Klarinet Archive - Posting 000293.txt from 1996/02

From: "Michael D. Moors" <mdmoors@-----.US>
Subj: Re: lazy tongue
Date: Mon, 12 Feb 1996 03:00:47 -0500

Cathleen,

I would never want to contradict Frank Ell or Elsa but I was taught to say
tah when I was young. I found in my later years that tee worked much better
for me because the EE part of the sylable kept my tounge arched, causing
less distance to the reed on attack.
In increased my own speed substancially just by working on this concept.
In my own students I always check how much mouthpiece is in the mouth. 1/2"
usually is about right. Less or more then 1/2 inch usually puts the tounge
on the wrong spot on the reed. I teach tonguing 1/4" back from the reed
with 1/4" back from the tip of the tounge. Another tonguing problem is
caused by the moutpiece not being in the center of the mouth.

I have other ideas if this doesn't help. Feel free to mail me privately.

Mike

At 11:28 PM 2/11/96 -0500, you wrote:
>Hi everyone, I'm having difficulty tongueing (ok, enough innuendo...)
>
>I am in concert band at MSU and we are playing Samuel Barber's Commando March.
>At one point, the piece requires 16th notes articulated. The tempo indication
>on the piece is quarters at 144, our director is saying 138-ish, which really
>isn't any easier, IMHO. I have been spending quite a bit of time with my
>metronome, and I can't do it. I am rather frustrated since I can say " ta ta ta
>ta..." at the tempo with no difficulty, but once I have my horn in my mouth,
>the response is slow and it seems like I can't tongue as fast as I did before.
>Also, the notes are pretty high (leger line E ) and they sound squeaky. What's
>up? Would a harder reed help?
>
>***************************************************************************
*****
> Cathleen R. Orr
> orrcathl@-----.edu
> " There's more to life than just clarinet, there's more clarinet."
>***************************************************************************
*****
>
>
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Michael D. Moors *
125. W. White St. *
Alpena, Michigan 49707 *
*
mdmoors@-----.us *
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