Klarinet Archive - Posting 000218.txt from 1993/11

From: "David L. Shea" <DSHEA@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Clarinet sound
Date: Mon, 29 Nov 1993 10:56:11 -0500

Dan, one's tone will improve drastically if you eat a Certs right before
playing. Just kidding. That message was done in haste. What I meant to
say is that if one can produce a free flowing and fast air stream with
no negative tension in the throat, lungs etc., tone quality will drastically
improve. To prove this, get a piece of tube can or some type of tubing that
improve. To prove this, get a piece of tube can or some type of tubing that
is about 1/2 inch or slightly more in diameter. You will also need a plastic
bag of some sort. Play a passage of any piece, something like Brahms works
well. Then, take the tube and wrap the bag around one end and take large
breaths through the tube. You should inhale and exhale into the bag. The
bag is to prevent hyperventilating. Do about ten big wasteful breaths and
play the passage again. You will experiece a bigger and freer sound than
you had on the first playing. The air that you are putting through the
instrument is freer and better in quality. This is what I meant about
my comment. At first, the bag effect will not last very long but if you
use it regularly, you will get used to flowing quality air through the
mouthpiece and not push air towards the mouthpiece. If anybody tries
this experiment, please let me know how it works for you. By the way,
this breathing bag idea was taught to me be Lawrence McDonal at Oberlin.
Our breathing bags were as much a part of our practice as metronomes, tuners
and reed knives.

David L. Shea
Indiana University
dshea@-----.edu