Klarinet Archive - Posting 000004.txt from 2008/03

From: John Dablin <jdablin@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Beethoven Octet
Date: Sun, 02 Mar 2008 17:14:55 -0500

Not many replies so far. Of course, people could be away for the=20
weekend, but it could also be because you've touched upon the Holy=20
Grail of clarinet playing, and it's just as elusive.

=46rom personal experience, and reading this list over a number of=20
years, I would say...

=2D even the best players don't really know for sure how their tongue=20
moves as they play.

=2D observations with X-rays and scanners suggest that what the player=20
thinks they are doing with their tongue isn't necessarily what=20
really happens.

=2D a teacher cannot see what the student is doing with their tongue,=20
neither can the student see the teacher's tongue, so teaching has=20
to rely on suggestion and metaphor. As a result, articulation, at=20
whatever speed, is ultimately something you have to learn for=20
yourself. Some are lucky and find a way, others aren't.

I'd like to speculate on why many of us find it so hard, and I'd be=20
delighted to elicit some comments:

Like any other muscle, the tongue can never move fast if it is=20
stiff. It needs to be completely relaxed and move the minimum=20
distance necessary. This is hard to achieve when the facial muscles=20
are being tensed to form the embouchure, so the first battle is to=20
learn to relax the tongue while playing.

I can hum "da-da-da-da-da-...." as fast as I like, so why can I not=20
tongue at that speed when playing? Two possible reasons come to=20
mind: to stop the read vibrating requires more pressure than just=20
saying 'da' on the roof of the mouth, so the tongue has to work=20
harder and stiffens up, or the position the tongue has to take to=20
meet the reed puts it into a less natural position, again making it=20
stiffer. As I said above, a stiff tongue can't move fast.

It's interesting that I cannot tongue as fast on higher notes (above=20
the stave) as I can on an open G, say. I believe this is because my=20
tongue changes position unconsciously as I go higher, and this=20
makes it harder to tongue on the tip of the reed.

I've forgotten where I read it, but someone observed that the tongue=20
cannot move fast back and forwards, but only up and down. I've been=20
experimenting on these lines recently, but so far nothing=20
has 'clicked'. I haven't given up hope, though.

Tonguing fast and evenly on a single note is one thing, but you also=20
have to co-ordinate the tongue with your finger movements, which is=20
another battle in itself.

Peter Hadcock in "The Working Clarinetist" said:

"I have found that most players can tongue initially at about the=20
same speed - sixteenth notes at quarter note =3D 138".

I would give my right leg (I need my right arm for the clarinet!) to=20
be able to tongue at that speed, let alone faster (I can just about=20
manage 120 as long as the notes aren't too high - see above). Like=20
many clarinettists at my level, the fact that I can't is very=20
frustrating.

Before I finish, there are a lot of valuable articles about clarinet=20
technique (including articulation and tonguing speed) on=20
woodwind.org, go to
<http://www.woodwind.org/clarinet/Study/index.html>.
Also, Sean Osborn has a lot of excellent advice on his website=20
<http://www.osbornmusic.com/> (click on "Educational").

Good luck, and enjoy the octet.

John Dablin
Aylesbury UK

On Sunday 02 March 2008 10:53, Benedict Lockwood wrote:
> Hi Folks,
>
> I have been asked to play first clarinet in the Beethoven Octet.
> A great honour and an exciting challenge.
>
> There is one bit that I can't quite get my head around. In the
> first movement at bar 154, the 1st clarinet has a run of 16ths.
> In the recording I have of Sabine Meyer's Ensemble, she tongues
> this very delicately and it sounds wonderful. However, no matter
> how hard I practice, I cannot get the tonguing fast enough.
>
> Are there any tricks to getting it working?
>
> Thanks for any advice
>
> Benedict
> Arlesheim, Switzerland
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