Author: clarinetguy ★2017
Date: 2011-04-16 05:46
As a clarinet player since 1964, I have never used anchor tonguing. It's probably safe to say that most clarinet players today regard this method as completely wrong. In a recent article about clarinet tonguing in the Instrumentalist magazine, the writer had nothing good to say about it.
I have never taught anchor tonguing to any student. Having said that, it's important to recognize that everyone's tongue is different. There are some who have limited tongue flexibility. There are others who have very long tongues. If there is someone who after a lot of effort just cannot tongue in the traditional tip-to-tip way, it might be worth giving anchor tonguing a try.
Many years ago, I studied with Keith Stein. He never discussed anchor tonguing with me, but in his "Art of Clarinet Playing," he does mention it. If this is what you're currently doing and would like to learn more about it, his book does discuss it in some depth. According to Stein, "the French school of playing has successfully incorporated the mid-tongue method to take care of the 'long tongue' problem." (p. 23) I have never heard this from anyone else, but I'll take Stein at his word.
Stein's longtime pupil, David Pino, also discusses anchor tonguing in his book, "The Clarinet and Clarinet Playing." Pino doesn't exactly advocate anchor tonguing, but he doesn't dismiss it either. He mentions it as a solution for those " . . . who have great difficulties using the tip of the tongue on the tip of the reed." (p. 85)
I've never met Howard Klug, but it doesn't appear that he disapproves of anchor tonguing either. Here's a link:
http://music.unt.edu/clarinet/PDF/tipsForTonguing.pdf
On one point he appears to differ from Stein. Klug approves of it if the end of the tongue is anchored "at the base of the bottom teeth," but he disapproves if the tongue is anchored on the lip (although he doesn't say where on the lip). In contrast, Stein discusses a couple alternate methods of anchor tonguing in which the tongue tip or the underside of the tongue tip is placed on the lower lip membrane.
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