A Better Clarinet Fingering Chart

Picking up with the theme of my first post, I’d like to discuss how technology can improve how we learn music. In my years of teaching, I have heard many young students say that they can’t figure out their clarinet fingering charts. For beginners who are often 10 or 11 years old, trying to figure out the typical clarinet chart with its system of circles and dots can be pretty confusing.

My solution to the problem involves a group of interactive clarinet fingering charts, some of which have sound and some of which present alternate fingerings. I created them using Flash, which is one of my favorite software programs. Once you understand the basics of working with Flash, the sky is the limit. It offers great graphics capabilities and endless opportunities for interactivity.


All of the fingering charts feature a photo of a clarinet which is far easier for students to understand than the diagrams of the traditional charts. The user points to a note on the staff and the appropriate fingering shows up on the picture of the clarinet. If you’re not sure whether or not you are using the correct fingering, you can use the clarinet chart with sound to check yourself. There is a fingering chart with sound for the lower register and one for the upper register.

There are also two fingering charts that show alternate fingerings for the lower register and upper register. They are helpful for students who need to learn the chromatic fingerings and trill fingerings for awkward passages of music.

Since putting these clarinet fingering charts online, I have not heard a single student say that they can’t figure out what a note is. They are learning notes more quickly and efficiently and having fun, too. Hopefully, clarinetists everywhere will find it useful.

Introduction

Many years ago when I first heard the phrase “teaching with technology” I noticed two general camps form around the topic. There were many who jumped on the bandwagon and said it was the wave of the future. There were others who shied away from it and believed that the tried and true methods were fine. I must confess that I leaned towards the skeptical side at first. I thought that technology was just an overhyped buzzword and was not worth pursuing.

However, my stance on technology in the world of music education quickly changed when I realized how broad the topic is, and how effective it can be when used properly. I also came to understand that I had been practicing and learning with the aid of technology for many years -- by playing with a metronome. A relatively simple device that has been around for almost 200 years, it is one of the most useful practice tools we have. I had also learned a great deal through the use of play-along records. I had not heard of anyone refer to that process as “teaching with technology,” but that is exactly what it is. In all of those years of using the Jamey Aebersold recordings I was using music technology in one of its simplest forms.

Over the the last several years I have become more and more of a tech geek, and have learned many ways to help students through technology. I love working with Photoshop, Flash, and Cinema 4D, not to mention all the great music software that I’m using: Sibelius, Digital Performer, and many software synths, from Native Instruments, Applied Acoustic Systems, and MOTU, to name a few. All of these programs offer limitless opportunities for creativity -- the chance to take an idea and run with it and keep running.

I will use this blog to post my ideas on music education, and to link to the educational tools that I create. I will talk about technology, but will cover many other topics, too.
More soon.