Bugle Calls

Bugle Calls

The clarinet is a cool instrument because you can basically mimic other instruments. You can be a flute-inet and a trump-inet (maybe more on that later... maybe). But, one of my favorites is when you can be a bugle-net.
Okay, I'm done couple-naming instruments.

What is a bugle call? Bugle calls are songs that are played on one partial series on a bugle (a brass instrument), and the pitches are manipulated with the frequency of the player's lips buzzing. Taps and Reveille are common bugle calls.

What is the point of bugle calling on the clarinet? Bugle calling on the clarinet is an excellent exercise in voicing. The reason why young clarinet players often sound like tornado sirens above the break is usually due to the fact that their tongue position is so low, which is failure to voice properly. Clarinet players are always being told (by me, at least) to say "hee" when thinking about tongue position. Go ahead, say it. I'll say it with you so that you don't feel dumb, "heeeee" (I seriously have to say those words exactly to get students to do this sometimes). Do you feel where your tongue is? The sides of your tongue should be touching your top teeth. Your tongue should also be arched. I call this "cobra tongue" (see, the clarinet is totally cool). This is the starting position for the bugle call (as well as the starting position for any decent clarinet tone).

Low F

Written pitches of bugle call

How do you bugle on the clarinet? What a great question! I'm so glad you asked! First, make sure you're sitting down. Cross your right leg over your left (or left over right, whatever suits your fancy). Finger a low F on the instrument. Now, plug the end of your bell on the calf of your crossed leg. If you're voicing correctly and using fast enough air, you should get what sounds like a concert G (written A) above the staff. Then, if you go from "hee" to "haw," you should get what then sounds like a concert C (written D) above that. If you "haw' even higher, then you get the     concert E (written F) above that (and so one and so forth with the partial series).

Hee Haw? Yes! Hees and haws. The higher you go, the lower the back of your tongue gets (but your middle tongue and front tongue are still high in position). Clarinet players can get a little weird because we talk about our tongues in three sections (another lecture for another time). Go ahead and sing a major scale, or Twinkle Twinkle. The higher you go with your singing voice, the lower the back of your tongue gets. It's the exact same thing with clarinet playing!

SSCA When I taught the SSCA kiddos this last week, I didn't show them the pitches or talk about the purpose of bugles. I just explained how to do it, demonstrated, and had them match pitch. It took quite some time for most of them to get it, but a lot of them ended up getting the first pitch. I remember when I was first learning bugle calls with my clarinet teacher in high school, it took me a long time to get the hang of it. However, if your clarinet players can do bugle calls (SLURRING), and translate that knowledge into their playing, then you'll notice a difference in their tone and intonation.

Outside Resource There are tons of things on voicing and bugle calls on the internet, but here is one that my clarinet professor has sent out to the studio a few times. When Ballif talks about bugles, he uses low E as the base pitch instead of F.