Klarinet Archive - Posting 000739.txt from 1998/08

From: <CmdrHerel@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Stability Problems with Articulation?
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 10:08:08 -0400

In a message dated 98-08-24 19:23:36 EDT, carwile@-----.org writes:

<< I currently have her alternating between slurred and articulated
passages (5 times slurred, once articulated), which is showing some
progress, but clearly this is a very slow road for her. I'm unable to
see any sort of changes in her playing between the two styles. She is
unable to perceive any changes, either. >>

How slow is slow? Months or weeks?

I have found that fixing a really bad articulation problem is THE single most
difficult thing to fix. It takes forEVER.

The way I've managed it in a couple of really bad cases is to be very
diligent, patient, and crafty... :) By that I mean, I try to get the student
to spend just the amount of time on it each day before they get frustrated!
And fixing a tongue problem is extremely frustrating, because it is so slow.

That usually works out to be a bit less than ten minutes a day, then I need to
have them forget about the tongue completely for the rest of their practicing
time and not worry about it. Even during lessons, I attack the tonguing
first, and then forget about it for the next twenty minutes of a half hour
lesson.

Of course I assign things that will help the tounge when they're not
tonguing... (But I don't tell them this...) I pick very legato etudes and
concentrate on air, air, and air! Which we know is what makes the tongue work
correctly. I also have them do all their scales slurred, again having them
listen to keep the air up and moving. All of which will help articulation
when it starts to come together, but at the same time gives them things that
they can play without getting frustrated.

The good news is that it does come together! Just slowly. I had one throat-
tonguer that took about four months to tongue well with the tip. I've never
had an anchor-tonguer, but I'd guess that that would be an equally difficult
habit to overcome.

Teri Herel

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