Author: Chris P
Date: 2011-10-25 16:09
Think of your airway as a hosepipe connected to a tap with the water flowing at full rate. Now close the end of the hosepipe with your thumb to stop the flow of water and when you release it, the water flows at full rate again. That's what your tongue is doing - stopping and then restarting the flow of air, so you have to have your airway primed from your lungs right to your mouth and your tongue is acting like a valve to release and stop the flow of air into the instrument.
Now, if the tap is turned off and on, the flow of water will fizzle out and then take time to flow at full rate each time as it isn't primed (the water isn't at maximum pressure in the hose), so if you're breathing out as you tongue with every note, there'll be a delay before the note speaks as the air pressure to set the reed in vibration isn't at the mouthpiece where it's needed - it has to travel from your lungs to get there and that takes time.
Even with the quietest notes you still need a full supply of air (breath support) in order for them to speak, but you'll have to control the volume by the amount of air flow.
I'm probably complicating things a bit now, but when you breathe, it has to be deep instead of shallow, so breathe from your stomach instead from your chest and don't raise your shoulders up when you breathe in. This also helps your tone quality as you'll have more breath support to allow you to play at all volume levels with a good full tone instead of a narrow dynamic range with a thin weak tone.
When people go on about 'breathing from your diaphragm', that's a myth as your diaphragm is an involuntary muscle sheet that separates your thoracic cavity (heart and lungs) from your abdominal cavity (stomach, liver, intestines, etc.) and when you breathe in, your belly (as opposed to your stomach which is under your left ribs) distends to increase your lung capacity. Then tensing your abdominal muscles (running down the front of your belly) while breathing out will expel a large amount of air. That tense belly feeling is the feeling you should have when playing, but you're not pulling or sucking your belly in.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
Independent Woodwind Repair Specialist
Oboes, Clarinets and Saxes
NOT A MEMBER OF N.A.M.I.R.
The opinions I express are my own.
|
|
The Clarinet BBoard
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
