Klarinet Archive - Posting 001069.txt from 1997/10

From: HatNYC62@-----.com
Subj: Long Tones
Date: Sun, 26 Oct 1997 01:14:48 -0400

>>By holding long tones, the embouchure gets better developed and develops
more
quickly then if a person only plays his etudes and band music. <<

Why would this be the case? An embochure is not made to play only one note at
a time, is it? I wish I had worked with Stanley Hasty more than one master
class, but I do remember one thing he said very clearly. I paraphrase: anyone
can sound good playing one note, you can barely tell the difference between a
poor player and an outstanding player on the basis of one note. However, the
minute in INTERVAL is produced, any and all technical and tonal deficiancies
will be immediately exposed.

>Almost all tone problems require this as a remedial exercise. <

Please explain what you mean by this. What are "tone problems?"

>Also, when the student plays long tones, he has more of an opportunity to
really listen to his own sound. He / she will then make both conscious
and subconscious adjustments to obtain a sound more pleasing to himself.<

Pleasing on one note only. What if producing that one pure note involves
using an embochure adjustment which will not allow proper registration in
passagework? Just stirring the pot here.