Klarinet Archive - Posting 001188.txt from 1998/01

From: Jacqueline Eastwood <eastwooj@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: jaw movements!
Date: Wed, 28 Jan 1998 14:25:49 -0500

On Mon, 26 Jan 1998, line ringuette wrote:

> Hello all,
> I have a question that I'm hoping some of the experienced teachers on this
> list will be able to help me with.
> I have a new student, she is in the 10th grade and a very, very dedicated
> clarinet player! Unfortunately when she tongues notes, her whole lower jaw
> moves along sympathetically with her tongue.
> We have tried a few ways of stopping this (there was an article in The
> Clarinet a while back which suggested tonguing quickly; and I have also
> tried to 're-teach' the correct way of tonguing - a la Bonade's Compendium)
> but nothing has worked yet. She is the only one of my students that I have
> seen doing this, and 'jawing' is one problem that I have never had to work
> through myself (a miracle!) Have any of the seasoned clarinet
> players/teachers out there ever come across a good way of resolving this
> problem? If you have would you be so kind as to post what it was you did
> that worked ?!!
> Thank you very much,
> Sincerely,
> Line Ringuette
> lringuet@-----.net
>
>
I'm not sure how much this will help, but it's worth a try!

A really good tonguing exercise courtesy of Russ Dagon:

On a C major scale: 1) play middle C, whole note
2) retongue, play c major scale one octave (one
eighth, followed by sixteenths)
3) play c major scale same way as above, now tongued.

Repeat on starting on D, starting on E, etc. but keep the same key
signature (for C major, not D major, E major, etc.)

This exercise is intended in part to focus on the set embouchure, the air
stream (constant, no matter whether you're slurring or tonguing) and
aligning the finger movement with the tongue.

I hope this is somewhat clear -- it should all be done in one breath.
With any luck, focusing on a solid embouchure while holding the long note
and playing the slurred notes will help to hold the jaw still for the
tonguing part! Let me know if you don't understand my directions, OK?

Jacqueline Eastwood
University of Arizona/Arizona Opera Orchestra
eastwooj@-----.edu