Klarinet Archive - Posting 000885.txt from 1999/10

From: Shouryu Nohe <jnohe@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Bb Soprano to Bass Clarinet
Date: Fri, 29 Oct 1999 03:45:19 -0400

On Wed, 27 Oct 1999, Daniel Stover wrote:

> On tonguing:
> While anchor tonguing is O.K. on soprano, it's almost neccessary on bass.
> Never start low notes (around B down) with a tongue start. Start with air
> and then start the vibration of the reed by articulating (my teacher uses
> the sylable "shh-ta").
> If you try and tongue start like on soprano, there's a 95% chance you'll
> squawk. (another trick on low notes is to raise your first finger of your
> left hand just before you start the note)

I disagree completely - I tongue tip of tongue to tip of reed on every
instrument, Eb clar to BBb contra, Bb soprano sax to Eb Bari sax. The
ONLY exception is when I'm playing (or attempting to and failing) subtone
on tenor sax (a la Dexter Gordon) in which case, a "fwaa" or "thdwaa"
syllable. But for Eb and Bb clarinets, I say a clear "teeeh", and
everything thing else, "taaah". In fact, although I learned this
technique on Bb, I applied it quickly to bass and saxophone, and can
actually tongue faster on both bass and saxophone than I can on clarinet
(geez...I forgot my prof is reading this...probably won't be too happy
with that either...).

Currently, I can tongue 16ths at 158 bpm in groups of 5 or less, and at
142 bpm in groups of 7 on bass. On Bb, about 144 in groups of 5
or less, and about 108 in groups of 7. I do a good deal of articulation
excersizes, but I still can't double tongue to save my life. (Or flutter
tongue, or gliss, or multiphonics...)

I have more problems with squeaks on the Eb clarinet...in fact, that's
just about the only instrument that I have squeak problems with, mainly
due to leaking the tone holes or bumping a banana key here and there.

You can tongue tip to tip on bass. You don't HAVE to - if it doesn't work
for YOU, then YOU don't do it. But it can be done, and one shouldn't
discourage others from trying.

J. Shouryu Nohe
http://web.nmsu.edu/~jnohe
Professor of SCSM102, New Mexico State Univ.
"If I wanted a 'job,' I'd have gone music ED, thank you very much!"

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