Klarinet Archive - Posting 000008.txt from 2009/07

From: corvo di bassetto <rab@-----.de>
Subj: Re: [kl] question concerning tonguing (outside cheek)
Date: Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:31:50 -0400

Hello Kurt & altri,

thanks for the reply.
I know the tongue does not "strum" the reed, like a pizzicato,
because I am not touching the reed most of the time. Only in real
heavy "martellato secco" I would stop the reed with the tongue,
otherwise I tend to articulate the air stream on the palate just
behind the teeth, like actually saying "t" (retroflex). This allows
me to vary the intensity of staccato-portato and even in pure legato
passages I sometimes shape notes with just a hint of tongue (I
studied bel canto in my youth under a retired old-fashioned opera-
singer and still play the vocalise studies, like Concone, on the
clarinet. I don't feel I can approach the vocal articulation of real
bel canto on the clarinet any other way).
Anybody else on the list who shares this predilection?
Cause I have not come across any reference to it in any tutor, book,
method, non of my teachers or colleagues ever mentioned articulation
away from the reed, except for double or triple tonguing, where the
"k" of cause only blocks the air-stream for an instant.

Best regards,
danyel

On Jun 30, 2009, at 8:27 PM, kurtheisig@-----.net wrote:

> Danyel,
>
> The tongue itself does not start the air vibrating, but the air.
> The tongue releases the air.
>
> In a lesson in college with Clement Hutchinson, he was giving me an
> exercise from Arey, and telling me how to tongue. With trepidation
> I told him that it did not sound like that was what he was doing.
> He spent a few minutes tonguing and then told me that what he was
> actually doing was tonguing the top edge of the bevel at the end of
> the mouthpiece with the under side of the tip of his tongue. Clem
> was an amazing player, and taught beside Arey at Eastman in the
> late '30's.
>
> Kurt
>
> -----Original Message-----
>> From: corvo di bassetto <rab@-----.de>
>> Sent: Jun 30, 2009 6:11 AM
>> To: klarinet@-----.org
>> Subject: [kl] question concerning tonguing
>>
>> Dear colleagues,
>>
>> It appears that touching the reed with the tongue -- in single
>> tonguing any how --, is not only considered standard technique but
>> virtually the only possible one ever discussed in any book or taught
>> by any teacher -- or not?
>>
>> I was not successful in spotting any reference where a "t" on the
>> palate or any other single-tonguing technique that would not involve
>> touching the reed was ever referred to, except for the old "reed
>> above" school.
>>
>> Has there been a past thread on that issue?
>> To me it seems that playing portato can be made more delicate if I
>> don't actually touch the reed and have taught that over the years to
>> many students with pleasing results.
>>
>> Best wishes,
>> danyel
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
>

------------------------------------------------------------------