Learn to Play Bb Clarinet
Simple lessons for learning music
Welcome to the beginning of your clarinet lessons!
In this section, we’ll take our knowledge of reading music and notes and combine it with the fingerings that go with each note. Also, keep in mind of your proper posture, breathing and everything learned in the other sections of this site. Now, comes the fun part! Can’t wait to play some music!
LEARNING THE NOTE, E.
Let’s start with the note, E.
Look at the fingering for this note.
It’s showing circles filled with black and circles left blank, on a picture that resembles the clarinet’s holes and keys.
The blank ones mean to not cover them with your fingers. The circles filled in mean to cover, or press, over them.
So here, you’ll cover just the hole, and not the key, located on the back side of the clarinet.
You’ll also cover just the top hole, located on the front.
Total, you’re only covering two holes.
Now, try to play this note.
What did this note sound like?
This E should not sound too low or too high. It’s not the lowest E possible with Bb clarinet, and it’s not the highest.
There’s one E lower than this and two higher, that we will learn much later when we cover octaves.
While playing this note, you’ll gently tap your tongue on the reed. Just tap your reed once, for this one quarter note, and count (in your head) 1 beat.
This is E as a quarter note.
A quarter note gets 1 beat.
Great job on playing this note! Notice it is on the first line. Every time you see this note, on the first (bottom) line, you will cover this combination of holes on the clarinet.
Now, here are two measures of the note E as quarter notes.
While playing the E, remember to tap your tongue on the reed for each one you see. Count to yourself; 1, 2, 3, 4 for the first measure. And, do the same for the second measure.
Let’s say, “Ta” will represent playing one note. Even try saying it before playing it. “Ta, Ta, Ta, Ta” for the first measure. Now, do the same while playing E.
The E will be the “Ta” each time. This is called tonguing the notes.
Refresh learning about beats per measure in the time signature part of the “Reading Music” page of this site.
I’ll eventually try to post some videos on youtube, linked to this page, in the near future.
Look above each note, for a count of each beat in the first measure. The same goes for the second measure. Each quarter note gets 1 beat.
Now, here is the same note E, but in half notes. You will not tongue each of the 4 beats, but only tongue on beats 1 and 3. Each half note gets 2 beats.
Only tongue on beats 1 and 3, but hold out each note until you need to tongue again. Keep steady air support for each note. There should be no silence in between each note.
You may take a quick breath before a note, if needed, but make sure not to lose any beats. Practice breathing exercises to have better control of playing the notes together.
And now, here are two measures of E whole notes. You’ll only tongue the first beat of each measure. Each whole note gets 4 beats.
You will only tongue the first beat and then hold out the note until the end of the measure. Practice using the same breath for both measures, but take a breath, if needed, in between.
Make sure there is NO silence in between measures.
Remember: Only tongue beat 1, and count (in your head, while holding out the note) through 2, 3, 4. And repeat for the second measure.
We’ve now gone over playing the E as quarter, half and whole notes separately. Let’s put these note lengths together.
Great Job!
LEARNING THE NOTE, F.
It’s time to learn our second note, F.
It looks similar to the note, E, but is a little different.
You cover ONLY the back HOLE of the clarinet, with your left thumb. Do not press the key, only cover the hole.
Now, try to play this note. Does it sound different from the E? Try playing both the E and F after one another, play them back and forth.
This F is found on the first space of the staff.
When you play the E and F back to back, all you have to do is remove your left index finger. Your thumb will stay over the back hole for both of these notes.
First, lets’s practice playing just the F, while reading it on the staff.
This is a quarter note, F, on the staff.
Here are all the note lengths we’ve covered, with our new note F.
I’ve included counts for the beats above each measure of the staff. You will only tongue the black numbers and hold out the note through the gray numbers.
Remember to count in your head, while playing, to keep track of all beats per measures.
Again, I’ll try to link some videos sometime, to cover how this sounds. If you’re not clear, please leave a comment and I’ll try to help you.
Are you ready to put the two notes you’ve learned together? Let’s try this exercise.
I labeled each note here, as a reminder of the notes.
Here is the same line of music, but I labeled the count of each beat this time. Make sure each note flows into the next, with no silence or rest in between.
LEARNING THE NOTE, G.
Great job on learning two notes so far! This lesson will include one more note, G.
Notice that nothing is colored in on our chart. It is not a mistake. To play this note, you don’t need to press or cover anything on the clarinet.
Just keep your fingers hovered over everything, without actually touching anything except resting your thumb under the thumb rest located on the back on the clarinet.
The note G is just above F, and found on the second line.
This is a quarter note, G, on the staff.
Here is our new note, G, with all note lengths we’ve covered. Use the counting guide above the staff to help you count beats per measure.
All right, now catch your breath and try this line of music. It contains ALL 3 notes you’ve learned!
Here is another exercise to try, with all 3 notes used. This line of music contains 6 measures total.
