Klarinet Archive - Posting 000810.txt from 2000/06

From: "Dee D. Hays" <deehays@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Can't articulate with the tongue...Using throat
Date: Tue, 20 Jun 2000 18:54:00 -0400

----- Original Message -----
From: <SWNASHUB@-----.com>
Subject: [kl] Can't articulate with the tongue...Using throat

> I have a young student who had quit band and started back up again. Less
> than a year's experience. The student's story is that they were not
allowed
> to tongue in band but only slur. Now I can't seem to get him to
understand
> how to use the tongue instead of the throat. When he does try to use the
> tongue, he manages to play very flat in pitch. I have suggested that he
> support the note with constant air pressure, although I'm not sure he
> understands any of these techniques spatially. I appreciate any
suggestions
> I may offer him to alleviate this problem.
>
> HK
>

My suggestion is to get the tonguing down and then work on pitch. Trying to
fix multiple problems at once generally doesn't work and just ends up
frustrating both teacher and student. I suspect that when he was using the
throat, his tongue was high, which pulls the pitch up. Now when he tries to
tongue per your instructions, he is letting is drop down too far and going
flat. Do you have some of the method books with pictures? This may help
him see what to strive for. He might not be able to visualize it just from
a verbal explanation.

For air support, my daughter's teacher told her to visualize her stomach and
lungs as a big, strong steel tank. Then told her to expand her stomach to
pull the air into the lungs. Then when she is playing, to press her stomach
strongly toward her backbone.

Hope this helps.

Dee Hays

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