Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue

[tubbycub]

Have you guys heard the beginning clarinet solo on this song?

I am referring to the "smear" from a low note to a high note, how do you do it?

[Jack W.]

Clarinet is hardly my strong suit, but I have watched people play this lick and they do it by gradually uncovering the open holes one at a time, to slide up the chalumeau register. Since by my memory it's well over two octaves in span (??G1 to C3??), I guess they have to hit the register key and then do it again in the clarion register. But I can't remember.

I've never tried it, I wouldn't dare, the result would doubtlessly bother cats and dogs all over the neighborhood. :o

I suppose this one would be quite impossible on the much debated plateau key clarinet! :)

[Gordon (NZ)]

As I understand it, it has just as much to do with embouchure as sliding off keys. A controlled squeek. It sure is a stunning effect.

Are you sure there is not a chromatic scale for the first octave?

[Jack W.]

My memory records the bulk of the first register slide being done with sliding off the open holes, but that doesn't mean it can't be done with a chromatic scale and chops of iron. What I wonder is how they get over the break without the slide turning into a chromatic scale, since the throat keys can't be opened gradually using open holes.

Another stunning effect (equally mysterious to me) is at the beginning of the "Witches' Sabbath" movement of the Berlioz _Symphonie Fantastique_, where the piccolo and flute slide down from C3 to C2. At my best, with a combination of embouchure alteration and rolling in the headjoint, I could maybe bend a note down a whole step (my teacher could do maybe a minor third), so I don't see how they bend it down an entire octave. Sounds awfully difficult anyway.

[sinkdraiN]

The tongue is in an arched position near the back of the throat similar to saying "you." Fast air and like altissimo on saxophone you must voice each note in such a way as to eliminate the break between notes.

[Bootman]

From memory, it is chromatic for the first octave followed by the slide which is done by gradually rolling the fingers off the toneholes, half holing and using glissandi throat position. It just requires practise.

[Gordon (NZ)]

...... the piccolo and flute slide down from C3 to C2.

It would seem that for the rhapsody there is an illusion occurring. The "trill, upward scale and slide"..... see http://faculty.deanza.fhda.edu/mitchell/music1/stories/storyReader$47
.... draws so much dramatic attention to the slide that the casual listener may tend to assume that the scale portion is part of the slide.

I am not familiar with the Berlioz. But perhaps here too there is a significant portion of scale involved.

Alternatively, if the music is not too fast it is possible to lip a note down a (semi?)tone, then with much skill, imperceptibly change to standard blowing and correct fingering of that new note, then sliding down a bit further and again changing fingering, etc.

I have recordings of pan pipes which do incredible, accurate, lipping-down gymnastics when they play standard, fast, flute works. On pan pipes there are no pipes for sharps and flats; these notes are all played by lipping down.