Klarinet Archive - Posting 000230.txt from 1996/04

From: Neil Leupold <nleupold@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: K.622 and tonguing
Date: Tue, 9 Apr 1996 12:29:11 -0400

Nick makes an interesting statement about articulation and tonguing. By
the context in which he uses these two words, he makes it clear that they
are not synonymous. Over the years, I've often heard innumerable people
use these words as if they meant the same thing and were virtually
interchangable. "Articulate" (according to my small Webster's
dictionary) means, "To connect by joints" or "To put together in a
connected way." So by using the tongue, we are producing an overt
connection between notes by effecting an infinitesimal silence. It almost
seems like the *opposite* of the definition, for really connecting the
notes would be to slur them -- or so it occurs to me to think.

Neil

On Tue, 9 Apr 1996, Nick Shackleton wrote:

> In the very useful list sent out by Bruce Currie, add (*) to the Tony Pay
> recording.
> I haven't listened to all of these but there is something relevent to the
> tonguing issue here (some of which I learned through my involvement with
> that recording). The modern clarinet is designed to permit slurring between
> virtually any pair of notes. There are many pairs of notes between which
> slurring was physically impossible in Mozart's day. There are other
> transitions that sound rather indeterminate if slurred (for example if you
> are required to adjust your lip pressure going to a cross-fingered note).
> This means that tonguing was the only means of articulating some passages
> cleanly whereas now we can articulate clearly while slurring.
> Worth remembering also that there is a lot of emphasis in early wind
> treatises on different sorts of tonguing.
> Nick
>

   
     Copyright © Woodwind.Org, Inc. All Rights Reserved    Privacy Policy    Contact charette@woodwind.org