Klarinet Archive - Posting 000869.txt from 1999/10

From: Tony@-----.uk (Tony Pay)
Subj: Re: [kl] should the embouchure move?
Date: Fri, 29 Oct 1999 03:45:03 -0400

On Wed, 27 Oct 1999 21:33:52 -0500, danbascl@-----.com said:

> Tony,
>
> I feel honored that you consider my question naive. Considering the
> topics that are sometimes on the list I put forth this question so
> that the pros and cons could be considered. Since there are many
> players of a wide range of levels from high school to professional I
> thought that this would be an interesting topic to discuss. Was I
> wrong?

I apologise for using the term 'naive', Dan. I can see that it reads
offensively.

> I thought that people would contribute their views or views from
> legends that they studied with, such as Marcellus, Hasty, Brymer etc.

It's rather that the question itself focuses attention on one particular
aspect of a complex process, and 'dichotomises' the possible responses
to how we view that one particular aspect.

I think that's dangerous. In the example you choose, of students
saying what their teachers said to them, we go from what Marcellus or
Brymer told particular students to do, in order to help *them*, on to
what look like 'general principles'. Then we get solidified into
opposing 'camps'.

And, moreover, we may start to judge, not only ourselves, but other
clarinet players by superficial aspects of their technique, rather than
by the musical result.

I remember being told by someone that it was 'wrong' not to start a note
with the tongue. The fact is that professional players adopt a variety
of techniques for starting notes, some using the tongue, some not. It's
the musical context that makes these techniques 'right' or 'wrong'.

It's worth trying keeping your embouchure constant in a particular
passage, just as it's worth trying moving it. Either may yield the
effect you want.

(I'd have to agree that it's probably not worth trying *not blowing*
while playing a passage -- and for that reason, making sure that a
student isn't doing that is worth a bit of dogmatic counselling.)

> Sorry for my curiosity
>
> Dan

No, sorry for being too precipitate myself.

Tony
--
_________ Tony Pay
|ony:-) 79 Southmoor Rd Tony@-----.uk
| |ay Oxford OX2 6RE GMN family artist: www.gmn.com
tel/fax 01865 553339

.... I think not, said Descartes; and promptly vanished.
.

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