Klarinet Archive - Posting 000012.txt from 1993/12

From: Shannon Ashe <SASHE1@-----.BITNET>
Subj: Re: Clarinet sound
Date: Wed, 1 Dec 1993 14:00:52 -0500

"AIR QUALITY" CAN MAKE ALOT OF SENSE. I SPOKE WITH A REPRESENTATIVE
FROM THE LEBLANC COMPANY EARLIER THIS WEEK AT THE N.Y.S.S.M.A.
CONFERENCE(NEW YORK STATE SYMPHONIC MUSIC ASSOCIATION). HE WAS
TALKING ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HOT AND COLD AIR STREAM, AND
THE AMOUNT OF PRESSURE USED TO SUPPORT THE AIR. I SEE THESE TWO FACTORS AS
CONTRIBUTING TO THE QUALITY OF AIR, FOR EVEN IF THE EXACT SAME AMOUNT
OF AIR IS BEING USED THE DIFFERENCE OF SUPPORT AND ORIGIN CAN MAKE
A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE.

I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE SOME TIME TO EXPAND ON SOME MORE OF THINGS
I LEARNED FROM THIS MAN, BECAUSE I FOUND ALL OF HIS SUGGESTIONS
VERY INTERESTING. HE SPOKE OF A HIGHER TOUNGE PLACEMENT IN THE BACK
OF THE MOUTH TO ACT MORE LIKE AN AEROSOL SPRAY. THE BACK OF THE TOUNGE
AGAINST YOUR BACK MOLARS TO ACHEIVE THIS. HE DESCRIBED THE PRODUCTION OF HOT
OR COLD AIR FROM THE ORIGIN IN WHICH THE AIR IS SUPPORTED(IE: DIAPHRAM...).
WARM AIR IS GENERALLY SLOWER THAN COLD AIR.

ONE AREA IN WHICH HE SEEMED QUITE THE EXPERT IN WAS THE USE OF DOUBLE LIP
PLAYING. APPARENTLY HE MODELED THIS TECHNIQUE AFTER THAT OF HAROLD WRIGHT.
HE SPOKE OF THE USE OF FRICTION RATHER THAN JAW PRESSURE TO FOCUS THE
SOUND. WHEN FIRST ATTEMPTING THIS PLAY AN OPEN G WITH A DROPPED JAW
AND

EXCEPT THE FACT THAT IT WILL BE FLAT. THEN TO MOVE THE PITCH IN TUNE
AND FOCUSED SIMPLY BY PUSHING UP WITH THE THUMB(RIGHT). THIS CREATES
FRICTION BETWEEN THE MUSCLES PULLING THE CHIN DOWN AND THE CLARINET
PULLING THE LIP OVER THE BOTTOM TEETH. EVEN IF DOUBLE LIP PLAYING
IS NOT SOMETHING YOU WANT TO DO, HE SUGGESTED PRACTICING THIS WAY
SO AS TO DEVELOP THE MUSCLES OF THE EMBACHURE THIS WAY. THE SAME
QUALITY CAN BE ACHEIVED THROUGH SINGLE LIP PLAYING IF THE USE OF
THE JAW IS MINIMIZED.

I FOUND THESE IDEAS VERY INTERESTING AND I AM IN THE PROCESS OF
INCORPORATING THEM INTO MY PLAYING. WE'LL SEE HOW IT GOES.
(-MY APOLOGIES FOR THE POOR TYPING I WAS TRYING TO SAY SO
MUCH, BUT I DIDN'T HAVE MUCH TIME)
SHANNON ASHE
ITHACA COLLEGE

   
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