Assembled Mouthpiece & Barrel
To make our first sounds, we will begin with just the mouthpiece and the barrel. We will add the rest of the clarinet back on soon.
If your clarinet is already assembled, carefully remove the bell, lower joint, upper joint and place them back in the case to keep them protected.
To make our first sounds, we will begin with just the mouthpiece and the barrel. We will add the rest of the clarinet back on soon.
If your clarinet is already assembled, carefully remove the bell, lower joint, upper joint and place them back in the case to keep them protected.
Go Tigers!!!
Casa Roble High School
& Pasteur Middle School
Go Rams!!!
Doodlee-Doos!!
Now that we have the entire clarinet assembled and can make sound, it's time to learn some fun doodlee-doos! We will begin with things you can play by mimicking the videos and playing by ear. Feel free to make up your own creative sounds and doodlee-doos. On the next page, 'Reading Music', you will see music notation for the doodlee-doos and begin learning how to read music. For now, we will focus on making fun sounds and developing our musical ear.
The First Five Notes
This video will focus on our first 5 notes: G, F, E, D, & C. You will not need to memorize the names of the notes yet, but being familiar with note names will help you as you transition to learning to read music notation later. Before you begin, have your clarinet ready to play along. Remember, learning to play an instrument takes time and patience. Know that you will probably have some crazy sounds coming out of your instrument as you learn... that's totally normal! Keep at it and it will get better. Let's get started.
In the First Five Notes #1 video I will explain how to play the first five notes and where to place your fingers. In the First Five Notes #2 video, Braden will just play the notes for you to play along with him. Play along as many times as you'd like.
Doodlee-Doo #1
This first doodlee-doo will focus on the first 5 notes you just learned: G, F, E, D, & C. Let's get our fingers moving!!The goal of this exercise is finger control. The doodlee-doo will start slowly and get progressively faster... see if you can get even faster than the video!
Mystery Song #1
With our first five notes, we have the ability to play many familiar, childhood favorites. The recording here will play a song that you will probably recognize. Listen to the recording and then try to figure out the order of notes on your own. Hint: it starts on an E (thumb and first finger down) and only uses the first five notes.
Doodlee-Doo #2
This doodlee-doo will focus on finger placement and movement. In the video, the doodlee-doo will be played slowly and then again at slightly faster tempo. As you practice at home, practice it over and over correctly and slowly, then slightly increase the speed little by little. See how fast you can get this doodlee-doo and still play all of the notes. Don't forget... have fun!!!
Similar to the videos for our first five notes, I will again explain how to play the notes in the top video to the right. The MP3 will play the doodle-doo slowly, then faster, then faster still. See if you can play it even faster then the example provided. Have fun!
Mystery Song #2
Let's go back to our first five notes and another familiar, childhood folk song. Listen to the recording and see if you can figure out how to play this classic. Hint: it starts on an E again, thumb and first finger.
G Major Scale
In this video you will learn the finger patterns to play a G major scale. A major scale uses very specific patterns to create a sound specific to major scales. You will learn many more details about scales as you develop your musicianship, for now, just follow the finger patterns in the video and have fun playing the G major scale.
An MP3 of the G major scale is also provided for you to play along with.
F Major Scale
In this video you will learn the finger patterns to play an F major scale. As I stated before, major scales use very specific patterns to create the sound specific to major scales. When we start on a different pitch, we must adjust the notes we play to keep the pattern the same. Follow the instructions in the video to learn the finger pattern used for an F major scale.
An MP3 of the F major scale is also provided for you to play along with.
Mouthpiece Sounds
The MP3 to the right provides examples of how to bend the pitch on the mouthpiece. Experiment with moving the back of your tongue to see how it changes the sound. Change your mouth shape as if you are trying to say ee and then ah. Listen to the audio track, then try some note bends on your mouthpiece. In the beginning, you may not be able to bend the pitch much, but you will get better and better at it with practice.
What's Next
The videos and information presented thus far have allowed you to get started playing on your clarinet. The next webpage, 'Notation,' provides written notation for the doodlee-doos you learned on this page, as well as, a couple major scales. These notations will help you begin to understand how music notation works, but it is not intended to replace formal instruction. Be sure to seek professional help from a private instructor or ensemble class as you continue your studies. This website is just the beginning and you can come back and check it out anytime. Good luck and don't forget to have fun while you learn!!!