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Tongue Position

Author: Agomongo
Date: 2016-02-08 04:51

So I know that we're suppose to have a high E and raise the tongue etc. etc.

I remember getting a lesson from a teacher and he said, "Get your mouthpiece and barrel. If your tongue position is correct you'll get a concert F# that's slightly flat on the piano, but make sure your embouchure is correct and you're blowing consistent fast air." I then looked at the Midwest clinic paper and they said that the F# should be in tune.

I also got a test to play middle C to upper G then lower altissimo E, but using the side G#/Ab key.

These two tests gave me, and told me to do, completely different things. The barrel and mouthpiece test put my tongue lower than the C to G then E test. And the C-G-E test gave me better intonation.

When I did the B+MP tongue position I played the lower altissimo notes and they were EXTREMELY flat. I feel like the B+MP thing isn't correct. If anything I would've said, "The barrel and mouthpiece should give you a concert F# around 20-30 cents sharp." Because when I do it with just the B+MP (which gives me the same tongue positioning as the C-G-E test):
1. stick my tongue out as far as possible (so that the way back of the tongue touches my molars and NOT the part of the tongue 3/4's back)
2. my whole tongue is raised (not just the back of the tongue)
3. the tip of the tongue is as close as possible to the tip of the reed

Now of course everyone holds the clarinet angle in different in angles, but I feel like this would be a better general guideline. Does anyone else find that the B+MP trick doesn't work? How do you teach clarinet tongue position?

Post Edited (2016-02-08 05:02)

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Tongue Position new

Agomongo

2016-02-08 04:51