the black shininess of the body.
ABS resin body is a hard plastic that is also used in other products such as automotive car parts, piping and toys such as leggo. It is resistant to weather, less expensive, cannot crack and is a lot lighter.Clarinets can also come in a variety of colours and other materials .
As plastic sounds cheap, various names are also given to sound more sophisticated such as Resonite, or Resotone. Some plastics that are found more in intermediate models, are made to look like wood which are called names such as composite wood.
Professional models are made out of wood. The type of wood used for professional clarinets are mostly African black wood. This type of wood is hard, heavier than plastic and almost black in colour, hence the name of the wood. It can also be called grenadilla, m’pingo or ebony. Wood clarinets are prone to cracking if not taken care of but is debated that it creates a better tone than plastic. With that said, comparing a professional model with others similar however do create slightly different tones depending on the quality of the wood.
Companies such as Buffet make clarinets (Greenline model )by mixing ebony powder and carbon to help prevent cracking in the wood.
There is a lot more care and detail taken in professional models and better material is used to prolong the life of the instrument.
Mouthpiece
The top piece of the clarinet. This is the part that comes in contact with the mouth during its use. It is made out of Ebonite, a rubber-type material that is compressed by heat. The mouthpiece is responsible for the timbre and pitch. Attached to the mouthpiece is the reed and its held in place by a ligature. The combination of the quality of the Ligature, Reed and Mouthpiece affect how resistant blowing through the clarinet can be and the type of tone it produces. There are many different brands of mouthpieces and prices that range from ~$30 – $100+
Reed
The reed is responsible for tone and of course to produce the sound. It is a thin strip of cane with a flat side that rests on the flat side of the mouthpiece and is rectangular in shape with a curved tip that is similar to the tip of the mouthpiece. The vibrations of the reed produce the sound of the clarinet. The reeds are made out of Arundo Donax.
Reeds come in different strengths indicated by numbers. 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 … 5.
1.5 reeds are the thinnest reeds used by beginning students and the reeds become thicker as the number reed increases. The tip of the reed is very thin and is often chipped if it not taken care of. Reeds cost from $3 each and they come in boxes of 10.
Ligature
Devise that holds the reed on the mouthpiece. Originally, string was used to hold Reeds to the mouthpiece which have grooves to keep the string in place. (Some clarinetists still use this today) Shoestring ligature picture here
There are many different types of Ligatures. Some are made out of a variety of metals and others are made out of leather. Different metals used are said to give different resonances.
Barrel
The barrel (also known as a tuning barrel or neck) is the section where it is adjusted to do fine tuning on the clarinet. The barrel is tuned by lengthening or shortening the gap between the barrel and the upper joint. This is referred to as “pulling out” or “pushing in”. When the barrel is pulled out, the clarinet sounds lower (flatter). When the barrel is fully pushed in, the clarinet will sound higher (sharper). Longer the tube, the lower it sounds basically.
Upper joint and Lower Joint
The Upper Joint is attached to the Barrel at the top and the Lower Joint on the bottom. When assembled, this joint is played by the left hand. (Doesn’t matter if the person is left or right handed) This is the only part of the clarinet that has cork tenons on the top and bottom of the joint.
Lower Joint is the largest joint. It is played by the right hand and has a cork tenon on the bottom which connects with the Bell.
Bell
The bell is the bottom joint of the clarinet that flares outwards. Bells are also used on other instruments such as Brass and saxophones. The bell on the clarinet is important to help project the low notes and also to keep the low notes in tune
More advanced models have a metal ring around the bottom and a tenon ring top to prevent chipping of the wood. Some plastic models have this just for looks.
Because of the flared shape, the clarinet can stand up by itself (not recommended!) Use a clarinet stand or put the clarinet back in its case when not in use.
Tenon Corks
Tenon Corks are found on the end of the mouthpiece, on the ends of the Upper Joint and on the bottom of the lower joint. A thin strip of cork is attached to the tenon to help seal air from coming out when playing.
Sometimes the cork can dry and it is hard to put together, especially when the clarinet is new. Cork Grease or Vaseline is used to help lubricate the joint.
On some wooden clarinets, there is a metal cap on the end of the tenon joint, this is to prevent the wood from cracking. You can also find a tenon ring around the end of a joint that does not have a tenon joint to prevent chipping. Some student clarinets will not have the silver rings and others will do just for the looks.
Cork
Cork is also used on the silver keys for reasons such as: To prevent certian keys to be pressed more than they need to; or help mute the sound of a key hitting another key. Sometimes felt is used instead of cork.
Keys
Keys are to do with the silver mechanism that are pressed by the fingers. keys come in different shapes and sizes on the clarinet. Some are round others are oblong in shape which are all attached to rods and posts that screw into the body of the clarinet. Depending on what keys are pressed depends on the sound and pitch when played.
Keys can be made out of different metals:
Silver plating gives a shinier appearance.
Nickel plating is stronger and lighter than silver but can cause allergic reactions in some people.
Copper fill gives added strength to the key
Stainless Steel found in some professional models
You may find on some specifications 17 keys 6 rings. The 17 keys mean the keys that are oblong in shape that act like levers. When pressed, they close the closed round keys with a soft padding situated underneath to cover the holes in the clarinet. 6 rings mean the open round keys. There are 5 rings on the front and one on the back.
Sometimes you may find the word Boehm to describe the key work. This is relating to how the keys are set out on the clarinet. The Boehm system is the key set up used today. There are other systems used which can be found here
Pads
Pads are found underneath particular keys called cups that are situated above tone holes in the clarinet, just like the cork on the tenon joints, the pads help seal the air from escaping when pressed down. Pads are basically a round cotton like material covered with a water proof skin to protect it from moisture. Normally double fish skin is used. GORE TEX (or GT) a material that is used for wet weather gear is used more in professional models. There are also pads that use leather or even cork.
You may also come across Valentino Pads. You find these pads used in models such as Yamaha. Valentino pads do not need glue to stick the pads onto the cups, they use adhesive instead. Because of this they also make repair kits for emergencies.
Springs
Springs are found hiding underneath the rods of the keys. They are straight and used to keep certain keys “spring back” to its normal position after closing or opening a key. Sometimes you may find the term blue steel strings. The blue is a coating to protect it from rusting. More info found here.
Tone Hole
Tone holes are the drilled holes found on the body of the clarinet. There are 6 holes on the front of the clarinet where fingers cover and several more that are covered by closed keys. Covering and uncovering certain tone holes will give different sounds and pitches. The more tone holes covered the lower the sound.
Some specifications say undercut tone holes. The cut of the tone hole widen as it progresses to the inside of the bore of the body. this is found on more advanced clarinets as it helps with the player to adjust the pitch of a note played. Student clarinets do not have this feature so the tone hole is completely straight when it reaches the bore. This is an advantage as it prevents fluctuations of pitch when playing notes.
Bore
The bore of the clarinet is the column inside the clarinet where the air passes through when played. One of the characteristics that determines the timbre of the clarinet is how the bore is drilled. The shape of the bore affects how the air vibrates inside.
Clarinets are considered cylindrical in shape meaning the diameter of the column remains consistant through the whole bore (with the exception of the bell). Used in student models, it is easier to blow but can cause more pitch fluctuations.
One some specifications it mentions the term polycylindrical. . Poly meaning many in polycylindrical means that the column has different diameter lengths at certian places on the clarinet.
Even though the bore looks mostly straight, the diameter from the upper joint suddenly gets slightly smaller . This gives a bit of resistance which helps give a better tone colour.The change of diameter remains constant through the upper and lower joints untill about half way down the lower joint it gradually becomes larger. More info can be found here
The sound is also affected by how thick the bore is. Measurements such as Cylindrical / .583″ – 14.83 mm are given to determine the width of the inside of the bore. It ranges from about 0.577″ - 0.585″ (14.63 – 14.85 mm). Measurements are always given in inches and millimeters.Even though the differences look very small in numerals, the feel and sound is noticeable when played.
The larger the bore, the more projection, flexibility and free blowing the clarinet has and it is used by jazz players. The smaller the bore, the more resistant and focused the sound. It is also easier to pitch notes in tune.
The bore can be made out of the materials as stated at the top of the page but can also be made of of ebonite (a hard rubber) and Rosewood.
About me
I am a performer and music tutor based in Perth, Western Australia.
I started piano at the age of 8 and clarinet at the age of 11. At the age of 15 I played tenor saxophone. Throughout high school I was highly involved in the music program participating in concert band, jazz band, choir and chamber choir under the directions of Michael Cartwright and Peter Hind.
in 2005 I was accepted into the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) to complete the Advanced Diploma of Performing Arts (ADPA) – Classical Degree with clarinet as my principle instrument. There I was under the tuition of Catherine Cahill and studied with lecturers such as Micheal McCarthy, Tony Maydwell, Stewart Smith, Johnathon Paget, Michael Goldschlager, Peter Tanfield, Cat Hope plus other guest lecturers.
While completing the degree, I participated in various performances such as: Faith Court Orchestra, Wind Orchestra, various chamber groups, Solo performances, Musical/Opera productions and performing new works by composers (including Yagan Kiely) who are also studying at WAAPA playing clarinet and Bass Clarinet and saxophone.
in 2006, I started instrumental tuition at various schools and eventually at a music shop still to this date teaching clarinet, saxophone, beginner flute (which was self taught) and piano.
After graduating in 2007, I studied another degree – Bachelor of Arts, double degree in Music (Secondary) Education.
Outside of university, I participate in a community band called the Armadale City Conert Band (ACCB) as associate principle on Clarinet since 2004. 2008 I joined the WA Symphonic Wind Ensemble (WASWE) on Bass Clarinet and 2009 I will be performing in the Western Australia Charity Orchestra (WACO), a non-profit orchestra with proceeds going to the Princess Margaret Hospital for Children.
After finishing my Education degree, I will like to further my studies on bass Clarinet and eventually find an apprenticeship in woodwind repairing.
