Klarinet Archive - Posting 000044.txt from 1994/11

From: Lorne G Buick - Music TA <lgbuick@-----.CA>
Subj: Re: Chris' 'vowels-of-national-schools-of-playing' theory
Date: Thu, 3 Nov 1994 00:23:23 -0500

On Tue, 1 Nov 1994, David Lechner wrote:
>
> Secondly, for any of the languages in question, the register of vowels spans
> the entire range of the traditional "vowel triangle" used to map individual
> vowels. So which vowel is primary?; which one is causing the influence on the
> horn's tone?; _which_one_is_in_the_back_of_the_mind_of_the_player_of_a_given_
> _national_school_ as he/she goes to produce that characteristic national tone.
> That was why I raised the spectre of my fourth grade teacher exhorting us to
> blow "tu-tu" in my original message. Would the results have been different if
> he had called upon us to blow "ta-ta" or "ti-ti"?
>
> --David Lechner

If I might go off on a bit of a tangent- the one vowel sound which is
unique to the French language, and which I have found particularly
relevant to clarinet playing is their "u". It is produced with the lips in
a round formation as when saying "o", but with the sides of the tongue up
against the top teeth and a distinct curl in the tongue. This seems to
give a combination of round, focused embouchure with fast, directed air
stream which improves tone and response, especially for high register
articulation. Here in Canada where most of us get several years of French
in high school, I have found it a very useful aid for teaching.

I could go on to say that this is what has helped form the distinctive
"Canadian School" of clarinet playing... ;-}

but I won't.

   
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