The Secret Exercise That Will Improve Your Clarinet Technique

Summary

In this informative video, the speaker discusses the concept of 'light fingers' for musical instrument players, focusing on finger technique and independence. Inspired by observing Charlie Parker and Ricardo Morales, the speaker shares insights on maintaining minimal tension in fingers while playing, emphasizing the importance of finger positioning and releasing for optimal control and tone quality. Practical exercises are suggested, such as practicing scales with pinkies always touching a key to develop finger independence and a light touch, ultimately leading to a more relaxed and controlled playing technique.

Takeaways

• 🎼 The importance of having light fingers and independence in finger movements for better control and technique is emphasized.
• 🎷 The story of Charlie Parker using dimes under his fingers to maintain absolute contact with the saxophone keys is mentioned as an example of finger control.
• 🪘 The concept of fingers having minimal tension when pressing down and releasing on the clarinet is discussed, similar to Parker's technique.
• 🎵 Clarinet players need to avoid distorting the tone by not pressing fingers too close to the tone holes, unlike the saxophone.
• 👁 Observations from studying with Ricardo Morales highlight the relaxed finger movements and the idea of 'press and release' without picking up fingers.
• 💪 The analogy of muscles contracting and releasing to explain the finger movements on the instrument is used to convey the idea of minimal tension.
• 🤞 The significance of pinky finger positioning and its impact on hand tension and technique is pointed out.
• 🔄 The practice of keeping the pinky in contact with a key while playing scales to develop finger independence and awareness is suggested.
• 🎼 Practicing with the pinky touching a key, even when not needed, helps maintain natural finger alignment over the keys.
• 👐 The exercise of practicing scales in this manner can lead to a light touch and increased finger independence, but it's not recommended for actual performance.
• 🔄 The idea of releasing tension by thinking about each finger individually and using only the necessary pressure is highlighted for better technique.
• 🎉 The script concludes with a reminder to practice this technique regularly for improved finger control and a relaxed playing experience.

Q & A

What is the main topic discussed in the video script?

The main topic is about developing light fingers and independence in finger movements, as well as technique, particularly for playing the clarinet.

What is the story about Charlie Parker and how does it relate to the topic?

The story about Charlie Parker is that he would play the saxophone with dimes under his fingers without them falling, indicating absolute contact with the keys at all times. This story is used as an analogy to discuss the concept of finger tension and control.

Why can't the technique of having fingers in absolute contact with the keys be replicated on the clarinet?

It cannot be replicated on the clarinet because the tone holes need space for the sound to come out. Having fingers too close would distort the tone.

Who is Ricardo Morales and what did the speaker learn from observing his playing?

Ricardo Morales is a luminary of the day, and the speaker learned from observing his relaxed finger technique and the way he played the clarinet, similar to how Charlie Parker played the saxophone.

What is the concept of 'pressing down and letting go' as described in the script?

The concept of 'pressing down and letting go' refers to the idea of pressing the keys down and then releasing the fingers without picking them up, allowing them to return to their resting position naturally.

Why is it important to be aware of the position of the pinky finger when playing the clarinet?

The pinky finger's position is important because if it is not in the correct place, it can create tension in the hand and affect the tone quality when playing certain notes.

What is the suggested practice method for developing finger independence and a light touch?

The suggested practice method is to practice scales with the pinky finger always touching one of the pinky keys, regardless of whether it is needed for that particular scale.

Why is it recommended to keep the pinky finger touching a key even when it's not needed for the scale being played?

Keeping the pinky finger touching a key helps to maintain natural alignment over the keys and promotes finger independence, allowing each finger to operate separately and reducing tension.

What is the potential downside of the suggested practice method mentioned in the script?

The potential downside is that it may make the playing slightly out of tune during the practice sessions, as the focus is on developing technique rather than perfect pitch.

What is the final advice given by the speaker regarding the practice method and playing in real life?

The final advice is to practice the technique as described for about 10 minutes a week, but not to use this method when playing in real life. Instead, play naturally, using the awareness and independence developed through practice.

Why is it beneficial to develop an awareness of which fingers are being used and which are not when playing an instrument?

Developing this awareness helps to build technique, play clean passages, and maintain a relaxed hand posture, which is crucial for playing efficiently and avoiding strain or injury.

Outlines

00:00

🎼 Developing Light Fingers for Musical Technique

The speaker introduces the concept of 'light fingers', emphasizing the importance of finger independence and technique in playing musical instruments. They recount a story about Charlie Parker, a renowned saxophone player, who practiced by playing with dimes under his fingers to ensure absolute contact with the keys. This method is contrasted with the need for space in clarinet playing to allow sound to resonate from the tone holes. The speaker then draws a parallel to the playing style of Ricardo Morales, a clarinetist, who also displayed relaxed finger movements with a focus on pressing down and releasing without unnecessary picking up of fingers. The goal is to build muscle memory for a relaxed and controlled playing technique.

05:09

🎵 Practicing Finger Independence and Awareness

In this paragraph, the speaker discusses an exercise to improve finger independence and awareness while playing an instrument. They suggest practicing scales with the pinky finger always touching one of the pinky keys, regardless of whether it's needed for that particular scale. This practice helps to maintain finger alignment over the keys and promotes independent finger movement. The speaker acknowledges that this method might temporarily affect the tuning but emphasizes its long-term benefits for developing a light touch and relaxed playing technique. They advise against using this technique during actual performance, but recommend regular practice to build the habit and enhance finger control.

Keywords

💡Light fingers

The term 'light fingers' refers to having fingers that are relaxed and agile, with minimal tension during playing. It is a crucial concept in the video as it relates to finger technique on wind instruments. The speaker mentions Charlie Parker's ability to play saxophone with dimes under his fingers without them falling, illustrating the idea of absolute contact with the keys, which requires light and controlled finger movements.

💡Independence

Independence in the context of this video refers to the ability of each finger to move and function separately from the others. It is a key concept for developing finger technique, allowing for greater control and precision in playing. The video emphasizes the importance of practicing to achieve this independence, which is essential for advanced playing techniques.

💡Tension

Tension is discussed in relation to the fingers' state when they are both pressing down on keys and when they are lifted. The video stresses the need to minimize tension for better control and to avoid strain. The speaker uses the example of playing with dimes to illustrate the concept of maintaining contact without excessive tension.

💡Technique

Technique in this video pertains to the skill and method of playing a wind instrument, specifically focusing on finger movements. The development of finger technique is central to the video's message, with the speaker discussing how to achieve light fingers and independence to enhance one's playing technique.

💡Control

Control is the ability to manage the movement and pressure of the fingers on the instrument. It is highlighted as an essential aspect of playing with light fingers. The video suggests that gaining control over finger tension and movement can lead to improved playing and reduced strain.

💡Fingering

Fingering refers to the specific way fingers are positioned and used to play notes on a wind instrument. The video discusses the importance of proper fingering for achieving a light touch and independence, using the analogy of playing with dimes to emphasize the need for fingers to be in contact with the keys without picking them up.

💡Charlie Parker

Charlie Parker is a renowned jazz saxophonist mentioned in the video as an example of a musician with exceptional finger control. The story of him playing with dimes under his fingers is used to illustrate the concept of light fingers and absolute contact with the instrument keys.

💡Ricardo Morales

Ricardo Morales is a celebrated clarinetist who the speaker studied with. The video draws a parallel between Morales' playing style and that of Charlie Parker, noting their relaxed and controlled finger movements as a model for achieving light fingers and independence.

💡Pinkies

The pinkies are the smallest fingers on each hand, and their positioning is discussed in the video as crucial for maintaining proper hand position and reducing tension. The speaker advises keeping the pinkies in contact with the keys during practice to develop finger independence and control.

💡Practice

Practice is presented as a means to develop and refine finger technique. The video suggests specific exercises, such as playing scales with the pinkies touching the keys, to build the habit of light fingers and independence. This practice is recommended to be done separately from regular playing to focus on technique development.

💡Awareness

Awareness in this context refers to the conscious knowledge of where each finger is and how it is being used while playing. The video emphasizes developing finger awareness as part of the technique to play with light fingers and independence, allowing for more control and less tension.

Highlights

The importance of having light fingers and independence in finger movements for building technique.

Inspiration from Charlie Parker's saxophone playing, using dimes to ensure fingers maintain absolute contact with keys.

Clarinet's need for space around tone holes to avoid tone distortion, unlike saxophone.

Observation of Ricardo Morales' relaxed finger technique, similar to Parker's, on the clarinet.

Understanding the concept of muscle contraction and release in finger movements.

The challenge of not picking up fingers but allowing them to release naturally.

The role of pinky finger positioning in maintaining hand tension and technique.

Developing finger awareness and independence through practice, especially with pinky keys.

Practicing scales with pinkies touching keys to build finger independence and a light touch.

The idea of not needing to keep fingers super close but developing independence and control.

The impact of pinky finger positioning on the unintentional tension created in the hand.

The exercise of practicing with pinkies touching keys to identify finger positions and release tension.

The temporary loss of tune as a trade-off for developing finger independence and technique.

The concept of releasing fingers instead of picking them up for a more natural and relaxed playing style.

The independence of each finger and the importance of operating them without unnecessary motion.

The long-term benefits of practicing this technique for 10 minutes a week to achieve finger independence and a light touch.

The advice against using this practice method during actual performance, emphasizing natural playing.

Transcripts

welcome to planet ninja today we're

going to talk about how to

have light fingers

a lot of independence in our fingers and

an ability to build technique

now let me tell you what i'm talking

about i'm talking about the way our

fingers are when they're down

how much tension there are when they're

down how much tension there are when

they're up

and an ability to gain control over that

my first foray into this was when i

watched charlie parker play the

saxophone

and the story goes that he put dimes

underneath his fingers and would play

without the dimes falling out which

would mean his fingers were in absolute

contact with the keys at all times

which is something pretty amazing that

is something that we cannot replicate on

the clarinet because we need space for

the

sound to come out of the tone holes

that's what they're there for they are

tone holes the tone needs to come out

so we can't have them super close

otherwise it'll distort the tone

when we're actually playing

but then years later

i studied with one of the luminaries of

day

ricardo morales

and i noticed something up that was

similar about the way he played the

clarinet as charlie parker played the

saxophone that's a weird connection to

make right but here's what i noticed i

noticed that neither one of them

actually are

to my eyes and ears picking up their

fingers they're just

their fingers are here nice and relaxed

when they push them down

push them down

and then release so they're coming up

without being picked up so as muscles go

what do i know not being so muscular but

they contract

and release track and release so a

muscle at rest goes to a certain place

when you release that contraction and so

that's

that's how i conceive of my fingers

moving i press them down and let them go

press them down let them go i don't

press down to pick up press down pick up

press down pick up because that's

actually

you know again i'm not a doctor but i

will tell you i'm sure i'm right that

that is

that's a lot of brain activity

to process well he does pick his fingers

up for sure

i mean he doesn't pick them up he allows

him to come up his pinkies are always in

position for the pinky keys when we

start playing

particularly in the beginning our

pinkies can be anywhere a lot of times i

see students with pinkies under the

instrument or way out way out of

position and that when like let's say

we're playing

a low g our pinkies if they're out

they're creating tension in our hands if

they are too far up

that's not good we have two things to

think about the fingers we are pressing

down

and the fingers were not pressing down

right when we play an open g

no fingers down

are where are our fingers

how do we develop an awareness of that

and

then translate that into

building our technique practicing our

scales playing clean passages nuclear

a-tubes or excerpts or solo literature

i got the answer for you i'm going to

give it to you real quick for practice

only i don't do this in real life when i

play i release this idea

when i'm playing but to build a habit i

practice scales

with my pinkies always touching one of

the pinky keys it can be any of them

doesn't really matter but what that does

is it allows my fingers to stay

right in line over the keys very

naturally so i'll practice an f major

scale

and i'll just keep this pinky touching

as i release the other fingers this this

pinky over here

we don't need it

for an f major scale

regardless of whether we need it we keep

it touching

one of these sneaky keys again it

doesn't matter you can even touch this

one who cares but what it does is it

allows our fingers to operate

independently and for us to really

feel what it's like to have our fingers

remaining close

again i'm not suggesting you have to

keep them close but

developing this kind of independence

thinking about each finger releasing

individually

and then on our way back down

using only

the

pressure that comes from

what we can get when our pinkies are

closed because if our pinkies are far

away it pulls our other fingers off in a

way that's not

intentional

and

it creates

tension in our hands

my

hey

[Music]

right

hey

[Music]

[Music]

[Music]

so

[Music]

[Music]

[Music]

hey

[Music]

again

i'm not a doctor but i have found this

exercise really really helpful in

identifying where my fingers are all the

time when i play the planet again

fingers i'm using fingers i'm not using

and how can i release the tension so

that when i'm playing i can choose to

pick my fingers up

to whatever degree i want to again not

really pick them up but release them to

whatever point i want to

but it's not an on

pick up put down pick up put down it's

not that it's put down release

and if i have my hand here it's that

release involves a lot of motion with my

other hand with my other other hand my

other fingers

so that way

everything is operating

independently what that's going to do

when i'm practicing this is it's going

to make my client a little bit out of

tune i'll take it for now

because i'm not going to really practice

my my scales when i'm developing

technique in this fashion i'm going to

let it go and again don't do it in real

life when you're playing you just play

but this will over the course of time if

you do this

10 minutes a week

not much

it will help you really get the finger

independence

a real light touch

and a real awareness of where your

fingers are and how to keep it all

relaxed when you play

that's it that's what i got for you

thanks for watching like and subscribe

if you're still here at this point

please would you that helps with the

algorithm and i'll see you next time