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Re: Professional clarinetists And tonging help!

Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-09-26 15:08

Listening is great advice. You DO need to hear them live as well because recordings will NOT give you the true idea of depth and resonance of a really good sound. Go hear your nearest and best orchestra. Try to sit as close as possible to them and really listen to the clarinetists. The best scenario to get a real good idea though is to either take lessons from a fine player and have her/him play a little next to you. It is an hear opener to have that sound right there and hear what that's like. Or sit in on a master class at a nearby university and listen not only to the students but the examples as played by the instructor.

NOW........

Listening only gets you to - wow that sounds great, now how do I do that? This is where the lessons with the fine player come in. Of course my thought on the matter is that AIR is the single most important factor in producing a good sound. To my mind you must achieve a minimum threshold of air pressure in the oral cavity to achieve good resonance (even at the lowest pianissimo). It's kinda like a bicycle inner tube. Releasing the tongue off the reed is much like pressing the valve on the inner tube. The air is already there, and ready to go.

You produce this air by pushing from your core (engaging the abdominal muscles), it flows freely passed the voice box (no stopping of air here please - only from core for the long notes), ideally leave the tongue relaxed or in the shape as if you are saying the sound "EEEE," and finally you tongue (speaking of tonguing) with the tip of your tongue to the tip of the reed (which focuses the air right to the very tip of the reed/mouthpiece).

As for tonguing it is helpful to remember (and practice) the basics. You are ONLY damping the sound with your tongue. An attack is actually the RELEASE of the tongue from the reed. The 'hammer' (if you will) of the 'attack' is done with the AIR.

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

Post Edited (2014-09-27 04:31)

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