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Re: unhappy with throat tones

Author: allencole
Date: 2003-03-23 13:03

I for one can say that I AM happy with my throat tones, although my R13 has an extremely stuffy throat B-flat and low C#.

The solution for B-flat has been to adopt the side-key B-flat as my primary fingering for that note whenever possible. This is easier for some people than for others, but that's how I was taught as a teenager and it's worked well for me.

Resonance fingerings are so beneficial on B-flat and A that I consider them indispensible. They are not a pain once you get used to them. In fact, they provide additional stability when you're jumping back and forth across the break.

But the best thing I ever did for my throat tones was to get a Portnoy mouthpiece. The throat register is one of its best areas. However, it may not be up to snuff with a Pyne in some other areas. One of my students developed an extraordinarily good tone recently, and I found that her uncle had lent her a Portnoy. Some other people whose throat registers impress me appear to be using Pynes and Gigliottis.

Flexibility is also a great help. I have far better throat tones using #4 reeds than I ever did using #5's.

Any of these items may be helpful in improving throat tones, but the caveat is that every adjustment you make is a compromise. What brings improvement in one area may have negative effects in other areas.

Allen Cole

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