What is a clarinet undertone? An undertone can be described as nondescript, sometimes "humming" sound, with no distinct pitch. Some refer to the undertone as a "grunt." In developing players an undertone may appear when the register key is pressed to shift into the middle (clarion) register. Undertones may also occur when students approach the altissimo (notes above high C on the staff).



Here are some issues that can cause an undertone in developing players:





1. A reed that is too soft without sufficient heart will almost always contribute to an undertone.

Matching good quality, medium strength reeds with an appropriate mouthpiece should help facilitate this. Unfortunately, some students are given really soft reeds (strength 1.5 or 2) and an open tip mouthpiece at the very beginning stages. An open tip mouthpiece has a large distance between the mouthpiece surface and the reed. (Open tip mouthpieces usually work best with softer reeds). This setup may produce a sound quickly in the low register where the clarinet is most responsive, but the sound may be unfocused and lack the necessary air speed and resistance to play in the middle register and beyond. A weak embouchure grip often accompanies poor air support. If the mouthpiece and reed combination is “super easy to blow," students can get a sound with minimal grip and no corner support.

One student with whom I have been working, discovered that her airspeed and tongue position were too low for altissimo playing. After working to correct the other variables first, we increased the reed strength slightly. The increase has helped, mainly because she is having to speed up the air! An increase in reed strength may not be necessary, but a good reed (that is not worn out) is.





2. Improper voicing (where the tongue is too low) will cause an undertone.

In The Clarinet Doctor by Howard Klug – Jacobs School of Music clarinet professor and pedagogy expert – Klug says “If notes were food, push them forward and high in the mouth.” – The Clarinet Doctor (p. 68).

Recently, one of my developing students encountered undertones as she approached highest C# and D for the first time. I asked the student to push the tongue forward – as close to the tip of the reed as possible. After a few tries, the notes began to speak. She described the adjustment this way: “…I lifted my tongue and pushed it closer to the reed.”

Check for an undertone as soon as the lowest Bb is vibrant and focused, approximately at the sixth week of instruction. Have the student play the low Bb while you touch the register key. The higher sound may startle the player because it sounds "different." As a result, the student may stop playing immediately. Be prepared to repeat this exercise until the student understands what is happening. If the top F sounds immediately when you press the register key, most likely everything is working properly. The next step would be to have the student articulate – consecutive tongued notes on the low Bb – that also speak at the 12th (F).

Bass clarinetists may also encounter undertones around G3. Playing bass clarinet exclusively (for a developing player) may encourage a "too-large" embouchure, where the jaw and tongue position drop too much. Combine a low tongue position with slow airspeed and you almost always hear an undertone. Have your bass clarinetists practice on Bb clarinet to remind them of the smaller embouchure, high tongue position, and firm grip needed to produce the full range of the instrument.





Exercise for Developing Consistent Tone and Range

Everything “grows” from the bottom. Fast air. Tongue high and forward.

Put a very slight crescendo on the third note (Bb) of each group – just before the shift – to minimize the acoustical "delay" when the air column changes. The top note should not be louder than the bottom note.

If an undertone appears, adjust the bottom lip down slightly on the reed to put more vibrating surface inside your mouth. Embouchure corners in.



