Klarinet Archive - Posting 000471.txt from 2000/11

From: stewart kiritz <kiritz@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] oh oh: Long Tones and Embouchure
Date: Fri, 10 Nov 2000 20:16:25 -0500

From: Stewart Kiritz

Hoping that this does not add to the confusion, I think it is helpful to see
the tongue as a punctuator of the air flow, rather than, as you quote Stein
"leaves deflecting the air flow," which I find a bit vague. If you produce
a decent tone and then SLOWLY move the tongue toward the section of the reed
just below the tip until it just touches the reed and you can feel this
touching, and then if you SLOWLY retract the tongue from the reed so it is
no longer touching, you will have a pretty good exercise for understanding
physically just how little contact needs to be made between tongue and reed
to stop the sound. As you get comfortable with this process you can move
the tongue more quickly, make firmer contact, etc. until it becomes second
nature to stop and start the air flow with your tongue "puncuation." Then,
voila, you will have mastered the first steps of clean articulation!

Hope this helps,

Stewart Kiritz

----- Original Message -----
From: "William Wright" <Bilwright@-----.net>
Subject: Re: [kl] oh oh: Long Tones and Embouchure

> <><> Terry Sterkel wrote:
> did I catch that the air is supposed to be going through the mouthpiece
> "all the time?" That is, the tongue does not cut air flow, just reed
> vibration??? could you be kind enough to clarify? thanks!
>
> Terry, I noticed that you posted this question once before. I'm
> reluctant to post anything myself about tonguing. I can't do it
> properly yet. But there is one book (80 pages for $12.95) that almost
> every music store has, and it talks about tonguing in a more meaningful
> way that most "how to" book: The Art Of Clarinet Playing, by Keith
> Stein
>
> Stein *does* emphasize "continuously moving breath", such as: "A
> final comparison is to a river at flood stage when the leaves of
> overhanging trees are touching the rushing current. These leaves,
> flicked in and out of the water, are like the tongue deflected by the
> breath flow."
> Stein advises that the first step is to learn how to end a tone (to
> "release" it) without using the tongue and without interrupting the air
> movement. Then add tongue movements later on. Stein gives exercises.
>
> I don't mind posting my own frustration about tonguing in case
> someone here on the list has any help to offer.
> My own tongue is long enough and wide enough that I can't imagine
> myself ever being able to use the "tip to tip" approach. This adds to
> the 'mini-explosion' in front of each articulated note that sounds so
> terrible. So far, I don't see how my tongue can touch the reed without
> also interrupting the air movement completely.
> Stein's book talks about avoiding the "coiled up" tongue position
> and keeping the tongue "well forward" and "near the tip of the reed."
> This seems like a contradiction to me, since "well forward" and "not
> coiled" mean that my tongue is pressing against my front teeth or
> perhaps lying in between my slightly-separated teeth.
>
>
>
> Cheers, (not said with tongue in cheek)
> Bill
>
>
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