 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Jess
Date: 2002-10-26 17:16
I am a high school musician and my technique is developing fairly nicely, but my ability to tounge as fast as my fingers can move is far behind. I really need to work on this to perfect my scales, and solo and ensemble playing. I would apreciate any suggestions on how to practice tounging and tounge faster. thank oyu
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Author: GBK
Date: 2002-10-26 17:46
"...I would apreciate any suggestions on how to practice tounging and tounge faster..."
Materials needed:
1. proper set up (mouthpiece/reed combo)
2. any exercise book with tonguing studies (Kell, Baermann, Langenus, Klose, Stark, etc...)
3. metronome
Time needed:
minimum 20 minutes a day - <b>every day</b>
Outside reading:
1. the archives of this bulletin board
2. Bonade compendium, or any other major clarinet text to recheck the fundamentals
Supervision:
private instructor (not required, but immensely helpful for monitoring/inspiring progress)
Chart your progress - <b>after 6 months</b>, you will start to see the first differences in your speed.
Final thought: Everyone has an inherent finite point of progress. Eventually you will "hit the wall" and not be able to go any faster.
Work hard (every day) to sustain that final speed.
Need faster tonguing than that? investigate double tonguing...GBK
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2002-10-26 20:26
I second the metronome idea. I really ought to get one myself. Can't afford to though. :-( Funny how I can afford to get my upper keys corked, get a new gigliotti mouthpiece, but can't afford a metronome or tuner. Oh well. One day . . . .
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Author: Lee
Date: 2002-10-26 20:50
Keep this in mind: As the great clarinet teacher leon russianoff always said, your greatest weakness will be your greatest asset.
GOOD LUCK!
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Author: Abby
Date: 2002-10-26 21:02
My favorite exercise for tonguing (I like to do it in my warm-up) is Burst of Speed. You put on your metronome to the speed at which you can do this cleanly---
1. Go up a C Major scale, tonguing 5 sixteenth notes (one beat plus the next downbeat). Then click down two metronome markings and do the same thing, this time with 2 beats plus a downbeat (9-16th's). Click down again, and do 3 beats plus a downbeat (13-16th notes).
You can also do this chromatically through the whole range---it's good to vary it. If you do that, you may not go through as many of them (maybe just the one beat).
Also, it's really important to stop between pitches. So, you'll go, "to to to to to [rest for a few beats---even take the clarinet out of your mouth & reset once and awhile]...to to to to to"
It works really well for me (late college) in making my tonguing consistent, and it's worked well for my students (junior high & high school), too.
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Author: Laura
Date: 2002-10-26 21:23
Make sure to tongue the reed in the same place every time and keep the movement of your tongue minimal--only the tip of the tongue moves. I practice scales with a metronome. Start off slow and make sure they all sound the same--same length, good sound, etc. After you are comfortable with that speed, turn the notch on the metronome up one. Do that speed until your are comfortable, then turn up the notch. Continue doing that. This takes a long time to get. Don't expect it to happen right away. And remember, be patient.
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Author: jez
Date: 2002-10-26 22:14
I have a theory that while the speed of the tongue seems the problem, it is really stamina that needs working on.
I practice repeated notes, always as fast as possible, and gradually build up the numbers.
Start with just 2 notes as close together as possible. Put an accent on the 2nd one to start with (this seems more natural) Then accent the 1st.
3 notes accenting 1st, 2nd then 3rd.
From 4 notes upwards you can either think of groups of 4 16ths, or groups of 3 eighths as in 6/8 or 9/8 time, putting the accent on each note, so it takes a while to get through all the available groups.
If you have the patience to get up to 9 or 10 notes, doing all the possible permutations, and you're still going as fast as you were with just 2 you'll soon notice a difference.
jez
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Author: Tim2
Date: 2002-10-26 22:14
Everyone has told you very good things to do. It's quite a bit to pay attention to.
The most important thing, in my opinion is the steady execution of the tongued noted that you do <b>with the metronome, with the metronome, with the metronome</b>. Should I say it again?
A metronome works so well because it keeps you at a steady pace, training your tongue to be steady in its articulation of the notes.
When you practice, practice tonguing a scale, either an easy one or one more difficult. Set the metronome at a tempo where you can <b>easily</b> articulate each of the notes. After 30 seconds to a minute at that original tempo, move the metronome up a notch. Take a break of 30 seconds to a minute to rest your tongue and embouchure. Let the metronome tick while you rest.
After resting, do the same exercise at the new tempo. Then take a break, up the tempo another notch, then do the exercise, then take a break, up the tempo another notch, then do the exercise........
Don't let yourself get sloppy in your articulation. Always strive for absolutely clean tonguing.
When you reach you maximum speed for the day, enjoy it. Keep a diary of your beginning and ending tempos each day.
Some work with short little spurts of five notes, nine notes and so on like Abby talks about. This is a good idea! It gives your tongue time to rest in between short spurts of clean articulation. 1-e-&-a-2 1-e-&-a-2 and so on. Clean and steady tonguing is what you want.
You will see your fastest tempo increase each day. There may be day when it reamins the same or even slows a bit, but over a period of time, which could very well be short than GBK's six months, you <b>will</b> hit what may be your maximum speed for a while.
To keep up your speed, you must practice consistantly every day.
Tons of information on tonguing on this site. Do a search.
Good luck to you in your work.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2002-10-27 04:04
THANK YOU Henry! I do practice by this computer! You saved me some money! Thanks!
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