The Clarinet BBoard

Re: tounge technique

Author: ThatPerfectReed  Date:   2014-01-27 01:30 Okay..I'll field this and risk it being posed by someone rhetorically for all the double entendre that a title like “Tonhue Technique” might furnish. Gazster: let me presume you to be the beginner you claim to be. That said, there’s probably as many ways of classifying music as there is music itself. One such metric deals with the degree of separation or silence between the notes. Where one note merges into the next with [near] no sound reduction we refer to the music as legato. Conversely, notes with pauses between them, however brief, is referred to as staccato. And while these 2 words are pretty much antonyms for one another, do note that staccato play runs a very wide spectrum of different kinds of music, where the speed of the notes, and the pause between them can make them more or less like legato play. To play things staccato on the clarinet one must prevent sound, however so briefly, from emanating from the clarinet. There are several ways to do this, including simply stopping one’s breath into the instrument, and/or preventing the reed from vibrating. In most circumstances, while in the middle of playing clarinet music, it is the prevention of the reed from vibrating that turns out the most effective way of preventing the production of sound. This has shown to be the fastest and smoothest way clarinet players place space between notes. When first learning clarinet, this prevention of the reed from vibrating comes by placing the tip of the tongue on the tip of the reed, and then removing the tip of the tongue from the reed to resume play. With many years of advanced training , other methods of achieving staccato play, from techniques like double tonguing to control of the air escaping the mouth, vis a vis the diaphragm, are also sometimes incorporated. Clarinet, unlike say Trumpet, is an instrument where far fewer of its players use techniques like double tonguing. Reasons why are too advanced for discussion here. I hope this helps as a primer. I'll leave it to other contributors to highlight other ways, likely comical, for preventing sound from leaving the instrument. Gunshots, the burning of one's clarinet, approaching the player with a large knife, etc., are technically also other ways (if not insane ones) of getting the instrumentalist to stop playing.

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Re: tounge technique

Author: muppie  Date:   2014-01-27 00:08 I'd like to hear what other people would recommend for your 1st clarinet to get.... but I'd also like to share my own experience. I'm also a beginner clarinet player, having received my first clarinet at the end of December 2013. I decided to buy a Buffet E12F. That was the start of my discovery of Clarinet.... before that, I didn't know that the reeds + mouthpiece combination is probably one of the most important part of the clarinet. You would think - just get a clarinet,... how hard can it be, right? Just like a piano, you buy one and start pressing keys.. it'll make sound right? well.. that's not my experience with Clarinet. If you used a bad reed (and most of them are not good out of the box) you'd really struggle to make a decent sound. If you used the wrong strength reed, you'll sound mostly breathy. You'll then learn about reed finishing.... but save that for later You'll then ditch the "stock" mouthpiece and start looking at "better" mouthpieces to use.... Oh... I forgot to mention ligatures... the stock ligature is also not great. I was surprised to find how BIG of a difference a good ligature can make. Anyway.... as I said, I bought a Buffet E12F (costs $1450) at the end of December... and now, less than a month later, I'm waiting for the delivery of another clarinet. My next clarinet is Ridenour Lyrique Libertas. Based on my "google" research, it seems like the best option for me without spending $3000 - $8000. Anyway, you'll do your own research and come to your own conclusion.... I don't want to bore you too much with every little detail/reason. I am still at the very early start of my Clarinet journey. And.. I haven't even mentioned about using different barrells and bells.... but I hope my Ridenour Lyrique will come with excellent bell / barrell / mouthpiece (all there) without me having to buy any more extra stuff. Oh BTW if you are going to get a ridenour clarinet, you'll need to buy a ligature separately because it doesn't come with one. This makes perfect sense though. I am very much in love with the Clarinet though. I really like the sound of it, but hate how hard it is for me to produce it nicely. Good luck!

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