Klarinet Archive - Posting 000830.txt from 1999/03

From: Neil Leupold <nleupold@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] THROAT TENSION
Date: Sun, 14 Mar 1999 18:12:14 -0500

On Sun, 14 Mar 1999, susan r simmons wrote:

> Hi- I am an 18 yr old clarinet player who has been playing for about 5-6
> yrs. I have had this reoccurring problem with throat tension that I just
> can seem to get to completely go away.

Open your mouth wide, stick out your tongue, and breathe deeply
and slowly. Don't "think" about anything. Just breathe effort-
lessly with your tongue sticking out like a panting dog (except
don't pant). Notice that your throat is open and relaxed when
you do this. Notice how easy it is to sense this openness and
relaxation, and how easy it is to duplicate the sensation simply
by breathing with your tongue sticking out of your mouth.

Needless to say, dozens of Klarineters around the world are
humorously sitting at their keyboards, trying to discretely
stick out their tongues without anybody else noticing. Given
the above exercise, your mission is to replicate the physical
sensation of openness and relaxation in your throat while you
play. Start simple: a long tone. After a few seconds of breath-
ing with your tongue sticking out, blow a long tone on your in-
strument and "think" as little as possible about what you need
to do. Instead, pay attention to what it feels like, remember-
ing what it felt like immediately before you sounded the note.

With such an easy mechanism for opening and relaxing your
throat, you have an infinite number of opportunities to
reinforce the sensation and attempt to duplicate it when
playing your clarinet. Not only does the exercise allow
you to sense your open throat, it also compels you to
breathe from the diaphragm instead of the chest, which
is equally as important to relaxation as relaxing other
muscles in your body.

Neil

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unsubscribe from Klarinet, e-mail: klarinet-unsubscribe@-----.org
Subscribe to the Digest: klarinet-digest-subscribe@-----.org
Additional commands: klarinet-help@-----.org
Other problems: klarinet-owner@-----.org

   
     Copyright © Woodwind.Org, Inc. All Rights Reserved    Privacy Policy    Contact charette@woodwind.org