Klarinet Archive - Posting 001058.txt from 2002/11

From: Bi6W@-----.net (Bill Wright)
Subj: Re: [kl] Introducing tonguing - was "teaching clarinet"
Date: Fri, 29 Nov 2002 13:51:44 -0500

Eric, I didn't mean to sound rude or condescending.

A month or two ago, one other person on this list (William Semple)
posted a comment about tonguing being a method to stop the air flow, and
this comment rocked me back on my heels. I wanted to discuss his
statement, but the conversation didn't lend itself at that particular
moment.

Therefore I have a 'backlog' of curiosity about why some clarinetists
evidently feel that tonguing is an interruption of air flow.

I was especially interested in your response to Karl Krelove's question:
what type of music do you play? Does jazz sax encourage a different
form of tonguing?

I was also wondering whether, given that different people have different
tongue sizes, stopping the air flow may be a fact of life for some
clarinetists? That's why I began one of my replies with: "If you start
your breath support and touch your tongue to the reed, you will still
feel and hear air passing over the reed." Perhaps it's not that way
for everyone?

Regards,
Bill

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