Klarinet Archive - Posting 001315.txt from 1998/10

From: "Dee D. Hays" <deehays@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Anchor Tonguing
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 1998 03:23:47 -0500

-----Original Message-----
From: SDSCHWAEG@-----.com>
Date: Thursday, October 29, 1998 6:09 PM
Subject: [kl] Anchor Tonguing

>... How would we get rid of tongue "thud" at the beginning of the attack,
and
>excessive motion under the jaw (or is that usual with anchor tongue?)? She
>also seems to have trouble with maintaining a steady air stream - she sort
of
>"puffs" with each attack - does that go along with anchor tonguing, or is
that
>an unrelated problem? I'm anxious for everyone's feedback!

These two problems can and often do occur in single lip players also (I have
to guard against them myself). To get rid of the "thud" consult Daniel
Bonade's Clarinet Compendium. Here is a brief summary of the technique
(start with an easily played note like open G). This exercise should be
done slowly so that the student and teacher can monitor the embouchure and
make sure that there is no jaw motion. i.e. Only the tongue moves.

1. Have the student start with the tongue on the reed (tip to tip of
course).
2. Now the student begins to blow while keeping the tongue on the reed. No
sound will come out and the student will feel the "back pressure" from the
reed being closed off with the tongue.
3. The student continues to blow and pulls the tongue off then reed. The
note should speak.
4. The student continues to blow and GENTLY places the tongue back on the
reed. The sound should stop and once again they should feel the pressure.
5. Now the student can stop blowing.

Proper tonguing action is actually pulling the tongue off the reed to start
the note (i.e. step 3 above). Due to the natural assumptions people tend to
make from the word tonguing, they try to "hit" the reed with the tongue.
This easily leads to the "thud" type of sound.

This exercise may also be helpful in switching from anchor tonguing and
could possibly help the "puffing" you mention.

Dee Hays
Canton, SD

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