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How do I avoid making a "spitting noise" when tonguing?

Author: muppie
Date: 2014-02-26 15:13

When I tongue, invariably I hear this "spitting noise" at the beginning of the note, however soft it may be. How can I avoid it? I tried touching the tip of the reed with the tip of my tongue as gently as I could whilst still stopping the noise, but it seems very tricky not to create this noise. Any tips would be much appreciated! Thanks

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Re: How do I avoid making a "spitting noise" when tonguing?

Author: bmcgar ★2017
Date: 2014-02-26 20:17

The first question to ask is if anyone other than you hear it.

If not, don't be concerned about it. Many things that the player hears cannot be heard by listeners more than a foot or two away.

Much of what you hear may result from "conduction" in your face, tongue, and sinuses.

B.

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Re: How do I avoid making a "spitting noise" when tonguing?

Author: kdk
Date: 2014-02-26 23:13

An important question also is, can you begin a note cleanly (no noise preceding the tone) without any tongue action at all? The embouchure and air stream have to be able to produce a tone with a clean start - in other words the reed needs to begin vibrating without extra garbage sounds as it starts with or without using the tongue. The first "attack" with the tongue is basically accomplished by holding the reed with your tongue, starting the air and then releasing the reed by removing your tongue from contact. That tends to happen very fast and we think of it as one act - a "tongued attack." Subsequent notes in an articulated passage are likewise begun by releasing the reed with the tongue. But if when you release the reed it doesn't immediately start to vibrate, you get extraneous noises until the note begins.

Or, you could have a collection of saliva and condensate on the back of the reed. Wipe it off and try again.

Karl

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Re: How do I avoid making a "spitting noise" when tonguing?

Author: ThatPerfectReed
Date: 2014-02-27 00:45

What Karl said is spot on. Until we know if moisture based sound, if any, happens when you don't tongue (i.e. "tah") a note at its start, we won't know if your tongue is the culprit, and whether focusing on your tonguing is time usefully spent.

Work with a moist but not dripping wet reed in a relatively dry mouthpiece that you recently started playing your practice session with.

Report back here on your findings, or better yet, as stated above, on other people's findings as it relates to your sound. That will give a better indication hopefully on what direction to move forward in.

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Re: How do I avoid making a "spitting noise" when tonguing?

Author: bmcgar ★2017
Date: 2014-02-27 01:08

Try the simplest thing first.

B.

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Re: How do I avoid making a

Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-02-27 01:09

I think it is quite common to get a little excess moisture built up there after a few minutes (or with a little too much gusto shoving some saliva up into this narrow apperture). Easy fix, just execute a quick sucking maneuver of the tip of the mouthpiece to get this blot out..........and proceed saliva free.

................Paul Aviles

Post Edited (2014-02-27 01:09)

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Re: How do I avoid making a "spitting noise" when tonguing?

Author: muppie
Date: 2014-02-27 09:07

Thanks for all the tips. They've all been very helpful. I managed to minimise / eliminate this spitting noise. Not quite sure what it was, perhaps a combination of everything said above.

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