Klarinet Archive - Posting 000797.txt from 2002/04

From: AnneLenoir@-----.net (Anne Lenoir)
Subj: Re: [kl] Introduction and a few questions
Date: Sun, 28 Apr 2002 10:13:33 -0400

Dear Joe,
As far as articulation is concerned, you are supposed to keep the
air going through the clarinet, and lightly (and gently) strike the reed
with your tongue repeaedly. I personally would call the sound
"du--du--du--du--du", but other people on the list may think
"dee--dee--dee--dee" or have another syllable. As you practice your
"du--du's" or "dee-dee's", you are learning to play a beautiful legato
articulation. I am teaching all of my students how to slur their scales
and articulate them in a legato style. I don't even bother to think
about staccato until the legato sounds really good. Most of their
staccato's sound terrible, like "chwut--chwut", and I feel that it is
important to get control of the continuous air with the tongue
interrupting the air, cleanly, before going on to staccato. With
staccato, you just leave the toungue on the reed longer, making a longer
space between notes. Eventually you are able to play "staccatismo" (is
their such a word?) phrases gracefully, without those terrible "chwut"
and "thud"-like sounds. Daniel Bonade talked about articulation in is
publication "Compendium" for clarinet, where he tries to explain
articulation and has exercises for it. I believe that STARK also has 2
volumes of articulation studies.
When I teach articulation, I start with a basic rhythm pattern on
one note, say for example, straight sixteenths, or eighths and
sixteenths, for one or 2 bars in 4/4 time, and then move up the scale
diatonically repeating the pattern, so that it feels comfortable on each
degree of the scale. Then play the scale up-&-down in eights,
repeatedly. I have a few 11-year olds who can bounce up & down their
scales (up to 3 #'s and 3 b's) very nicely (usually). They have some
idiot band directors who encourage them to "thud"and "chwut", which
makes it hard to maintain good articulation. The band directors, usually
brass players, are trying to "demand" staccato immediately, so that
(they think) their bands will sound "better".
Articulation is an ongoing process of stiking the reed just right
with the air still going. Most young people want to stop blowing in
between notes and stab at them, like with a knife or machine gun. ANNIE

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