- In clarinet playing, the state of the inside of the mouth greatly affects tone quality. By properly controlling the tongue position, you can focus the airstream and achieve a resonant tone. The tongue is the only movable part inside the mouth, and finding the optimal tongue position for the clarinet to resonate efficiently is a crucial point.
- By raising the tongue into an arch shape and using the "hee" syllable formation to blow, a cool, fast airstream is produced, enabling efficient resonance. Bring the tongue up to a position where it nearly touches the upper back molars and lower the tip, creating a shape that produces a resonant, focused tone. Conversely, using a "hoh" formation produces a completely different air pressure with the same volume of air, so blowing with the tongue in the "hee" position is essential.
- When the airstream is too broad, the tone quality spreads out, so properly focusing the airstream is important. By combining this with pushing the lower teeth forward and pulling them slightly to the sides, you can play the clarinet skillfully. Since air enters the clarinet downward, controlling the direction of the airstream is the key to achieving a resonant tone.
In clarinet playing, there are many explanations about the outer aspects of the embouchure. Many of you have likely heard instructions such as not moving a certain area or keeping a certain part flat. However, what is happening inside the mouth is actually rarely explained. For efficient resonance, the state of the inside of the mouth, particularly the tongue position, plays an important role. This article provides a detailed explanation of how to control the inside of the mouth during clarinet playing, especially tongue positioning and airstream direction, moving from concept to physical sensation. The tongue is the only movable part inside the mouth, and properly controlling its position is the key to achieving a resonant tone.
Inside the Clarinet Embouchure: The Movable Part Inside the Mouth
In clarinet playing, what part inside the mouth can you move? That is the tongue. Finding the optimal tongue position for the clarinet to resonate efficiently while playing may seem like a difficult topic at first glance, but it actually is not. Air enters the clarinet downward. When the airstream is too broad, the tone quality spreads out significantly. Up close the sound may seem loud, but this does not produce good resonance in a concert hall. By properly focusing the airstream, you can produce a resonant, focused tone. In this way, controlling the state of the inside of the mouth, particularly the tongue position, is the key to achieving a resonant tone on the clarinet.
Raising the Tongue into an Arch Shape: The "Hee" Syllable Formation
To focus the airstream, raise your tongue. Raise it to the point where it nearly touches the upper back molars, creating an arch shape. American players refer to this as an arch shape — you raise the tongue and then lower the tip. In other words, it is the shape you make when saying "hee". When you say "hee," your tongue will likely touch the upper back molars. If you hold your hand in front of your mouth, you will feel a cool, fast airstream. Conversely, if you say "hoh," the air pressure is completely different even with the same volume of air. By blowing with the tongue in the "hee" position, a resonant, focused tone is produced. This method establishes the airstream direction and allows the clarinet to resonate efficiently.
Causes and Solutions
This section provides a detailed explanation of the causes behind common problems in clarinet playing — such as not producing a resonant tone or having the tone quality spread out — and their solutions. We will introduce specific approaches to solving issues such as the airstream being too broad and unfocused, improper tongue positioning, and lack of airstream directionality. By understanding these problems and practicing the appropriate solutions, you can achieve a resonant tone. In particular, by controlling the state of the inside of the mouth, you can focus the airstream and produce an efficiently resonant tone.
Problem 1: The Tone Quality Spreads Out Because the Airstream Is Too Broad
In clarinet playing, when the airstream is too broad, the tone quality spreads out significantly. Up close the sound may seem loud, but this does not produce good resonance in a concert hall. It is important to properly focus the airstream. Conversely, with an "oh" formation, the upper register tends to sag, so focusing the airstream is necessary to achieve a resonant tone. As a solution, by blowing with the tongue in the "hee" position, you can focus the airstream. Create an arch shape by raising the tongue and bring it to a position near the upper back molars. By lowering the tip and blowing with the "hee" formation, a resonant, focused tone is produced.
Problem 2: Improper Tongue Positioning
In clarinet playing, finding the optimal tongue position for the clarinet to resonate efficiently is a crucial point. When the tongue position is not correct, the airstream direction becomes undefined and the tone quality spreads out. As a solution, create an arch shape by raising the tongue. Bring it to a position near the upper back molars and lower the tip. This is the shape you make when saying "hee". When you say "hee," your tongue touches the upper back molars. By bringing the tongue to this position, a cool, fast airstream is produced, and the clarinet resonates efficiently.
Problem 3: Lack of Airstream Directionality
In clarinet playing, air enters the clarinet downward. However, when the airstream direction is undefined, the tone quality spreads out. In particular, when the airstream is too broad, the tone quality spreads out significantly, so controlling the airstream direction is important. As a solution, combine the "hee" formation with pushing the lower teeth forward, as introduced in the outer embouchure article. By pushing the lower teeth forward and pulling them slightly to the sides, while also keeping the inside of the mouth in the "hee" position, you can play the clarinet skillfully.
- 1. Raise the tongue into an arch shape: Bring the tongue to a position near the upper back molars and lower the tip
- 2. Blow with the "hee" airstream: By using the "hee" syllable formation, a cool, fast airstream is produced, enabling a resonant, focused tone
- 3. Push the lower teeth forward: Combine pushing the lower teeth forward, as introduced in the outer embouchure article, with pulling them slightly to the sides
- 4. Maintain the "hee" position inside the mouth: Pay attention to keeping the inside of the mouth in the "hee" position so you can play the clarinet skillfully
In clarinet playing, while there are many explanations about the outer aspects of the embouchure, the state of the inside of the mouth is rarely discussed. However, the movable part inside the mouth is the tongue, and finding the optimal tongue position for the clarinet to resonate efficiently is a crucial point. By creating an arch shape with the tongue raised and blowing with the tongue in the "hee" position, you can focus the airstream and achieve a resonant tone. By combining this with pushing the lower teeth forward and pulling them slightly to the sides, you can play the clarinet skillfully. By practicing these methods, the clarinet resonates efficiently, and you can achieve a resonant, focused tone.
