Klarinet Archive - Posting 000372.txt from 1995/06

From: Lisa Gartrell Yeo <ux403@-----.CA>
Subj: Re: Tongue position - again!
Date: Sat, 17 Jun 1995 13:40:49 -0400

Tom,

I think there is a problem with the concept of keeping your tongue
"anchored" against the molars. It implies a tenseness in the tongue that
shouldn't be there (the tongue should be relaxed). If you are thinking
of a focussed air stream, perhaps with the vowel "ee", the back of
the tongue is raised naturally.I think of focussing the air behind my upper
teeth. So perhaps it would be more helpful to think about what your air
stream is doing rather than exactly where the back of your tongue is
positioned.

Lisa Gartrell Yeo
>
>
>My (former) teacher kept saying "keep the tongue up". What part of
>the tongue? The front? Middle? Back? Sides? Where is the tip when
>not hitting the reed? Against the back of the lower teeth? Against the
>back of the upper teeth? Suspended in the middle?
>
>Is there a drawing, x-ray, or something somewhere that shows this?
>
>My present hunch about what should be happening with the tongue is that
>it should be pulled back with the lower jaw extended downwards and forwards
>somewhat. The tongue should be in an "S" curve when viewed from the side
>so the very back of the tongue is down, it curves upward toward the roof
>of the mouth in the mid-back/middle, then curves downward toward the front,
>then back up to the tip of the tongue.
>
>When viewed from the back (or front) the middle section is curved so that
>the sides are raised against the insides of the molars and they tend to
>move up and touch or rest against the molars more pronounced at the moment
>when the tip of the tongue is "tonguing" against the reed about 1/4" from
>the tip of the reed/mouthpiece tip.
>
>This is MY impression of what I presently do or try to do. But I'm
>looking for guidance and I'm curious as to whether this description seems
>generally accurate and if I should work toward ALWAYS keeping the mid-back
>sides of my tongue ANCHORED against the inside of the molars even between
>hits against the reed. I'm wondering if this is what my former teacher
>meant when she kept saying "keep your tongue up". It was her contention
>that you never see or feel the throat move because your tongue (back of
>tongue?) is not moving.
>
>
>=====================================================================
>Tom Ascher Internet: u15310@-----.edu
>University of Illinois at Chicago Phone: (312) 413-3665
>
>