Four Concepts to Remember When Tonguing on the Clarinet

Four Concepts to Remember When Tonguing on the Clarinet by Mallory Tittle

This article was contributed by D'Addario. For more information, visit thewoodwindmethod.com.

Tonguing is one of the required fundamentals when playing a wind instrument. It's how wind players separate notes, like string players stopping their bow stroke to separate notes.

When tonguing on the clarinet, it is important to:

1. Keep the airstream CONSTANT. No matter if the tongue is on the reed or not, that should not affect the airstream. The airstream should be thought of like water coming out of a sink. The water is constantly flowing, like the airstream should always be constant. The tongue is only an interruption to the constant airstream.

2. The tongue movement is a RELEASE off the reed, not an ATTACK on the reed. Sound is produced when the tongue leaves the reed. The tongue comes back to the reed to stop the sound.

3. The tongue should touch the area below the tip of the reed. This area on the reed is the area that vibrates when we play (from the tip to the heart). If the tongue touches the direct tip of the reed, this will result in a sound that can be too "pecky." If the tongue touches the heart or below, there will not be any vibration which results in an unclear sound when tonguing.

4. The tongue position in your mouth should be high, like saying "ee." Tongue position is very important not with just tonguing, but with getting that ideal tone that you want. Another way to find this proper position is to hiss like a cat. This demonstrates the high tongue position, along with a fast airstream. With a proper tongue position, it makes concept 3 easier to achieve.