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Tonguing: I hate it.

Author: monopolova
Date: 2017-02-15 09:50

Hello all,

Newbie clarinetist here (if I even qualify as that). I'm 33 years old and just started afresh with the clarinet about 2 months ago. Things have been going well except now that I am trying to learn tonguing. I feel like this tonguing business is impeding the progress I was making on fingering. I think the frustrating part is that there is just so much discrepant information about what the "correct" technique is. For every piece of advice, one can easily find another piece to discredit it. Some people advocate tonguing under the reed. Some at the tip. Others from above with the bottom of the tongue from the roof of the mouth. Still others will say to just do what you need to do in order to make a good sound. Some say it's to start the sound. Some say it's to end the sound. I actually was doing well with tonging from the roof of my mouth and with the bottom of the tip of the tongue until I read someone say that this will only turn out badly in the long run and when looking to tongue faster in the future.

My tone is beautiful until I start tonguing. I get ugly "th" sounds and raspy rattling of the reed. I know -- I know: my embouchure must be moving. I can't figure out if my tongue is too big or if its my overbite or what. I can't imagine how someone invented tonguing to begin with. It seems so counter-intuitive to destroy the beautiful tone by introducing the tongue.

Anyway, I'm just looking for some idea as to how long it took others to learn this. I'm going to keep on trying, but I was nearly ready to quit tonight.

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