Klarinet Archive - Posting 000411.txt from 1995/06

From: Fred Jacobowitz <fredj@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Glissandos
Date: Mon, 19 Jun 1995 00:46:00 -0400

Nichelle,
Believe it or not, it has been my experience that, yes, players
DO in fact find it by just doing it. It takes a certain amount of
experimentation on the part of the student. Don't forget that I said I
first teach the "slide the fingers off" method and then, try to explain
how to tighten the throat and loosen up, depending on what I hear from
the student's sound. Sorry I can't be more helpful over the phone lines.
It is something that really has to be done in person.

Fred J.

On Wed, 14 Jun 1995, Nichelle Crocker wrote:

> I couldn't tell from Fred's message if he was joking about a player
> automatically finding the tongue/embouchure position by just doing it.
> I hope he was. There are times when these things (my experience with
> glissanos, for example) need to be expressed in words by our teachers.
> A lot of the people I spoke to when asking for advice on how to learn
> this technique couldn't explain it because they just "picked it up".
> I expressed this same concern about vibrato a few months ago.
>
> Some musicians seem to rely on instinct and natural ability fairly heavily.
> It may be helpful on stage, but not as a teaching technique. Teachers
> need to have the vocabulary to be able to describe, explain, and
> demonstrate any technique they expect their student to acquire. I have
> very strong feelings about this.
>
> Nichelle Crocker
>