Klarinet Archive - Posting 000715.txt from 1998/04

From: cbogott@-----.com (Courtney Bogott)
Subj: re:Thud in tonguing
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1998 17:58:43 -0400

I am 17 and I have played for 5 years. I have had that problem for 4 of
those years!! No one ever taught me how to tongue, and so I just
automatically started using the middle of my tongue. It definitely was
frustrating and last year, when my teacher was trying to help me fix it,
I wanted to quit! I finally learned to use the tip of my tongue, and now
things are going much better. Maybe that is the problem that your
students are having. I took lessons for almost two years before anyone
noticed that I was doing it, and I didn't realize that it was wrong.

Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1998 11:01:28 -0700
From: "John Gates" <cadenza@-----.com>
Subject: Thud in tonguing

I have had over the years many students who have a thick sort of thud in
the
sound when the tongue. Generally as the students practices and improves
it
goes away. However it takes a long time and is always frustrating and
discouraging for the student. I'm sure that many of you who teach know
the
type of problem I'm talking about. I have made the following
observations
but have no method of fixing this problem.

1) Students generally are teenage girls anywhere from about 13 - 17.
2) I've never had an adult student or anyone younger than 11 who has
had
the problem
3) Occasionally boys have the problem but its not as bad.
4) Students that have begun with me don't have problem, at least not
as
dramatic as the other ones.
5) M/P and reed setup doesn't seem to be causing this
6) tongue placement doesn't seem to effect it.

Does anybody have suggestions on this? Is there a name for the problem?

------------------------------