- The clarinet etude "Zayu no Mei" is an excellent study piece that allows focused practice on the clarinet's most challenging areas
- In trill practice, keep your fingers close to the keys, avoid lifting them too far, and focus on making the moment of contact soft
- Aim for such smoothness that the notes sound completely connected, almost as if joined by a glissando between them
- It is important to practice slowly while being mindful of pinky finger control
- As the proverb says, "haste makes waste" — taking your time and working patiently is the true shortcut to improvement
The clarinet etude "Zayu no Mei" is a method book written by Paul Jeanjean, available with a Japanese translation, and is an excellent practice piece. This etude is beloved by many clarinetists who have been playing it nearly every day as part of their warm-up routine since high school — the days they skipped it could be counted on both hands. While the method book is characterized by its intense focus on the clarinet's weaknesses, essentially putting clarinetists through their paces, by embracing the challenge and practicing daily, something remarkable happens: you overcome these adversaries and end up becoming friends with them.
Trill Practice Fundamentals
The first section of the clarinet etude "Zayu no Mei" is called the "Special Tray" section. While it looks daunting with all its sixteenth notes, what it actually involves is quite simple. It begins with a major second trill, followed by a minor second, then another major second, then another major second from above, and repeats this pattern. The notes simply ascend by half steps, so it is not nearly as difficult as it appears. There are many sixteenth notes, but do not let the visual complexity discourage you — please give it a try.
Tips for Trill Practice
When practicing clarinet trills, the method I always focus on is to keep the fingers from lifting away, staying as close to the keys as possible, and not just close — ensuring that the moment of contact is soft so that the notes sound completely connected. When you exaggerate this approach, you achieve such smoothness that the transitions between notes almost seem to be joined by a glissando. Pay special attention to pinky finger control during this process. Especially when practicing slowly, focus carefully on finger movement and aim to develop a motion where the fingers feel as though they are being drawn to the keys.
Practice Steps
- Start by practicing slowly. Focus on finger movement and aim to make the notes sound completely connected
- Keep your fingers close to the keys without lifting them away. Not just close — make the moment of contact soft
- Be mindful of pinky finger control. Pay special attention to pinky movement as you continue practicing
- Aim for such smoothness that the transitions between notes feel as though they are connected by a glissando
- Work toward playing at the target tempo. Rather than simply alternating fingers, develop efficient fingerings — for example, holding down the G-flat finger while working the A-flat finger
- Make use of trill keys. On page 3, line 5, pressing the D-sharp trill key while playing E-D-E-D allows for faster execution
- Utilize side keys. When playing F, keep the trill key pressed to perform the G-flat to F trill cleanly
- Take your time and work patiently. Practice diligently every day with a "haste makes waste" mindset
Advanced Trill Techniques
In clarinet trill practice, more advanced techniques can also be employed. For example, from around line 3 of page 4 onward, the clarinet fingerings become progressively more difficult. While they are challenging, moving the fingers too broadly will cause problems when trying to play fast, so try to find the most efficient fingerings possible. The ideal finger position when pressing the A key is to first press all keys to produce a B, then move only the index finger to press A — this is the most efficient form. Keep this shape in mind and apply it in other positions as well. Additionally, as you reach the open fingering range, the clarinet's pitch will inevitably go sharp, so as practice for use in actual pieces, it is beneficial to develop the habit here of practicing left-hand passages while holding down two or three right-hand keys.
Trill practice in the clarinet etude "Zayu no Mei" may seem unglamorous, but many players feel it is the most important practice of all. It may be humble work, but as the proverb says, "haste makes waste" — when you try to take shortcuts, most things do not go well. Trying to cut corners too much often ends up being the longer route. So please take your time and dedicate yourself patiently to this kind of practice.
