Klarinet Archive - Posting 000755.txt from 1998/08

From: "Dee Hays" <deerich@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Noisy tonguing
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 10:08:24 -0400

-----Original Message-----
From: Barb073@-----.com>
Date: Tuesday, August 25, 1998 8:25 PM
Subject: [kl] Noisy tonguing

>Do any of you more experienced gurus out there have some suggestions as to
how
>I can help a young student quiet down her articulation? A listener can
really
>hear the "tah" before the sound. It almost sounds like she tongues too
hard
>all the time. Help!
>
>Barb Levy

>From your description, it sounds like she is tonguing by "hitting" the reed
with her tongue. In reality the term "tonguing" is a misleading misnomer.
Correct tonguing is accomplished by pulling the tongue off the reed not
hitting the reed. Here is an exercise to get the hang of it.

1. Start with the tongue on the reed.
2. KEEP THE TONGUE ON THE REED and start to blow. No sound should come out
yet but you can feel the pressure of the air with your diaphragm.
3. Gently pull the tongue off the reed. The student has now correctly
tongued the note.
4. Stop the note by gently placing the tongue back on the reed but keep
blowing. There is no need to hit the reed.
5. Repeat from the top.

Unfortunately many students get the impression that tonguing a note means
hitting the reed with the tongue. It's a logical deduction from the name so
who can really blame them.

Dee Hays
Canton, SD

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