The Clarinet Fundamentals Pyramid

Question - if you were to make a pyramid of the fundamentals of clarinet playing, what would it look like? What's most important - meaning if it's not successful, the rest of your playing is going to be a struggle? What's at the tip top of the pyramid?

The way you think about stacking your fundamentals can make a huge difference in how you approach your practice and how you diagnose issues in your playing. So, let's get to goin here! 

Check out this fundamentals stack! 

Let's talk about all of these for a nanosecond - we could go on for days about each! But… we'll save some wisdom for later. ;) 

• On the bottom of the pyramid lies your BODY & MIND. If you aren't relaxed and freely moving, it's going to be really hard to do all the rest. Is your mind calm and focused, and ready to learn? If it's not, it's 100% worth getting into a healthy headspace before you play a single note!
  
  
• Then, your AIR. It's the powerhouse of everything you do on the instrument. Grab your breath builder, or just do some simple breathing gym exercises. Getting the air moving away from the instrument is SO important!
  
  
• Next, how can you connect your air and EMBOUCHURE, making a big resonant sound, and focusing on a FREE EXCHANGE of air from your body to the instrument?
  
  
• Ah, FINGERS. Don't start with this, though! First, you gotta make sure all the other fundamentals are in place. Then, begin to move your fingers on top of a powerful stream of air and a stable embouchure. This is also a good time to think about how your voicing can help you make the most out of your air and get a beautiful, vocal tone.
  
  
• Lastly, ARTICULATION. It's probably not the best idea to start your warm up with Baermann #11 from the 3rd Division. ha! Add in your tongue last, as a sort of extra bonus to everything else you're already doing well. This is a great and simple articulation exercise that we've lovingly nick-named “scale torture.” It allows you to hold a long note (air/embouchure), then slur (only add fingers) then articulate (add the tongue). Voilà!