 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Jacob R
Date: 2023-06-26 12:08
So I have noticed something going on in my mouth. I have noticed my tongue is low or near from being flat while I play, which could be the reason why I have a spitty tone. I have also noticed that I produce A LOT of spit when I play compared to others. Any tips on how to fix these issues?
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Author: kdk
Date: 2023-06-26 17:47
Jacob R wrote:
> So I have noticed something going on in my mouth. I have
> noticed my tongue is low or near from being flat while I play,
> which could be the reason why I have a spitty tone. I have also
> noticed that I produce A LOT of spit when I play compared to
> others. Any tips on how to fix these issues?
Are you trying to conflate these issues, making the saliva production a result of your tongue position? If so, I'd say forget it. To the extent that either is a problem at all, they are separate.
You need to be a little careful about trying to "arch" your tongue. Often you don't really feel what's actually happening in your mouth. It may be flat, or it may only be the tip end that's low while the areas farther back are higher than you think. You can introduce unwanted tension by trying to change your tongue shape from the way it naturally forms. Don't go too far down that rabbit hole - if anything you try seems to be causing bad effects, leave your original position alone.
I'm intrigued by how you know that you "produce A LOT of spit when [you] play compared to others." I'm having trouble visualizing the form your comparison could take. If you find a lot of water running through your clarinet, it isn't so much spit as condensation that happens when warm breath hits a relatively cooler clarinet bore. Maybe your breath is more moisture-laden than others. I don't know that there's anything you can do except swab more often. If you're getting a lot of water (saliva and condensation) on the back or your reeds, wipe them off.
Karl
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Author: symphony1010
Date: 2023-06-26 18:18
The more conscious you are of excess saliva the more you create! Tension or anxiety may also increase saliva production. Try to avoid eating or drinking close to playing as we all naturally produce saliva at these times and it takes a while for the action to stop.
You should usually be conscious of the tongue being relaxed - trying to change its natural shape may result in tension and poor control of articulation, when required.
If you try saying 'keeee' with a very bright 'eeee' you will note that the back of the tongue reaches the palate. If you modulate that sound to sssssssss (hissing sound) you will notice the tongue drop away. Therefore it is the vocalisation or concept of vowel sounds that alters the tongue's shape rather than thinking of the tongue itself.
Many players talk of keeping an open throat but also of having the tongue close to the reed, ready for articulation. We are all different. I would explore where your tongue goes naturally as you perhaps try slow legato tonguing in each register as well as some long notes in each register.
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Author: SunnyDaze
Date: 2023-06-26 20:16
Hi Jacob,
I think that saliva production is quite a complicated thing. It altered in me post-covid, and I found out that it can be affected by apparently-unconnected things like acid reflux. I think it might be worth asking a medic about that.
I asked about it recently and they gave me this gadget below, which is meant to sort out the acid reflux, but is also meant to change the position of my tongue to be higher at the back. Apparently it's to do with strengthening all the muscles from mouth to the stomach. It sounds really weird, but I'm doing the exercises, and it's been okay.
https://www.iqoro.com/product/iqoro/
Jennifer
Adult learner, Grade 3
Equipment: Yamaha Custom CX Bb, Fobes 10K CF mp,
Legere Bb clarinet European Cut #2.5, Vandoren Optimum German Lig.
Post Edited (2023-06-26 20:18)
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Author: araclar
Date: 2023-06-28 08:19
It's important to point out here that you should not have to force your tongue into position in order to play clarinet; it should feel quite comfortable and without tension, though it may take some time for you to get used to the correct position.
It may help you to think about making contact with your top molars; if you say "ess" and notice where your tongue is touching your molars during the "e" part of that sound, that's roughly correct.
If your tongue is too low, the act of articulating may be somewhat of an upwards motion with the tip of your tongue, kind of like you're taking your hand and reaching up underneath something (tapping the bottom of a table with your fingertips, for example). Instead, you want to think about articulation more like a hinge motion with the tip of the tongue, like if you take your hand palm down and make a kind of shooing motion with your fingers. You should only need to move the tip of your tongue; if your tongue is touching your top molars, you should not feel it sliding against them when you articulate, because only the tip should be moving.
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