Klarinet Archive - Posting 001049.txt from 2002/11

From: Bi6W@-----.net (Bill Wright)
Subj: Re: [kl] Introducing tonguing - was "teaching clarinet"
Date: Fri, 29 Nov 2002 05:05:58 -0500

<><> Eric=A0Dannewitz wrote:
If tonguing is not about letting air flow and not flow, then [what is
it?]

Tonguing is about stopping the reed's vibration while maintaining
constant breath support. However, breath support is not the same thing
as bottled-up air pressure that is waiting to be released --- which is
where the nozzle metaphor goes wrong.

The essential action of tonguing is to touch the reed with your tongue
in order to prevent the reed from vibrating. It is **not** to stop all
air from moving past the reed.

Presumably if you pick up your clarinet and start some breath support
while placing your tongue on the reed, you will feel and hear some air
moving through the mouthpiece, but no note will sound because the reed
can't vibrate. Then, if you remove your tongue from the reed, the note
will begin.... but most important, the note's attack (the note's first
few milliseconds) will be closer to the sound that you desire for the
entire note than if you had released the reed and started new air
movement simultaneously.

I do understand that your metaphor is designed to encourage constant
breath support. There's no disagreement about the need for constant
breath support; but again, breath support is not bottled-up air pressure
that is waiting to be released. The image of opening and closing a
nozzle does not promote constant breath support.

Another question: Is a metaphor useful in this case at all? Metaphors
are appropriate when something is difficult to describe in physical
terms, but why complicate a description with unnecessary ambiguities?
It's easier and more effective to simply tell the student a version of
what I typed above --- touch your tongue to the reed when you want to
articulate a note and don't alter your breath.

Regards,
Bill

---------------------------------------------------------------------