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Tonguing altissimo

Author: Garth Libre
Date: 2013-06-07 22:45

Yesterday, while working on Rose etude #2 of the 32, I came across a stumbling block. When tonguing the D, E, F altissimo, the notes sounded with a mild but annoying thwwad sound like a laughing technique and not pretty. I decided to try to get a purer sound by doing an exercise I heard of where one slurs from clarion E to altissimo C# (by lifting the left hand F key - second register key) --- then clarion F to altissimo D, then clarion G to altissimo E, and clarion Ab to altissimo F. That went pretty well but it was a little harder to get the tongued jumps clean, natural and light, even though some of attempts went well even to do that. A few times I was even able to get quick clean tongues from altissimo D to E to F (required of Rose #2) and then the next time I tried it once again sounded like ugly horse laughs. Again I went from slurs to slow tongues to quicker with some success.

Today the tongued altissimo didn't go as well, and I can't remember exactly what I did the previous day to make it work. It seems I was thinking projecting high air but I don't even know what high air means. How do I teach myself how to do this and then repeat my successes for a constant improvement? How do I teach myself high air when I can't even picture what occurs when I'm able to do it?

It's possible I'm just tired today from practicing the altissimo so much yesterday. In any event, I still don't know what I'm trying to do and I need a better picture to focus on.

Garth, 305-981-4705. garthlibre@yahoo.com

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