 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Jane
Date: 2000-03-09 23:47
My private instructor has told me to play with a focused sound. In order to play focused I am to have the back of my tongue high in my mouth. My band director wants me to play with a "fuzzy" sound, an open throat, and a low back tongue. My band director says with the focused sound I sound good upclose but far away I sound thin and with the "fuzzy" sound I sound bad upclose but good far away. What do I do? Do i learn to live with a fuzzy sound and sound good from a distance? Do I follow my private instructor and risk sounding thin? Or do I change depending on where I am playing and who I'm playing for?
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Author: Graham Elliott
Date: 2000-03-10 16:44
This is not an easy question because, in a sense there are two questions: the pure clarinet technical issue, and that can of worms concerning a conflict between the instructor and the band master. I am going to duck the second question and say something about the first.
I am firmly in the camp of the bandmaster. I prefer an open throat with the back of the tongue low in the mouth and the tongue fairly well forward in order to achieve that. This may produce the "fuzzy" sound (it is bound to be less focused and bright), but if so, it should sound good out in the auditorium. Concentrating on how you sound close up or in a small acoustic often leads to a disappointing performance in a larger acoustic from the listening point of the audience.
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Author: Graham Elliott
Date: 2000-03-10 16:46
Forgot to mention; don't chop and change depending who is listening.
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