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Clarinet Music by Women Composers
Over the years, I’ve written several articles about women clarinetists and women composers who wrote for the clarinet. (Articles linked below) In the world of classical music, the contributions of women composers have historically been overlooked. For the past few years, I’ve compiled a list of works for clarinet written by women, and I’m excited to finally share this list…
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The Beginner’s Complete Guide to the Clarinet
Congratulations for beginning your clarinet journey! ♫ The clarinet is by far the best instrument out there (or at least it is according to me and this small corner of the internet), and I have several resources to help you get started. I’ve written several articles which will help guide you along as you navigate the process of learning clarinet,…
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Around the World in Eighty Pieces #2 Denmark
Welcome to my new series, Around the World in Eighty Pieces! I’m excited to combine my love of travelling and clarinet repertoire by sharing a clarinet composition I “discovered” in each country. This series is not meant to be a comprehensive overview of the clarinet music from each country; rather, this is an appetizer to ignite your curiosity to learn more…
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The range and registers of the clarinet
Call me biased, but the clarinet is one of the most versatile instrument in terms of range, dynamics, and much more! Here’s an overview of the range and different registers of the clarinet First, let’s discuss the difference between range and registers. An instrument’s range includes the entire span of notes capable of being produced. A register is a smaller…
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Around the World in Eighty Pieces – #1 New Zealand
Welcome to the first post in my new series, Around the World in Eighty Pieces! I’m excited to combine my love of travelling and clarinet repertoire by sharing a piece I “discovered” in each country. This series is not meant to be a comprehensive overview of the clarinet music from each country; rather, this is an appetizer to ignite your…
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Introducing my new blog series – Around the World in Eighty Pieces
I’m so excited to introduce a new series here on Jenny Clarinet – Around the World in Eighty Pieces! It’s no secret that I love to travel. When I moved to Paris back in 2015, I took advantage of budget airlines (shoutout to RyanAir and Transavia!) to explore all over Europe. This ignited my passion for travelling, and along the…
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Tone, Tuning, Timbre – What’s the Difference?
At first glance, these three concepts might seem interchangeable. To add further confusion, they all begin with the same letter! Here’s a quick overview of how I explain these three concepts to my students: I hope this quick overview helps you to distinguish between tone, tuning, and timbre! Leave a comment below with any input or descriptions you use!
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The life span of a clarinet (and its accessories)
You know what they say – nothing lasts forever, and the clarinet is no different. One of the most common questions I’m asked is “How long does a reed/mouthpiece/ligature/clarinet last?” There are a few different factors affecting this answer, so let’s break it down by item: Now, let’s talk about clarinets: How do you know if your clarinet or accessories…
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Celebrating 400 Blog Posts on Jenny Clarinet: A Retrospective Musical Journey
My, oh my, how the time flies! When I started Jenny Clarinet back in 2015, I had no idea the journey I was about to undertake. I started Jenny Clarinet right before I moved to Paris as a way to share my musical musings, clarinet pedagogy, and travel updates along my clarinet career. For my 400th blog post, I would…
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Quick Fix Friday: Tune by Trends, Not by Notes
Happy Friday! Does it seem like you’re always having to adjust by pushing in or pulling out? If so, you’re probably tuning based on individual notes. The quick fix? Tune according to trends, not according to individual notes. What does that mean? When you tune, you should choose a few reliable notes on your clarinet (I like written low C,…
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Stravinsky’s Secret 4th Piece for Solo Clarinet
Serious clarinetists are probably all-too familiar with Igor Stravinsky’s devilishly difficult Three Pieces for solo clarinet, written in 1918 and published in 1919. This piece was written as a thank-you present to philanthropist and amateur clarinetist Werner Reinhart (1884-1951) for his support of Stravinsky’s music. This is one of the first true unaccompanied solos in the clarinet repertoire, and it…
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Why is my mouthpiece green? (And other weird clarinet questions you’re too embarrassed to ask your teacher)
The clarinet is the coolest instrument around, but it does have some…peculiarities….to it. Here are a few explanations to your most embarrassing clarinet questions: (Disclaimer: These responses are crafted from a clarinetist’s point of view. Always seek advice from a medical professional when dealing with health, germs, and other areas beyond the scope of this classically trained clarinetist/blogger.) Why is…