Klarinet Archive - Posting 000103.txt from 2002/05

From: AnneLenoir@-----.net (Anne Lenoir)
Subj: [kl] More About Articulation
Date: Sat, 4 May 2002 07:20:50 -0400

I recently tried to describe the physical process of producing good
articulation as best as I could. It was in response to somebody who didn
not know the basics about articulation. Then somebody else, a very
musically enlightened individual, wrote back and informed me that there
was much more to articulation than the actual physical process of
"tongueing", that it had to do also with phrasing and total musical
concepts. I have been thinking about this for a few days, and I do agree
with that person. However, learning to physically control and regulate
the tongue and air is a huge undertaking. A person can have the most
brilliant ideas about phrasing, and still sound terrible by producing
"thwuts" and "chwuts". I have heard some of the best examples of this at
ClarinetFests and Symposiums by Doctorial candidates in Clarinet
Performance. Many clarinetists do not articulate correctly, and this
issue does need to be addressed by total concentration of learning how
to keep the flow of air moving while striking the reed with the tongue
at the same time. Bad "tongueing" can ruin an otherwise good musical
performance. ANNIE

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