 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Dave Renaud
Date: 1999-05-14 17:14
It amazing how things can sneek in a fool ourselves
for a long long time, or is it just me?
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Something just "clicked" for me as described below.
Very fast clean tounging has always been a weakness for me.
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I would be very curious to se a quick survey
if people would be willing to post what is their
upper limit of comfort for tempo tounging 16th's. And indicate what stage of study they are at, pre-university, university, masters, pro commercial or symphonic etc.
Single tounge only.
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I think I've been cheating on tonguing for a long time,
going beyond the tip slightly to the backside-backedge of the tongue.
I normally begin struggling with sixteenths at about
140 and fight for but never quite make 160.
The last page of Dances of Kodally is 160, and have
never been able to play it without sluring alot.
Upon playing with placement the results are immediate
and dramatic.
Well 160 seems relatively easy and sustainable,
compared with what I'm use to.
184 possible.
With one slurs every eight I was doing 200.
Improves tone also.
Tongue tip high enough to use back edge disturbed air column masking tone.
Much less of a battle now, been working much too hard.
Feels good.
Cheers
Dave Renaud
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Author: stuart
Date: 1999-05-14 22:19
Dear Dave,
I anchored tongued till I was 17 then switched to the very tip. I didn't get faster but my articulation got neater, and I could eventualy do all different styles of legato and sub tone. Since I quit playing classical music (about 2 years ago) I don't practice articulation and my speed and control have diminished some. If I could tongue 16ths at 140 I'd wear a shirt that says "#1".
My clarinet teacher in college gave me some wonderful articulation exercises I'd be happy to send you, uh, if I can find them. She also made me study (Ah!) Regineld Kell's Staccato (I can't even spell it anymore) Studies. They were helpful.
What it all breaks down to is AIRSTREAM. THE WIND. The brilliant Saxophonist Steve Lacy said something like : Your breath, your sound, your voice, and your listening are all one. This gets more true every moment I spend with the horn. If your tongue is poise and lite, the air flows in a small, fast airstream that lets you articulate most evenly. At least I remember it that way. Now I'm interested in finding my own way. Seeya- Stuart
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Author: Tim2
Date: 1999-05-15 00:50
By golly, I can't come close to that 160 or even 140. I was a clarinet major in education back in the 70's.
It depends on my reed. A stiffer reed slows reaction time, there's more ot support. On a less stiff reed, I can get over 100 but not much more than that. Slur 2 tongue two, 120 or so.
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Author: josiah
Date: 1999-05-15 06:36
Speaking of tonguing....It's a bit off the subject but the other day I heard a recording of some college clarinet prof. playing flight of the bumble be full speed ahead Tonguing every note!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!! And it actually sounded really good!!! I'm obviously not nearly that close(even if it was double tonguing)maybe some day?
just thought I'd mention that!
Ciao
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 1999-05-15 13:46
josiah wrote:
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Speaking of tonguing....It's a bit off the subject but the other day I heard a recording of some college clarinet prof. playing flight of the bumble be full speed ahead Tonguing every note!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!! And it actually sounded really good!!!
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That was probably Bob Spring (mentioned in another posting) from Dragon's Tongue. Bob can really tongue fast, and gives a good lecture. Controlling the tone at those speeds is hard, though. At a certain point it starts sounding like an accordion.
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Author: Joanne
Date: 1999-05-20 05:09
Once I realized that tounging has more to do with airflow than with the toungue, my speed, clarity and coordination with the fingers inproved dramatically.
I find if I concentrate on the tounging my fingers and toungue get tense and my tone is more constrained. I have to pay attention to the airflow, imagining a constant airstream from the diaphragm right out the end of the horn, relax the throat, and just allow my toungue to bounce along on the air.
Warming up with #4 of Rose's 32 etudes always helps.
Joanne
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