Klarinet Archive - Posting 000124.txt from 2008/04

From: "Susan Kundert" <ohsuzan@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Question about a problem
Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2008 23:20:39 -0400

Someone has already mentioned tonguing as a potential culprit -- I
would suggest that, too. I would also suggest that it has something do
with consistency of air pressure, and/or coordination of air support
and tonguing. If it he is playing to any extent "with the air" rather
than "on the air", he may not be keeping a consistent enough stream
while tonguing, with the result being these little chirps that you
describe. I think a problem in this area would become more pronounced,
or at least more apparent, in the higher reaches of the instrument,
where good breath support is critical. It helped me to think of
tonguing as a "release" of a continuing tone, rather than an
initiation of the tone.

Susan Kundert
Coshocton, OH

On Fri, Apr 25, 2008 at 3:41 PM, Gary Truesdail <gir@-----.net> wrote:
> In all my 20 years of professional playing and another 27 years of pro-bono
> fun playing I have run into a problem I have never before encountered. I'm
> hoping someone can give me some help.
>
> A year ago I started giving clarinet lessons to a high school junior -
> bright lad that wants to be an engineer and attend Cal-Poly. Recently he
> developed this problem.
>
> Problem: When playing above the staff he very frequently "chirps" most of
> the notes. Not quite an out of control squeak, but a "chirp". The reed
> looks and plays balanced side to side, changing reeds does not help,
> mouthpiece and reed combo works fine for me and I cannot duplicate the
> problem on his equipment. We have done throat exercises, vibrato exercises,
> more mouthpiece, less mouthpiece. The mouthpiece does not wiggle when I try
> to move it when he is playing and his teeth are not on the reed and we've
> tried pointing the chin, bunching the chin, thicker lip in contact with the
> reed, thin lip in contact with the reed.
>
> Don't know what to do at this point. Could it be support? It looks fine
> here but it is hard to tell visually.
>
> Gary Truesdail
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>

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