Klarinet Archive - Posting 000697.txt from 2003/08

From: Dan Sutherland <dan.sutherland@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] RE: Articulation problems
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2003 01:27:07 -0400

All right then.

The technique I describe is merely a starting point for producing the start
of a sound. I agree that other techniques are more widely used but submit
that if your aim is to begin a note with a minimum of excessive noise and
with consistency particularly in the high range, you will find success
using the technique.

About the lip-tongue thing.

The reason I mention keeping contact with the lower lip with the underside
of the tongue is to maintain a low position of the front part of the tongue
as you tongue. A better description would be to visualize the tip of your
tongue gliding past your lower lip on its way to the reed, the purpose of
which is to have the tip of the tongue contact the reed without hitting the
reed tip. Although I am an abominable freak of nature I haven't had a
student who could not learn or use the technique to advantage. Or, no
special oral configuration is required to use the technique.

About the speed thing.

How fast can you pronounce "nuhnuhnuhnuhnuhnuh"...etc? That will indicate
how fast you can tongue on clarinet. Pronouncing "th-awe" [not out loud of
course] practising on the clarinet and accelerating keeping the tongue
motion consistent ought to allow you to duplicate your "nuhnuhnuhnuh" speed.

There is much more involved. Embouchure and breathing technique are as
much involved in tonguing as tongue motion. Then there is the question of
what you wish to express and how you alter/use technique to achieve your wish.

Dan

At 07:48 AM 8/26/2003 -0500, you wrote:
>Dan,
>
>"Avoid touching the reed tip with your tongue. Have the underneath part
>of your tongue in contact with your lower lip when you tongue. As you
>tongue higher notes move your tongue to the side of the reed so that in the
>altissimo range you are touching the side of the mouthpiece as much as you
>are the reed with the tip of your tongue"
>
>I've never heard anyone describe tonguing this way on clarinet. What are you
>releasing? Your lip?
>Tell me more about how you start sound.
>
>Forest Aten
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Dan Sutherland" <dan.sutherland@-----.net>
>To: <klarinet@-----.org>
>Sent: Tuesday, August 26, 2003 12:38 AM
>Subject: Re: [kl] RE: Articulation problems
>
>
> > I think that any way you study articulation or tonguing the moment of
> > interest is the release of sound.
> >
> > One may decide to release sound by first closing off the airway to the
> > instrument by glomming the tongue to the ceiling of the mouth and covering
> > all of the available reed surface within the mouth with the tongue and
> > moving that [the tongue] out of the way while blowing to produce a sound.
> >
> > The release of sound using the above technique is somewhat delayed
>preceded
> > by a grunt [undertone] with exaggerated delay and grunt as the pitch
> > escalates. I rarely come across a musical requirement where such a
>release
> > is desired. I have never come across an instance where I felt it
> > necessary to teach that technique.
> >
> > I prefer a less intrusive release.
> >
> > Excuse me while I put my thoughts in order for the immanent teaching
>season.
> >
> > All systems to produce sound are reliant on each other. A certain style
>of
> > embouchure may work well with a particular breathing and tonguing
> > technique. Diminishing inefficient practises creates the possibility of
> > producing a result we want. I find the following techniques efficient.
> >
> > Avoid touching the reed tip with your tongue. Have the underneath
>part
> > of your tongue in contact with your lower lip when you tongue. As you
> > tongue higher notes move your tongue to the side of the reed so that in
>the
> > altissimo range you are touching the side of the mouthpiece as much as you
> > are the reed with the tip of your tongue.
> >
> > Practise buzzing your tongue [someone advised this already] by placing the
> > tip of your tongue on the reed below the tip of the reed and producing a
> > sound. The preferred [in my estimation] way to release sound in a
> > phonetic sense is to pronounce "th-awe". "awe" is the speaking of the
> > sound. "th"is what happens before when you are blowing but your tongue tip
> > is on the reed down from the tip of the reed. This requires practice and
> > coordination.
> >
> > Nobody complains about how I tongue on clarinet.
> >
> > Or maybe I just don't pay attention to the multitudinous complaints.
> >
> > Dan
> >
> >
> > At 08:01 PM 8/25/2003 +0100, you wrote:
> > > --- Ormondtoby Montoya <ormondtoby@-----.net> wrote:
> > >
> > > > I worried all night about the proper phrase to describe what the
>tongue
> > > > does during articulation. The following comment may seem trivial,
>but
> > > > if an important concept isn't stated explicitly, then it can become a
> > > > non-trivial problem. My comment is:
> > > >
> > > > It is ***air pressure*** that closes the reed. It's true that
>the
> > > > tongue does "something" to quiet the reed's vibration, such that our
> > > > breath can do the rest. Whatever the correct name for this
>"something"
> > > > may be, we seldom see posts that state explicitly that our breath
> > > > provides the primary driving force. As obvious as this concept may
>be,
> > > > it needs saying.
> > >
> > >There are several difficulties here. The first is probably that you
>don't
> > >describe what you mean by 'articulation'. Is that as in a staccato
>passage?
> > >
> > > > It is ***air pressure*** that closes the reed.
> > >
> > >One has to ask: what do you mean by 'closing the reed'?
> > >
> > >You might mean that during a note, the reed closes against the mouthpiece
> > >during the cycle, and that's certainly driven by airpressure.
> > >
> > >But it's nothing to do with what the tongue does in staccato.
> > >
> > > > It's true that the tongue does "something" to quiet the reed's
> > > vibration, >
> > >such that our breath can do the rest.
> > >
> > >The tongue totally interrupts the reed's vibrations in staccato. The
> > >breath is
> > >what sustains the reed's vibrations.
> > >
> > > > In fact..... if I aimed my clarinet toward the ceiling and fingered
>all
> > > > the holes closed, and then someone poured water into my clarinet until
> > > > it was full to the bell. I wonder if I could stop the water from
>leaking
> > > > out the mouthpiece by tongue pressure on the reed alone? I doubt it.
> > > > It's our breath that does the major part of the work, and this needs
>to
> > > > be said explicitly.
> > >
> > >This is just a crazy model. It doesn't help in the least.
> > >
> > >Tony
> > >
> > >
> > >Want to chat instantly with your online friends? Get the FREE Yahoo!
> > >Messenger http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com/
> > >
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> >
> >
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>
>
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