How do you actually play the incredible opening solo ...

... in ‘Rhapsody in Blue’?

How do you play the opening solo in 'Rhapsody in Blue'?

Credit: YouTube/Earspasm Music

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A trill, a scale and one filthy glissando – which according to this clarinet genius, is technically called a ‘smear’. Here’s how it’s done.

First, here’s what the opening solo looks like:

Rhapsody in Blue clarinet glissando. Picture: Acoustics

Even if you don’t read music, you can see that’s a heck of a lot of notes.

So, you need to start with a lot of breath. Playing a long glissando like Gershwin’s makes your instrument work harder and less efficiently, says clarinettist Michael Lowerstern (Earspasm on YouTube).

Second, Michael says, start to slowly pull your finger on and off the opening note to create a trill.

Once you’ve made it to the top of the trill, slowly pull your fingers off all three top keys together to create the aforementioned ‘smear’.

And bam, you’ve nailed the Rhapsody in Blue!

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George Gershwin - His Music and His Life

George Gershwin, born on September 26, 1898 in Brooklyn/New York, passed away on July 11, 1937 in Hollywood, California, U.S.A.

Gershwin loved to study music seriously with Rubin Goldmark, a relative of Karl Goldmark (1830-1915).

At the age of 16, Gershwin composed his first hits, The co-operation with Paul Whiteman ("King of Jazz", born in Denver/Colorado on March 28, 1890) influenced Gershwin definitely and fruitful.

1924, the "Rhapsody in Blue" became a world hit. 1925, the "Piano Concerto in F" came into being - performed by George Gershwin himself under the baton of Walter D. Damrosch (1862-1950, Poland und USA).

More incredible successful compositions followed: "An American in Paris" (1928), "The Cuban Overture" (1932) and the "negro opera" "Porgy and Bess" (1935). Who doesn't know "Summertime" or " I ain't got no shame"?

A successful mixture of naivety, wizened jazz elements and spirituals standardized in an incredible music talent let many classical composers never stopped expressing their praises to Gershwin - like Igor Strawinsky or Maurice Ravel... .