Klarinet Archive - Posting 000309.txt from 1996/02

From: "Daniel A. Paprocki" <dap@-----.US>
Subj: Re: Lazy Tongue
Date: Mon, 12 Feb 1996 11:20:41 -0500

What type of mouthpiece are you playing on? Sometimes this is a limiter to
the maximum speed attainable.

Dan

>Cathleen Renee Orr <orrcathl@-----.EDU> asks about lazy tongue:
>
>>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?
>
>I don't have any advice on getting the tongue to move faster, but, at least
>for me, the problem is usually with the reed rather than the tongue. If I
>have a reed that responds well in all registers, but doesn't allow rapid
>staccato, I can usually improve the situation by thinning slightly the very
>tip of the reed, i. e., the last 1/32 inch. This works for me, but I don't
>suggest you try it with your best reed immediately! Experiment on some
>others first.
>
> Don Yungkurth (DYungkurth@-----.com)

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Daniel A. Paprocki
dap@-----.us

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