Klarinet Archive - Posting 000766.txt from 2003/08

From: "Antoine T. Clark" <trioarioso@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] RE: Articulation problems
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2003 18:37:19 -0400

Well Put!!!! Neil
----- Original Message -----
From: "Neil Leupold" <leupold_1@-----.com>
Subject: Re: [kl] RE: Articulation problems

> This is not meant to come across as critical or invalidating, but what you
describe below has the
> flavor of something self-taught. In and of itself, that's neither
positive nor negative, but the
> pseudo-anchor-tongue technique is inherently limited, despite the
likelihood that it feels
> comfortable and may produce desirable results within a finite range of
contexts.
>
> You suggest that one's aim might be to begin a note with a minimum of
excessive noise and with
> consistency, particularly in the high range. That's a useful starting
point in one's
> developmental process, but achieving such a goal ought not constitute a
point of arrival or a
> plateau upon which a player should rest in his growth relative to
articulation technique. At
> least, it can't do so if the player desires to maximize his ability to
perform every manner of
> articulation within a very broad spectrum of technique -- from the
lightest, most connected
> legato, begun with but a whisper of air at ultra-soft dynamics...to
sledge-hammer pounding
> eardrum-puncturing staccato at speeds in excess of quarter note = 180 --
and everything bounded by
> these extremes.
>
> 300 years of playing & refinement of technique have determined that an
approximation of tip-to-tip
> is the most efficient and effective manner for ultimately assuring
consummate facility /
> flexibility of articulation technique. Some people play exactly
tip-to-tip. Others play with a
> contact point a millimeter or two back from the tip (toward the bottom),
and others have a contact
> point slightly back from the tip, but toward the *top* of the tongue. The
unifying element in
> this case is the area of the tongue making contact, plus (conseqeuently)
the minimization of
> motion ... of the majority of the tongue muscle ... beyond the tip region
itself. Utilizing areas
> of the tongue further back than this localized point of contact involves a
much larger proportion
> of the muscle than usual. Doing so places a limit on one's ability to
develop relaxation in that
> muscle. Fine (as opposed to coarse) motor control is the direction in
which development is
> ideally guided. It is the reduction of overall motion of the muscle and,
consequently, the
> development of articulation technique based upon physical relaxation *of*
that muscle, that
> results in the ability to generate the full conceivable range of
articulation style on command.
>
> Because the tongue is involved in much more than merely the initiation and
interruption of sound,
> it is critical that articulation technique be developed in such a way that
its other needed
> functions are still available to the player. The tongue is closely
involved in focusing the air
> stream. Since air focus is critical to sound quality and to the connected
transition of sound
> from one note to the next, articulation can't be learned in a way that
places limitations on one's
> ability to manipulate -- in very small increments of distance and
contour -- the shape and
> position of the tongue while maintaining a relaxed physical state of the
muscle. With students in
> the past (I no longer have time to teach), I've begun articulation studies
by discussing (1) air
> focus, (2) muscle relaxation, and (3) tongue position/contour *first*,
rather than directing
> attention immediately to the finer points of where the tongue best makes
contact with the reed.
> The latter issue surfaces within the same conversation, but the emphasis
is on ensuring that air
> focus and continuity of sound are retained while conditioning the muscle
to relax and approximate
> the tip-to-tip effect. When a student approaches articulation from the
standpoint of ensuring
> that proper air focus and the ability to voice notes is never
sacrificed -- while patiently
> developing speed and sensitivity at the tip -- I'm confident that speed
and sensitivity will
> become an extension of their integrated technique, rather than a discrete
element among separate
> techniques in figurative battle with each other.
>
> 'Have to pause and hit the rails (train rails, that is).
>
> Neil
>
>
> --- Dan Sutherland <dan.sutherland@-----.net> wrote:
> > 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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