Clarinet Secrets

Michele Gingras is Distinguished Professor Emerita of clarinet at Miami University (OH), where she was named Curry Distinguished Educator and Distinguished Scholar of the graduate faculty. She has performed and taught masterclasses worldwide, released more than a dozen CDs, and written 200 articles and reviews for numerous international publications as well as two books: Clarinet Secrets (2004) and More Clarinet Secrets (2011). She is past secretary of the International Clarinet Association and is an artist clinician for Buffet Crampon and Légère Reeds.

Gingras provides thoughtful insight into the idiosyncrasies of clarinet performance for advanced clarinetists. This is an invaluable contribution to literature on clarinet pedagogy. She tactfully addresses problematic issues clarinetists encounter and gives personal experience about clarinet performance. Gingras discusses the multitude of technological resources available and how the modern student can use them to address weaknesses in clarinet performance. This book is a complete compendium of how teachers and students should approach learning the clarinet in the 21st century. Many books focus on one or two aspects of clarinet playing. It is rare to find a clarinet guide that goes into such detail about all facets of clarinet performance. The explanations Gingras provides are straightforward and interesting. She combines logical solutions in a personal and engaging way for the reader. This book is highly recommended.

• Terminology1 Tonguing Strategies 1. Rocket-Speed Tonguing 2. One-Motion Tonguing 3. Energy-Saving Tonguing 4. Finger-Tongue Coordination 5. Effortless Staccato across All Registers 6. Relaxed Jaw 7. The Light Tongue Exercise 8. Ping! 9. Articulation Vocabulary 10. Double Tonguing 11. Flutter Tonguing 12. Slap Tonguing 2 Intonation Strategies 13. Practicing with the Drone 14. Hearing Difference Tones 15. Tuning with the Piano 16. Using Fingers to Modify Intonation 17. Flat Chin 18. Three-Step Embouchure19. Training Wheel for Lowering the Pitch20. Tuning Games 21. Playing with a Very Soft Reed to Eliminate Biting22. Ear Training in ClarinetistsQuick-Tips Bulletin Board—Intonation3 Tone Strategies 23. Breathing24. Air Management25. The Stereo Effect 26. Dissecting Tone 27. Practice Tone vs. Concert Tone28. Tone Shopping 29. Printing Sound into Memory30. Improving Embouchure Endurance31. Knot in Tone 32. Playing with Fire33. The Tone is Ringing!34. Stopwatch Long Tones35. Eliminating Cracking in High RegistersQuick Tips Bulletin Board—Tone 4 Technical Strategies 36. Natural Finger Motion37. The Hat Trick for Scales 38. The Half-Hole Exercise for Wide Intervals 39. Half-Hole Thumb40. Left Index Finger41. Little Finger42. Perfecting the Chromatic Scale 43. Perfecting the High Register44. Play Air Clarinet 45. The Stick on a Fence46. Working with a Practice Partner 47. Predicting Mental Concentration 48. Sight-Reading 49. Transposition50. Unusual Transpositions in Orchestral Excerpts 51. Developing Technical Independence52. Altissimo Chromatic Fingerings53. Super Altissimo Register 54. Practicing in Front of a Mirror or Video Camera55. Practicing in Front of a Mirror or Video CameraQuick Tips Bulletin Board—Tone5 Musicianship Strategies 56. Remembering Nature 57. Memorization58. Listening to Opera Arias59. Playing with Piano Accompaniment 60. Preparing your Music before the Performance61. Keep a Practice Journal62. Practice Tactics63. Playing Posture64. Recording Your Practice SessionsQuick-Tips Bulletin Board—Musicianship6 Reeds and Equipment 65. Breaking in a New Clarinet66. Selecting a Mouthpiece67. Mouthpiece Patch68. Tool-Free Reed Prep69. Positioning Your Reed70. Express-Speed Reed Balancing71. Reed Clipper72. Reed Rush 73. Synthetic Reeds 74. Installing an Instant Neck-Strap Ring75. Moleskin Padding76. Tape in Tone Hole77. Tape Types78. Valentino Synthetic Corks79. Swab Removal Tool80. Emergency Equipment81. Bore Oil82. EZO Teeth CushionQuick-Tips Bulletin Board—Reeds and Equipment 7 Enhancing Repertoire 83. Be the First to Practice Second Clarinet Orchestral Parts84. Eb Piccolo Clarinet85. Bass Clarinet86. Woodwind Doubling87. Military Band Auditions88. Clarinet and Organ Repertoire89. Historic Chalumeau 90. German Clarinet 91. Jazz Clarinet 92. Playing World Music93. Klezmer94: Glissando à la Gershwin95: Vibrato96: Circular Breathing97: Multiphonics98: Growling99: Braving Stage Fright100: Technology for ClarinetistsQuick-Tips Bulletin Board—Extra TipsFurther Reading