Klarinet Archive - Posting 000651.txt from 1997/02

From: Neil Leupold <nleupold@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Tonguing
Date: Wed, 19 Feb 1997 02:07:01 -0500

On Sun, 16 Feb 1997, Robert D. Shaw wrote:

> The subject of tonguing at 152 had been discussed lately, although
> I can't remember by whom. What excercises did you use to get your
> tonguing that fast? I certainly would be willing to spend some time
> trying to get my tonguing that fast. I can only tongue 16th notes at
> 132 on a good day.
> Please share your technique!

Something which my old teacher once said to me was, "You have to have
a good embouchure in order to have a good staccato." I didn't under-
stand his logic at the time, but I decided to apply the concept in
reverse, thinking, "Well, maybe working on my tonguing technique will
spark some development in my embouchure along the way."

His recommendation for the process was to learn how to play as
perfectly a legato articulation as possible, to the level where
the separation between notes was nearly imperceptible. This re-
quires the tongue to be very very light, which in turn requires
a great deal of relaxation.

I began by picking throat G with the metronome set at somewhere
in the 40 range. The complete exercise involved simply playing
legato quarter notes (4 of them), followed by four 8th-note couplets
(8 notes total), followed by four 8th-note triplets (12 notes total),
followed by four 16th note quadruplets (16 notes total). As I played
this seemingly brainless exercise, I began to focus my attention on a
number of different areas of technique, beginning with the point of
contact between my tongue and the reed. Because the exercise pro-
ceeded at such a slow tempo, I had time to focus one-at-a-time on
each area of relevance and pay serious attention to indicators
which let me know whether I was moving in the right direction.

-- Point of Contact Beetween Tongue and Reed --
Many players advocate that the point of contact upon the reed by the
tongue should be slightly back from the very tip of the tongue. Every-
body figures out what works best for them, and having the tongue contact
the reed precisely at the tip of the tongue turned out to be the best
configuration for me. As I performed the exercise, I "searched" for
the physical sensation, by my tongue, which informed me that the very
tip of the tongue was, in fact, making contact with the reed. Over
the course of time and development (this may seem a little gross),
I began to practice articulation studies so much that the tip of my
tongue actually bled a little bit. This wasn't a problem, for the tongue
heals very quickly (I've heard it's one of the fastest healing parts
of the body, for whatever reason). Paying attention to the physical
sensation, in conjunction with the red "marker" made it very clear
whether or not I was using the correct area of my tongue when articu-
lating. As an aside, I heard an anecdote where Robert Marcellus
worked so hard at his tonguing during one particular practice session
that his embouchure began to "give out", and he started spewing spit
and blood out the sides of his mouth as a result, not satisfied with
the progress he was making. This diminished my alarm when I would
finish a practice session and find my reed saturated red, a small
chunk of flesh missing from the tip of my tongue. Needless to say,
I don't think this type of extremism is at all necessary for steady
advance in the area. The blood & stuff will NOT occur, by the way,
merely from the legato exercise described above.

-- Air velocity and support --
Something that every developing clarinetist must work on over the
course of his/her growth is long tones. Doing long tones has
countless benefits when done consistently and with good mental
focus. Performing the aforementioned legato tonguing exercise
also does double-duty as a long tone exercise, the difference
from "normal" long tones merely being that you insert the tongue
at a steady interval while sustaining the flow of air upon the reed.
Why is this helpful? Because in order to achieve the ultimate
lightness and legato in the tongue, you must teach yourself to
let the air: a) relax the tongue and b) facilitate uninterrupted
vibration of the reed. These two components in tandem will pave
the way to effortless tonguing at as fast a speed as you are
potentially capable.

Bear in mind that learning any manifold skill is an additive process
whereby the endgame is to integrate all disparate elements of the skill
into a singularly unified concept, actuated via a single mechanism. In
the case of tonguing (as in the case of so many other areas of consummate
clarinet technique), the advanced and proper use of the air stream is the
actuating mechanism. Your goal is to be able to simply breathe deeply
and have the tongue assume the proper relaxed configuration inside the
oral cavity automatically, where its function is subordinate to the
flowing air column, and it makes contact with the reed at the proper
contact point all by itself.

Thus, while you are lightly brush-stroking the tip of the reed with
the tip of your tongue (say "tee-ahh", or perhaps "Lee-ahh" while your
lips say, "oh" -- these two ideas can be integrated by saying "tee-ew"),
switch focus in the middle of the exercise and notice what you are doing
with your airstream. If your tongue is properly shaped (arched in the
back of your mouth, touching the back molars with the sides, but flat
and low in the front), the air should flow over the arched tongue in
the back, automatically directing a focused air stream toward the front
across the reed (not down into the mouthpiece). That air stream must
be under continuous support from the diaphragm, and the diaphragm is
the only part of your anatomy which should manifest any physical
"tension" whatsoever while you play. This applies at all times,
regardless of context. If you are sustaining proper diaphragmatic
support, then begin to focus on the velocity of the air stream
as it passes through your embouchure and across the reed. At lower
dynamic levels, your air support and velocity need to be increased
in order to sustain consistent vibration of the reed, lest physical
tension arise in the lips or jaw and work against free reed vibration.
At all times, in all playing contexts, the physical cause of unwanted
tension in the body during playing is a result of an unsupported
air stream, where the diaphragm relaxes and tension travels to another
body part, confounding relaxation and control. This includes the
tongue. Once the transfer of physical tension has begun, it is
often difficult to counteract, even when ample air intake and support
are restored.

-- Tongue Position --
In order for the air to do its job, all other variables in technique
must be individually and systematically eliminated. Stable tongue
position is vital, which means you must establish the correct config-
uration and then recreate it on command every time. The tip of the
tongue at all times should be positioned as close to the reed as
possible without actually making contact. This makes the process
of articulation a very subtle one, requiring the utmost relaxation
and control, especially at the very tip. When the tongue is arched
in the back using the syllable "ew" while saying "oh" with the lips,
the tip of the tongue should automatically drop flat in the front
of the mouth, conveniently placing it in a position level with the
tip of the reed. The act of articulation at this point is then a
"simple" matter of moving the tongue a couple of millimeters
forward, making contact with the reed, and then quickly pulling it
back those same two millimeters to its starting position. The
principle is very simple, but the process of conditoining the
tongue muscle to assume the correct position and then be relaxed
enough to quickly/delicately touch the reed tip and pull away
again demands much meticulous focus and attention to physical
sensation and sound effect.

Much more to write, but it's now bed time. If anybody would like
me to continue on these thoughts, let me know. Nighty night!

Neil