Klarinet Archive - Posting 000004.txt from 2008/01

From: Jonathan Cohler <cohler@-----.org>
Subj: Re: [kl] Re: Legato Finger Motion
Date: Tue, 01 Jan 2008 13:12:47 -0500

Thanks, Margaret!

And Happy New Year to everyone on the list!!

May you all have health, happiness and good reeds in 2008!!

--Jonathan

At 9:38 AM -0800 1/1/08, Margaret Thornhill wrote:
>Well said, and nice to hear from you.
>
>BTW, I had hoped to send a graduating senior to audition for you
>this year, but his parents are insisting he stay on the west coast.
>
>Happy new year!
>
>Margaret
>
>
>
>Margaret Thornhill
>Artist/Teacher of Clarinet, Los Angeles
>http://www.margaretthornhill.com
>
>
>
>Jonathan Cohler wrote:
>>I agree with Margaret, but would qualify it a bit further.
>>
>>A good legato from one note to the next results when you have the following:
>>
>> (1) No space between the notes
>> (2) Equal loudness on the two notes
>> (3) Equal tone color (or as close to that as you can get)
>> (4) No extraneous noises at the beginning of the connected note
>>
>>Because the natural resistance (or impedance) of the instrument
>>changes from fingering to fingering, and because the loudness is a
>>function of both amplitude and frequency, it is necessary to change
>>the air pressure precisely when you change the fingering so that
>>the output sound is of constant loudness.
>>
>>So, for example, if you are going from a long fingering (high
>>impedance) to a short fingering (low impedance), you will have to
>>lessen the air pressure at the same moment that you lift your
>>fingers. Otherwise the upper note will pop out. Constant air
>>pressure (support) is one of the great myths of clarinet playing.
>>
>>When playing scalar passages the impedance doesn't change
>>dramatically from one note to the next (except at harmonic breaks),
>>so you don't have to think about a dramatic air pressure change,
>>but when making large skips this is absolutely essential.
>>
>>The finger placement issue is largely irrelevant, unless you are
>>slapping them so hard that they make significant noise (which would
>>fall under the prohibition in number (4) above).
>>
>>What is critical, however, to maintain (1) above is that the
>>fingers be perfectly coordinated to open/close the holes
>>simultaneously and at precisely the same time that the air pressure
>>is modified.
>>
>>To keep the tone color as close as possible, you use changes in the
>>shape of the oral cavity and appropriate choice of fingerings.
>>
>>That's about it....
>>
>>Happy New Year!!
>>
>>--Jonathan
>>
>>At 5:56 PM -0800 12/31/07, Margaret Thornhill wrote:
>>>Friends,
>>>
>>>This subject comes round about once a year--last year, sometime,
>>>Tony Pay and I pounded on this at length.
>>>
>>>With due respect to Mr. Hasty, Mr. Marcellus, Tony and all the
>>>other great clarinetists who brought this up, the secret of a
>>>great (even a good) legato is all in the breath.
>>>
>>>A beautiful legato is achievable by any clarinetist who can make a
>>>beautiful tone AND also sustain that tone from note to note
>>>throughout his scale--pop or no pop, slow fingers or no fingers.
>>>
>>>Happy new year to all---
>>>
>>>Margaret
>>>
>>>
>>>------------------------------------------------------------------

--
Jonathan Cohler
Artistic & General Director
International Woodwind Festival
http://iwwf.org/
cohler@-----.org

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