Page 44 - Bandworld Magazine 2015

Clarinet Multiple Articulation
by Robert Spring
Multiple articulation on single reed instruments, although done by virtuoso performers for many years, has only lately been consid- ered a necessity of advanced clarinet performance. The concept is easily learned, and aside from obvious articulation benefits, leads to good basic concepts such as throat relaxation and tongue place- ment on the reed and in the mouth. I’ve used this method with stu- dents as young as 9th grade up to my undergraduate and graduate students. It actually helps the single tongue a great deal!
Tongue placement is extremely important for successful multiple articulation. If the tip of the tongue is not touching the tip of the reed, multiple articulation is nearly impossible. To maintain the rocking motion required of the tongue, the front of the tongue must be in the front of the mouth touching the tip of the reed. “Anchor tonguing” (placing the tip of the tongue against the bottom front teeth and touching the reed in an area substantially behind the tip of the tongue), requires too much tongue motion for multiple ar- ticulation, especially in the upper register.
The double-tongue is produced by a “TEE-KEE” tongue motion; virtually the same motion used to produce multiple articulation on other woodwind instruments such as flute or instruments of the brass family. The “TEE” sound, produced by touching the tip of the tongue to the roof of the mouth, is modified by touching the tip of the tongue to the tip of the reed. The “K” sound is produced in the normal fashion, although the tongue must be higher and closer to the front of the mouth to produce the sound “KEE”. The tongue should normally be placed in the “EEE” position to create the characteristic tone quality and tonal focus needed on the clarinet. The clarinet requires a large amount of “throat” control and proper “voicing” to produce sound in the proper register. If the “KEE” syllable is allowed to relax to”KAH”, the upper register will be nearly impossible to produce while double-tonguing.
The study of multiple articulation should begin by working with- out the instrument, simply pronouncing the syllables recommend- ed above. Since multiple articulation is normally used at a faster tempo that single articulation, it is recommended that the perform- er not attempt to produce the multiple tongue at a slow tempo. The sounds should be produced no slower than one can single-tongue.
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A tempo of at least 120 per quarter note is recommended as most advanced players articulate sixteenths at at least 112 per quarter note. A metronome is recommended for use during all multiple tongue work. Actual sounds are not produced since the vocal cords are not used. The air is directed in the mouth by the tongue as if these sounds were being produced.
Daily practice should be done on the above work without the mouthpiece until the “syllables” can be produced consistently in strict rhythm with the metronome. Rhythms such as those found in Examples 1 and 2 are helpful. The lips should be relaxed and the air used sufficient to blow the lips “out.” There is a tendency to use far less air on “KEE” than “TEE,” creating a weak or “lop- sided” sounding articulation. By blowing the lips “out” by the force of the air, the air will be sufficient enough to make the sound production with the mouthpiece inserted in the mouth. Only af- ter this can be consistently achieved should the mouthpiece-barrel combination be used.
With the mouthpiece-barrel combination inserted in the mouth the “TEE-KEE” sound production should continue. No attempt should yet be made to form the embouchure firmly around the mouthpiece. The elimination of certain factors during the learning process allows concentration on one factor of the double-tongue at a time. Make certain the tip of the tongue now moves to touch the tip of the reed, not the roof of the mouth. The same exer- cises used above (see Examples 1 and 2) should be repeated at this point. Again, there should be no attempt to produce sound, simply maintain the air speed used before the mouthpiece was placed in the mouth.
A problem associated with multiple tonguing is the production of the “KEE” sound with the mouthpiece in the mouth. Many peda- gogical methods recommend the practice of rhythmic patterns us- ing only the “KEE” sound with a metronome. While this does relax the tongue in the back of the mouth and train its motion, it can be overdone with the end result the placement of the tongue in the “KAH” position. As stated above, the tongue must remain in the “KEE” position for the upper registers of the clarinet to sound. Some rhythmic patterns to train the “K” syllable can be helpful. Rhythmic patterns suggested in Examples 1 and 2 are effective.
When the exercises mentioned above can be “played” accurately and securely with the mouthpiece in the mouth, lips should gradu- ally tighten around the mouthpiece. With sufficient air pressure, multiple articulation will be produced.
It is important to keep the tempo of the multiple articulation fast enough to justify its use. As was stated earlier, multiple articula- tion should be used at a tempo too rapid for the single tongue. A tempo of at least that at which one can no longer single tongue should be used, at least sixteenth notes at a quarter note = 120.
When the sound using the mouthpiece-barrel combination is rhyth- mically accurate and clean, the remainder of the instrument should be added. Begin with open “G.” The following rhythms, (see Ex-
“I want to thank you again for such an amazing experience. . .and how much you touch people,”
Robert Spring ABC 2015