The character with which you take in air determines the quality of the sound.

If you suck air in and force it out the sound will be harsh. Never gasp or make any sound when taking a breath, merely breathe. It is possible to groom a particular kind of tone quality to always appear from the clarinet by the manner in which you blow it. If you always call for this beautiful sound whenever you play, the tone will begin to fall into this groove naturally. (The same is true regarding the action of the keys and your finger pressure.)

It is especially important to do this with a new instrument. Soon your instruments will take on a completely personal character. For this reason, as well as for health purposes, never allow others to play your instruments for they will re-align the sound and the feel.

Learn to make your normal, daily breathing deep and diaphragmatic until this is the normal way to breathe. Then merely play like you breathe. Each breath must act as a calming influence that focuses the spirit as well as the center of the sound. Each
breath must be refreshing no matter how quickly it might be obtained.

Create flow by learning to reverse the concept of breathing in and breathing out until you are unable to distinguish whether you are breathing the clarinet or the clarinet is breathing you.

The placement of the air must be far forward--as if in front of the teeth. You must blow as if whistling through a gap between your top two front teeth or blowing through a cocktail straw.

Truly blowing through the clarinet, not merely playing at playing the clarinet, is one of the secrets of tonal depth of sound, projection, intonation and staccato. Open up, play out, center the sound, vibrate. A host of apparent, contradictory or perplexing problems will disappear. Length of phrase line as well as purity of tone and accuracy of intonation is created by absolute steadiness of air flow and impeccable control of air pressure. The breath must be expelled by pressure but must never be forced.

The production of the air must be absolutely steady and must then be gracefully received by the reed. The air column must be tall and straight. Efficiency of breath production is the key to the ability to play phrases of remarkable length.

The air stream must always be fast and centered. When playing "piano" and softer, the air must be even faster and narrower. Loudness of tone and volume of air are inversely proportional to diaphragmatic support and air speed.

Learn to create crescendos of intensity alone--as opposed to crescendos that get louder in volume--by increasing the pressure of the air and the lips. If it is ever a question of more breath or more embouchure, the answer is usually more breath.

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