Klarinet Archive - Posting 000404.txt from 1997/06

From: Neil Leupold <nleupold@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: How to make Stacatto?
Date: Sun, 22 Jun 1997 01:30:23 -0400

On Sun, 22 Jun 1997, Ricardo Quintas wrote:

> I'm starting to study stacatto on my Clarinet.
> Coul you please give me some advices on this subject.
>
> 1. How can I improve my stacatto?
> 2. How can I increase my stacatto spead?
> 3. What are the best methods to study this?
> 4. I'm having trouble with stacato on higher notes (above C#), when I
> get there my clarinet resembles a cat screaming. How can I avoid this?

Your questions are very specific, which is good in a student. However,
providing a specific response, one which truly addresses everything necessary
to achieving success in the areas you mention, would require an email of
much greater length than most of our internet subscribers would want to
download.

Nonetheless, here is an offering. At the root of it all is your use and
control of the air stream, which affects and facilitates all other areas
of tone production and manipulation on the clarinet...including the use
of staccato. My short recommendation? Begin by working on a continuous
and well-supported air stream, coupled with an exercise which will develop
lightness and delicacy of tongue movement. When you have achieved a
legato which is effortless and consistent, you will then be poised to
execute the staccato effect with assured proper technique and success.
In tandem with a proper use of air, and a relaxed tongue, is the necessity
that the tip of the tongue comes into contact with the tip of the
reed at precisely the same spot every time. For many players, it isn't
exactly the tip of the tongue, but whichever spot on the tongue you use,
it must not vary. And, to close, there is no rule against experimenting
with longer time intervals between notes as you master legato articulation.
This enables you to guage your progress. The more you allow the air to
do the work, the more effortless the technique will become. But this takes
time, so be patient, because we generally have much "unlearning" to do in
terms of physical tension and "muscular memory" programming before the con-
ditioned responses take root. Then it becomes automatic and one need merely
breathe deeply to invoke the desired manifold technique.

Neil