Klarinet Archive - Posting 000431.txt from 2002/11

From: Claudia Zornow <claudia_zornow@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Sax and Clarinet embouchure
Date: Mon, 25 Nov 2002 23:54:20 -0500

Here's an exercise I like on saxophone for improving attacks on
low notes:

- Finger a low note (e.g. D or C).
- Play the note an octave above without using the octave key,
just by voicing it. (This should be easy, since presumably
your problem is that this note comes out when you want to
play the lower note.)
- Without stopping the air, slur down to the lower octave.
- Pause (stop the air) and then restart the lower note using
your tongue. Change as little about your embouchure as
possible while doing this.

This helps you get the feel of what to do differently to make a
low note speak rather than a higher one. I also like to think
about the position of the back of my tongue, keeping it flat and
feeling the sides of my tongue touch the sides of my back teeth.

Claudia

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