Klarinet Archive - Posting 001070.txt from 2002/11

From: Bi6W@-----.net (Bill Wright)
Subj: [kl] Tonguing --- Jack Brymer and Keith Stein
Date: Fri, 29 Nov 2002 21:59:48 -0500

Just to show that this question (should the breath stop flowing?) does
not have a undisputed answer:

Here are two quotes --- one from Jack Brymer "Clarinet" and the other
from Keith Stein "The Art of Clarinet Playing", both of whom are
respected clarinetists:

===========

Brymer, while discussing the tonguing method that he prefers (he
describes several), pgs. 64-77:

[.... in this method, the tongue] is resilient and flexible, with the
result that while part of it is engaged in pushing the reed towards the
mouthpiece facing, another part, slightly further from its tip, is
folding itself across the tip of the reed and the narrow slot which is
the sole entry of air into the mouthpiece [....] Taken to its
logical conclusion, this would indicate that the best attack upon a reed
is not upon the reed itself, but upon the slot which separates it from
the mouthpiece facing.

===========

Stein, italics are shown by **, and ( ) are Stein's, pgs. 23-28:

The most important lesson that can be learned regarding attack and
articulation is that the process which is ordinarily called "tonguing"
is actually a by-product of two other factors --- the **continuously
moving breath** and the **active but quietly poised lips** [....]
breath flow is continuous before, during, and after, the tongue stroke
[....] One of the secrets of successful tonguing is the maintaining of
a **continual breath flow**(and breath support) between tongued tones
[....] It is contrary to human nature to keep active when little or
nothing is transpiring; however, **learning to blow in the silences**
pays great dividends.

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