Try the technics here. I also find that the easiest way to get the feel of proper tonguing is to "whisper" into the clarinet, or literally speak "TEE" to feel your tongue hitting the reed.
this was SO helpful! After just warmup with this exercise I improved my staccato tonguing so much! I know with consistent practice itll only get better!!
Hi - I have re-recorded this lesson in a louder format. Search for: Clarinet Lesson: Improve Staccato Tonguing and Tongue Faster. Also, I have heard that Google Chrome as a browser really helps to improve sound on some Windows machines. I hope that helps! - Michelle
@luther- Many of my older videos are soft on some computer systems (but mysteriously only some...). I am recording most. You can find this material on this video: th-cam.com/video/26VnRcLNRSI/w-d-xo.html
Hi Stephi - I totally agree that we don't want to "huff or puff" into the clarinet. Steady, non-stop air is part of the exercise. I like to use the syllable HEE for tongue position because it is even better than EEE for placing it properly for tone. Therefore, tonguing becomes something like T-HEE (without puffing). - Michelle
I'm glad you enjoyed this video. My Bb clarinet is a Buffet R13 which has been greatly enhanced by Backun barrels and bells. I have my eye on the Backun clarinets for my next instrument.
Hi Kamryn, A fuzzy sound usually indicates either that your air speed is not fast enough (most likely the cause) or that perhaps you are using a reed that is too strong. I would try doing some slow warm-ups where you imagine that you are focusing your air like the valve on a spray bottle to the smallest, most powerful airstream. This gets the reed vibrating better and improves resonance. - Michelle
I love that piece! Have fun. Hopefully you will soon have dazzling tonging as you zoom down those arpeggios! You can add in a step to this exercise by taking that tough spot, playing each note slowly with an exaggerated stop tongue, and then move your fingers to the next note during the silence. It feels very odd, but helps train your fingers to move during the "space" and you stay more in sync at full speed.- Michelle
Yes. The idea is to try and get your tongue back to the reed as quickly as you need to get the note to the correct shortness. The bonus here is that you also build speed because your tongue will need to move quickly to play a short note. Your tonguing speed will definitely improve if you work on this. - Michelle
There are so many misinformed band directors out there that teach to never stop the sound with your tongue... I've been teaching this method (I call it "chicken-tongueing" though haha)for years and I'm so glad to see that others use it too! I was getting frustrated with all the nasty looks people would give me when I say these things that their school directors disagree with...
I actually love both kinds of Backun barrels. I appreciate that they help me make a variety of tone colours, and they also improve consistency of sound between the registers. I have one barrel that I use for lighter music (Mozart), and another for darker music (Brahms), for example. I know some players who have many more barrels just to enjoy playing with different sounds.
Hello Michelle. These are wonderful videos. I am a cellist who teaches beginner band to grades 6 and 7 students on Vancouver Island, Canada. My knowledge of playing band instruments is rudimentary. My knowledge of music in general is good. Do you have a suggestion of which videos the kids should watch and in which order they should watch them when they are first starting out? I'm a bit overwhelmed by the shear quantity of videos you have put on TH-cam. I have bought an iPad for the music room and will download the necessary videos and have kids of the same instruments go out and watch and learn. Thanks, Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth, I do have a playlist that separates out the beginner to intermediate videos at th-cam.com/play/PLxQWCQXA2UjW-8IR2wh2C5vzBxWOdZ9aB.html. From that list, I recommend (in somewhat of a logical order: 1, 14, 16, 5, 11, 12, 3). If you email me at michelle at clarinet mentors dot com I can send you some further information. I hope that helps!
I guess this is what I do. But I stressed what you said and I did improve but it didn't feel much different but I do tongue faster. Thanks Michelle!!!!
Thanks for the video! I have a chair test Friday, and, after a weekend of All-District, my tongue is a little tired and my staccatos are not as good. Hopefully this will help me keep my first chair place and place better in my Honors Band Clinic next weekend.
Yo whats up! Grade 3 Clarinet player here! (AMEB) You should say TEE TEE! It's better than 'Hee" because HEE is puffing into the Clarinet, Tee is tonguing into it. Just a tip for all the Clarinet players out there!
I agree with Matthew. You actually want to keep blowing, even though there is nowhere for the air to go. When you are actually playing a piece, the time is so short that usually air will not leak out of the sides of your mouth. For parts of this exaggerated exercise, it may. This is only because the tongue sits on the reed much longer than usual. It is a great training exercise. - Michelle
I found this tutorial really helpful I had learned how to tongue recently after 6 years of just breath attacks and I finally got over it but I was concerned when fast sticattos made me revert back but this really helped me thank you. I've been having trouble getting the upper range to speak though and im not sure what to do any suggestions?
oh my gosh thank you so much! our marching show has a solo in it with sixteenth notes at the tempo of 156 and Im so glad I found this. It will surely help!!! :D
Mireya Montoya That's pretty fast! This technic will definitely help you to go faster. Depending on the music, as a section you may need to adapt the music a bit by adding the odd slur, or if it is the same note repeated, occasionally leave a note out and ensure that the person beside you is leaving out a different note. Have fun with it.
Clarinet Mentors (Michelle Anderson) ok one question. The notes I have to play aren't constant. Its 1 and a 2 and. But the notes vary. What im trying to ask is how can you tongue fast while playing in the middle register. Like middle B natural. Its so hard for me. I can finally play up to tempo only on a open g and high g but other than that my tongue kind of trips over it self and slurs some notes :(
It can feel harder when all of your fingers are down since there is more air resistance. Sometimes a lighter tongue on the reed helps, but mostly, you just need to get used to the feel over time, and it does improve.
Thank you so much for this video!! As important as articulation tends to be in music, it always frustrated me. This lesson has helped so much! Thank you!!
Hi - A great way to help memorize scales is to practise them in different rhythms (it also helps speed). See my video called "Clarinet Lesson: Faster Fingers - how to improve fingering in harder passages" which has a worksheet attached. Try it on any hard scale or arpeggio, and it should make memorizing much easier. Other tips for exams - always use full, fast, air so you make it sound "easy", dress nicely, and take time before each piece to really remember the style before you begin to play.
Thanks so much, I find it much more difficult to articulate on the clarinet because I'm used to the bigger bass clarinet mouthpiece, this helped a lot!!
Hello - there are no dumb questions! It is tricky to figure things out. Your tongue should hit the reed, slightly below the tip of the reed. It is still quite soft near the tip, and when we tongue, your tongue should close the reed shut against the mouthpiece. - Michelle
I'll try this thanks. My tonguing has always sounded "mushy" and soggy and not crisp. Not sure if my tongue will physically move that fast either but i'll give it a go.
+WillieWagglestick I do believe that you really can improve your tonguing speed. The key is to focus on shortness, and let the speed come as a side effect.
Hi Erik, There are lots of factors. I would check out my videos on activating blowing muscles, the embouchure tester and tune-up videos, and the whisper technic. Those videos focus on tone production more than others. I hope they help! - Michelle
Hi michelle i really enjoyed this video.I ve just started to realize that i should play using my tongue.So far i havent been using it so far.I just stopped the air and quickly moved on to the next note.
Most people wouldn't know that you start notes with your tongue. It does allow your air to be much smoother, and it makes the notes sound more clearly. It feels very odd at first, but most people do get used to it quickly.
+clarinetfanatic09 I think this technic really works, and with clear improvement within 2 weeks or so (sometimes sooner). Good luck with your audition!
Hi, I have been doing the "conventionnal" tongue technique for years and now, when i do the exercise at 6:30, the feeling is so weird between these 2 steps : tongue and reed + blowing => removed tongue + blowing. It feels like I'm starting a note, but my brain feels like something is off or reversed haha. If I can find my words to make it clear, I hope: This particular feeling, in my brain, is linked to the statement : "begin the note". More precisely, it's like I have to put a focus on "starting the note" and not actually, as it should be, "the "continuation" of the blowing with the tongue touching the reed and back". In other words, in a psychological way, I imagine that I made an emotionally charged thought on the staccato. And it may lead to an overpressured air occuring at the same time I start a note, creating "kwaks" (I dont know how to say this in English ! it is said "canards" (ducks) or "couacs" (related to bird sound) in French haha) And your technique will definitely deconstruct these unnecessary thoughts. Thank you so much for your advices, exercises and explanation (all of that makes a lot of sense) and I will explore your TH-cam channel. Have a good day.
Will do Michelle thanks!!! And yes faster is fun. I'm trying to play Bacchanale (at Maestro Dudamel's speed lol) I can do it at 100 bpm. Maybe a little over now.
Oh cool. I just watched this and tried it out. Thanks for the instructional video. It is helpful. Although I'm not as fast as you, at least I can now play that really cool tune towards the end of the video. The only thing is I find that I am spitting saliva and making foam on my mouthpiece like I'm having an epileptic fit. Perhaps I got too excited!
HI Jimmy, Getting saliva stuck behind the reed is normal. You can compensate for this by "vacuuming" it back into your mouth as you inhale. Then you will at least avoid the gurgley sound that it produces. I wouldn't worry about it.
Hi - the important part of steps 3 and 4 is that 1) your tongue is cleanly ending the notes by instantly cutting off the sound and 2) you keep blowing, even when the reed is closed by your tongue. Step 4 is most effective if each note is no faster than 60. If your total focus is shortness, the speed will be a side effect of this exercise (and a really good one). After you do these 4 steps, then you could take an easy scale and play long quarter, 4 short sixteenths - increasing speed as you can.
Thanks a lot for this. We have this piece for chamber orchestra by Poulenc with some insane tonguing in the Finale. I'll definitely work with this technique :)
Fernando Herrera I hope it helps. I really notice an improvement in most people's speed within about 2 weeks if you are really focusing on the exaggerated shortness of notes in this exercise.
Do you mean while staccato tonguing, or just in general? If your embouchure is shaped properly and your tongue is sitting in a good position (as if you are saying "HEE"), your tone can sound very good with deep air support. There are many factors - fast air, good blowing muscles, proper embouchure and a reed that is not too soft (which can sound flat and squawky if you go loud). If the challenge is just while tonguing, you may be "biting", which dampens sound. Try rounding your corners.
Thank you so much for the videos! I just recently started to teach myself by using the help of youtube videos, I'm still practicing how to hold a note and tonguing seems to help me practice. I figure it's a good habit to get into anyway. I watched 'Scales made easy for beginning to intermediate players' which helped a little but I'm so new that most of it I didn't understand. Can you suggest any good beginners books on how to read music and finger placement for scales? Or any other advice?
Hi - Sorry for the delay. For some reason I missed your reply! When you do this exercise properly, you will have a much stronger build up of air pressure than in normal playing conditions. Having air leak may be a necessity! It is not a good habit for "normal" playing, but in this case, it indicates that you are doing a good job of keeping up the air pressure, which you want. It is part of the training. - Michelle
Thanks very much you help me a lot!! :-) you have an realy beautiful dark sound amazing I want to buy that kind of moba barrel are amazing! Greetings from Costa Rica! :-)
This is actually very similar to how percussionists control the length of their notes or play staccato - that is to place the hand onto the instrument with some pressure to stop the vibration quickly. It really is two separate actions: one to start the note, and another to stop the note.
Hello - Check out my How to Play High Notes - Parts 2 & 3 for some tips specific to that register. The good news on high G, is that it is one of the easier high notes. The video explains this in more detail, but if you think of your bottom jaw putting pressure down lower into the heart of the reed, those high notes pop out better. It also helps to really bring the corners of your mouth in firmly around the edge of the mouthpiece. - Michelle
Thank you, Michelle for helpful tips to get my students tonguing cleanly. I have a couple students who have been playing for awhile, and have braces -they are both 8th graders- and I think this might help them, but do you (or anyone out there) have any advice for the added challenge of braces?
Hi Amy - I don't find that braces add any extra challenge for tonguing. It can make it harder to pull the bottom lip away from the reed, although students can still manage a pretty good embouchure. If they are "biting" while they play, the braces will feel uncomfortable. This can be countered by encouraging them to wrap the corners of their mouth firmly inward. I hope that helps!
if you are playing about ten eighth notes in a row and they need to be staccato, would you have time to put your tounge back on it between each note???
Hi Michelle my name is Ian and I have been playing the clarinet for a year and a half. When I try your technique, I have a feeling it Gould work, but it doesn't. My tongue is very slow when I try to move it fast apart from the reed and back to it. Do you have any tips to making my tongue just move faster? Thanks
Hi Ian, If you really focus on playing the notes as short as possible in this exercise, the speed will come. You need to trust the exercise. It has worked for hundreds of people! You can try and keep your tongue in general closer to the reed, which may help. If you try it everyday for 2 weeks, I predict that your tonguing speed will be faster. (You can track your sixteenth note speed with a metronome and gauge how much you progress.)
Hi, I've played flute for about 10 years now and have just started doubling on clarinet. Your videos have been a huge help so thanks so much for your videos! I've begun getting much more comfortable playing in the clarion register however one thing I am struggling with is tonguing in the clarion register. Tonguing in the chalumeau is fine for the most part, but as soon as I start tonguing above the E in the clarion it sounds like there is a strange undertone with a very faint squeak and it sounds a little obnoxious. Basically I cant get the tonguing to sound clean in the clarion, I tried upping my reed strength and finally adjusted to a Vandoren 3 inch which helped a little but mostly just helped with intonation in the clarion. Any tips?
+Abby Shaw Hey thanks for the advice! So I actually tried this in my practice session today and it did help but the notes started getting flatter. I tried putting more of the mouthpiece in my mouth which helped but then I had trouble controlling my dynamics :( Man Im loving the clarinet but I'll tell you there are some things I thought I had hard on the flute that are nothing compared to clarinet. Fingerings after the throat tones yeah omg they are so tricky. I thought I had it bad when I was learning to go from C to D on flute.
+Gamer of the Winds Hi - Sorry - I must have missed this comment when you left it. That undertone is very common. It means there is not enough support for the note. That can come from the reed, the embouchure and your air speed. Abby's comments help improve embouchure. The stronger reed helped too. Next is super fast air. Perhaps these will help: th-cam.com/video/Eb4_HOwsEhE/w-d-xo.html - activating blowing muscles th-cam.com/video/X9nd2wLMBOA/w-d-xo.html - whisper technic th-cam.com/video/7tyKWTO0mqs/w-d-xo.html - long tones th-cam.com/video/a2TUGyTslUM/w-d-xo.html - Embouchure Tester
i know that this may be a dumb question, but does your tongue land right on the the tip of the flat side of the reed? or in between the reed and mouthpiece?
Hi. I am a beginner clarinet player. November 1st, my group and I are going to be playing at a school football game. My band director says I'm not tounging well, but my tongue is touching the reed. Any tips?
All this time I've been tonguing against the roof of my mouth; just recently I started the "real" way--tonguing against the reed--and it's really hard. Also I just moved up to a 3 reed and that makes it even harder :P
Most people don't have clear directions on how to do this when they are first learning the clarinet, so there are lots of adaptations that we naturally make (like tonguing against the roof of your mouth). It feels strange to do it the "real" way, but once you are used to it, it really does give good results. Keep up the good work!
Michelle would so kind to answer if you have a free time. I got a porblem. Unfortunetly, my clarinet gets spitty so fast (2-3 minutes) when I'm tonguing. This is because I'm tonguing wrongly or maybe there are other reasons? Thanks a lot.
thank you for this video! unfortunately I just discovered that I apparently am using the entire tongue when staccato tonguing. do you know of any way to prevent this?
When you say that I should keep blowing the whole time, do you mean that the air should come out in the sides of my mouth? Because the air can't go though the clarinet if the tongue is blocking the air way, which it is. Or is "keep blowing" synonymous with just keeping, like, the feeling of blowing, but all air stays in the mouth? Sorry if I'm bad at expresing what I want to say, haha.
You have an realy beautiful dark sound amazing! :-) You help me alot thanks! And nice moba barrel xD i want one jaja xD Greetings from Costa Rica!! :-)
Hi Michelle! I love your videos and they are extremely helpful so I was wondering if you could help address my problem. My tonguing has improved a lot (I used to tongue with only air like a "ha" syllable or "hee" for everything) and find that my greatest issue right now is in fact staccato tonguing. I find it most difficult to tongue passages with intervals instead of successive staccato notes. Is it because of the different resistances of certain notes? I don't have the same issues tonguing etudes with successive notes of the same pitch and register. I get tired very quickly and actually have a tendency to push from my diaphragm quite a lot so my stomach is always moving excessively. I feel that maybe I've created a strange hybrid between the "hee" tonguing and normal tonguing? Also, when I tongue I do release a lot of air from the corners as well as producing a lot more spit so why is that? I don't do that when slurring or any other regular playing. Any idea for exercises I can do to alleviate some of these issues? Please help and I hope this makes sense to you! Thanks!!!! :)
Nevermind. My question was answered when I came across your 5 bad habits video. I'm number 4 :( lol thank you! I know what I need to do to fix my issue now :)
Everytime there's a staccato part and it's in the high register I tongue it the same way I tongue it with the lower notes but when I do it with the high notes you can barely hear the sound,but it's weird because I can play high notes perfectly,or I think I do
When you’re in the altissimo register or high clarion, pay attention to where your tongue is in your mouth. If you say “ee” pay attention and visualize where your tongue is. Your tongue is supposed to be close to your teeth, you should be able to feel your teeth. When your tongue isn’t blocking the airflow, the air comes out better and you’re able to hit the note easily. Try practicing tongue position and high notes. Let your mouth muscles adjust to playing high notes. You need to be able to play high notes before you can do anything with them
Hey, Michelle, I'm working on Weber's Clarinet Concerto. Would this technique help me get my tonguing up to speed for the fast part in the middle? Also, what are your opinions on double tonguing? What can I do in three months to prep for this piece? Anyone else feel free to answer.
I've been playing on a buffet E11 for the longest time, but I think since I've been playing a while and I'm one of the top players at my school, I'm looking into upgrading. I've narrowed it down to either a Yamaha YCLCSVR or a Buffet R13, I will get in the silver plated option, since I have an allergy to nickel plated keys (just found that out a couple days ago trying out some clarinets). I realize there is a price difference, but that is not a huge problem. I've been trying them both out and I think both are solid options, I'm leaning towards the R13, but what do you think?
+Game Addiction Both of those are good clarinets. Honestly, I would choose the one that gives you the tone quality that you like best. If you could try 5 of each, you'd likely find some of the Yamaha that you like better than some of the Buffets, and the other way around. Each piece of wood responds differently, so play test them and go with the sound that you like. The keys on the R13 will feel more natural to you because they are similar to your E11, but it does not take long to adapt if you choose the Yamaha. The R13 for years was considered one of the best clarinets around (and it was and is), however, there are now many other good options to consider as well.
Hi Michele, when I take my tongue away from the reed (still blowing air) I get a horrible overtone? Is this supposed to happen? Do you stop blowing air as you take your tongue away from the reed? I must be doing something wrong? Can you please help?
If you are getting a higher sound, you are likely "biting" a little bit on the reed. This is pretty common. Sometimes really concentrating on bringing the corners of your mouth in around the mouthpiece helps to prevent this. This video will give you another tool that may help: th-cam.com/video/a2TUGyTslUM/w-d-xo.html The tonguing exercise on this page is intended to be done blowing all of the time.
Hi Michelle Thanks for your video lessons. When you tongue, is your tongue sliding up and down on the bottom inside of your lower lip, (not the lip itself- whatever the inside is called just below the lip... front cheek? .....) or is there no contact? Or some contact at the lower position, but none when the tongue is in contact with the reed? Or does it matter?
When I am not tonguing, my tongue is in the same place it would be if I said the word "HEEEE" (suspended up high, near the roof of my mouth). When I tongue, the tip of my tongue moves forward to touch the reed, and then just backs up a little bit, waiting for the next note. If your tongue moves too low in your mouth, you may be flat in pitch, or produce an unfocused tone.
Clarinet Mentors (Michelle Anderson) Thanks, these little details seem to make a big difference. By my attempt at logic, the vibration of the reed could be stopped with least effort if the tongue contact is as close to perpendicular to the reed surface as possible. This would mean that the tongue sits below the reed (in my case, touching the cheek surface below the lower lip. But in your picture, if I understand it, the tongue is not that far forward, and is coming in toward the reed at an angle- which might be adjusted by bringing the clarinet in at a closer angle to the body? So I'm trying to wag my tongue up and down, and you are moving it more forward and back? Which is quite a different use of the tongue muscle(s). Does that make sense?
Yes. The "exaggerated" part of this exercise will sound extra choppy on saxophone, but the tongue training still works. It is fairly easy to lighten it up when you are playing repertoire.
Double tonguing involves hitting the reed with your tongue as it moves forward, and then striking the top of your mouth as it moves back. (Ta-Ka). Stop tonguing involves stopping the note by having your tongue temporarily close the reed before you release it to start the next note.
er... (to aleah taylor) not sure... im also a beginner, not performing yet/ but theres a tongue twsiter! get it? (eh, i'll quit the puns) The tip of the tongue touches the tip of the reed... thats what my band director says in my classes. we just started tonuging yesterday! i didnt even get it, so thats why im here.
Hi Ms.Anderson, I find that when I'm practicing fast staccato sections the notes come out very sloppy as if there's a delayed response and was wondering if it's either my fingers or tonguing not being fast enough.
Okay, so. My band director was talking to me. She said I am making the correct noises and it sounds like I am tounging nut I'm not. I don't really understand. Help? @ClarinetMentora
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my mind was blown at 9:43 D:
Fr😭
This actually helped me so much! It brought me a lot more awareness of my tongue placement and now I don’t sound half as bad anymore when I tongue.
I have been tonguing wrong my entire middle and freshman year..... Probably should've paid attention those days back in 4th grade. -_-
That is so common! Although it feels strange to do it properly, it only takes a couple of weeks for it to feel natural...
I'm having the sane problem and I can't do it... :(
Try the technics here. I also find that the easiest way to get the feel of proper tonguing is to "whisper" into the clarinet, or literally speak "TEE" to feel your tongue hitting the reed.
ME TOO
Samee
this was SO helpful! After just warmup with this exercise I improved my staccato tonguing so much! I know with consistent practice itll only get better!!
Hi - I have re-recorded this lesson in a louder format. Search for: Clarinet Lesson: Improve Staccato Tonguing and Tongue Faster. Also, I have heard that Google Chrome as a browser really helps to improve sound on some Windows machines. I hope that helps! - Michelle
please make more tonging videos! This was a real help and i need some more help on tonging clarinet
@luther- Many of my older videos are soft on some computer systems (but mysteriously only some...). I am recording most. You can find this material on this video: th-cam.com/video/26VnRcLNRSI/w-d-xo.html
Hi Stephi - I totally agree that we don't want to "huff or puff" into the clarinet. Steady, non-stop air is part of the exercise. I like to use the syllable HEE for tongue position because it is even better than EEE for placing it properly for tone. Therefore, tonguing becomes something like T-HEE (without puffing). - Michelle
I'm glad you enjoyed this video. My Bb clarinet is a Buffet R13 which has been greatly enhanced by Backun barrels and bells. I have my eye on the Backun clarinets for my next instrument.
Great explanation on tonguing Michelle
Hi Kamryn, A fuzzy sound usually indicates either that your air speed is not fast enough (most likely the cause) or that perhaps you are using a reed that is too strong. I would try doing some slow warm-ups where you imagine that you are focusing your air like the valve on a spray bottle to the smallest, most powerful airstream. This gets the reed vibrating better and improves resonance. - Michelle
I love that piece! Have fun. Hopefully you will soon have dazzling tonging as you zoom down those arpeggios! You can add in a step to this exercise by taking that tough spot, playing each note slowly with an exaggerated stop tongue, and then move your fingers to the next note during the silence. It feels very odd, but helps train your fingers to move during the "space" and you stay more in sync at full speed.- Michelle
I am doing my 10th grade test and I used your technique. Fortunately, I passed!! THANK YOU!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hurrayy!!!!! Good job.
Yes. The idea is to try and get your tongue back to the reed as quickly as you need to get the note to the correct shortness. The bonus here is that you also build speed because your tongue will need to move quickly to play a short note. Your tonguing speed will definitely improve if you work on this. - Michelle
Thanks for sharing your knowledge! I'm mainly a saxophone player, but I double clarinet and these videos have helped me tons! You are so awesome!
Thanks for your kind words. I appreciate it.
There are so many misinformed band directors out there that teach to never stop the sound with your tongue... I've been teaching this method (I call it "chicken-tongueing" though haha)for years and I'm so glad to see that others use it too! I was getting frustrated with all the nasty looks people would give me when I say these things that their school directors disagree with...
I actually love both kinds of Backun barrels. I appreciate that they help me make a variety of tone colours, and they also improve consistency of sound between the registers. I have one barrel that I use for lighter music (Mozart), and another for darker music (Brahms), for example. I know some players who have many more barrels just to enjoy playing with different sounds.
Hello Michelle. These are wonderful videos. I am a cellist who teaches beginner band to grades 6 and 7 students on Vancouver Island, Canada. My knowledge of playing band instruments is rudimentary. My knowledge of music in general is good. Do you have a suggestion of which videos the kids should watch and in which order they should watch them when they are first starting out? I'm a bit overwhelmed by the shear quantity of videos you have put on TH-cam. I have bought an iPad for the music room and will download the necessary videos and have kids of the same instruments go out and watch and learn. Thanks, Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth, I do have a playlist that separates out the beginner to intermediate videos at th-cam.com/play/PLxQWCQXA2UjW-8IR2wh2C5vzBxWOdZ9aB.html. From that list, I recommend (in somewhat of a logical order: 1, 14, 16, 5, 11, 12, 3). If you email me at michelle at clarinet mentors dot com I can send you some further information. I hope that helps!
I guess this is what I do. But I stressed what you said and I did improve but it didn't feel much different but I do tongue faster. Thanks Michelle!!!!
If you focus on the shortness and keep working it at it for a couple of weeks, you will likely go even faster (which is fun…)
I've been stop tonguing staccato notes for a couple years now and I didn't even know what that was until today when I watched this
Thanks for the video! I have a chair test Friday, and, after a weekend of All-District, my tongue is a little tired and my staccatos are not as good. Hopefully this will help me keep my first chair place and place better in my Honors Band Clinic next weekend.
I'm glad you like it. I hope the videos help you out! - Michelle
This video is perfect for helping learn Mendelssohn‘s Midsummers Night..
Yo whats up!
Grade 3 Clarinet player here! (AMEB)
You should say TEE TEE!
It's better than 'Hee" because HEE is puffing into the Clarinet, Tee is tonguing into it.
Just a tip for all the Clarinet players out there!
I agree with Matthew. You actually want to keep blowing, even though there is nowhere for the air to go. When you are actually playing a piece, the time is so short that usually air will not leak out of the sides of your mouth. For parts of this exaggerated exercise, it may. This is only because the tongue sits on the reed much longer than usual. It is a great training exercise. - Michelle
I found this tutorial really helpful I had learned how to tongue recently after 6 years of just breath attacks and I finally got over it but I was concerned when fast sticattos made me revert back but this really helped me thank you. I've been having trouble getting the upper range to speak though and im not sure what to do any suggestions?
Love your thorough explanations! Excited to start practicing this technique.
Thank you so much! This is been so helpful for me. I needed it.
oh my gosh thank you so much! our marching show has a solo in it with sixteenth notes at the tempo of 156 and Im so glad I found this. It will surely help!!! :D
Mireya Montoya That's pretty fast! This technic will definitely help you to go faster. Depending on the music, as a section you may need to adapt the music a bit by adding the odd slur, or if it is the same note repeated, occasionally leave a note out and ensure that the person beside you is leaving out a different note. Have fun with it.
Clarinet Mentors (Michelle Anderson) ok one question. The notes I have to play aren't constant. Its 1 and a 2 and. But the notes vary. What im trying to ask is how can you tongue fast while playing in the middle register. Like middle B natural. Its so hard for me. I can finally play up to tempo only on a open g and high g but other than that my tongue kind of trips over it self and slurs some notes :(
It can feel harder when all of your fingers are down since there is more air resistance. Sometimes a lighter tongue on the reed helps, but mostly, you just need to get used to the feel over time, and it does improve.
Thank you so much for this video!! As important as articulation tends to be in music, it always frustrated me. This lesson has helped so much! Thank you!!
I'm glad you enjoyed this. I find these technics really helpful for many clarinetists. It is always nice to make it feel easier.
Great lesson, thank you.
Hi - A great way to help memorize scales is to practise them in different rhythms (it also helps speed). See my video called "Clarinet Lesson: Faster Fingers - how to improve fingering in harder passages" which has a worksheet attached. Try it on any hard scale or arpeggio, and it should make memorizing much easier. Other tips for exams - always use full, fast, air so you make it sound "easy", dress nicely, and take time before each piece to really remember the style before you begin to play.
Thanks so much, I find it much more difficult to articulate on the clarinet because I'm used to the bigger bass clarinet mouthpiece, this helped a lot!!
+GrandMaster Painter (Brandon Burt) I'm glad this was helpful!
Hello - there are no dumb questions! It is tricky to figure things out. Your tongue should hit the reed, slightly below the tip of the reed. It is still quite soft near the tip, and when we tongue, your tongue should close the reed shut against the mouthpiece. - Michelle
I really believe that if you work on the shortness, the speed will follow...
I'll try this thanks. My tonguing has always sounded "mushy" and soggy and not crisp. Not sure if my tongue will physically move that fast either but i'll give it a go.
+WillieWagglestick I do believe that you really can improve your tonguing speed. The key is to focus on shortness, and let the speed come as a side effect.
Hi Erik, There are lots of factors. I would check out my videos on activating blowing muscles, the embouchure tester and tune-up videos, and the whisper technic. Those videos focus on tone production more than others. I hope they help! - Michelle
Hi michelle i really enjoyed this video.I ve just started to realize that i should play using my tongue.So far i havent been using it so far.I just stopped the air and quickly moved on to the next note.
Most people wouldn't know that you start notes with your tongue. It does allow your air to be much smoother, and it makes the notes sound more clearly. It feels very odd at first, but most people do get used to it quickly.
Amazing
I have some problems with my tonguing, it is too slow :( So, I shall try your exercises. Thank you for the video, it is very useful!
Good ole William Tell... still working on my tonguing in that piece!
Interesting idea for tonguing, thank you!
Hi Michelle, I am working on Mozarts Clarinet Concerto and some of the semi quaver passages are hard to tongue. Any tips?
This is going to be so beneficial to me because I have to learn Rose Studies #23 for my Region Band Audition.All of it is just fast staccato passages.
+clarinetfanatic09 I think this technic really works, and with clear improvement within 2 weeks or so (sometimes sooner). Good luck with your audition!
Hi,
I have been doing the "conventionnal" tongue technique for years and now, when i do the exercise at 6:30, the feeling is so weird between these 2 steps : tongue and reed + blowing => removed tongue + blowing. It feels like I'm starting a note, but my brain feels like something is off or reversed haha.
If I can find my words to make it clear, I hope:
This particular feeling, in my brain, is linked to the statement : "begin the note". More precisely, it's like I have to put a focus on "starting the note" and not actually, as it should be, "the "continuation" of the blowing with the tongue touching the reed and back". In other words, in a psychological way, I imagine that I made an emotionally charged thought on the staccato. And it may lead to an overpressured air occuring at the same time I start a note, creating "kwaks" (I dont know how to say this in English ! it is said "canards" (ducks) or "couacs" (related to bird sound) in French haha)
And your technique will definitely deconstruct these unnecessary thoughts.
Thank you so much for your advices, exercises and explanation (all of that makes a lot of sense) and I will explore your TH-cam channel.
Have a good day.
Same for me with the Concertino! Thanks!
Will do Michelle thanks!!!
And yes faster is fun. I'm trying to play Bacchanale (at Maestro Dudamel's speed lol)
I can do it at 100 bpm. Maybe a little over now.
Oh cool. I just watched this and tried it out. Thanks for the instructional video. It is helpful. Although I'm not as fast as you, at least I can now play that really cool tune towards the end of the video. The only thing is I find that I am spitting saliva and making foam on my mouthpiece like I'm having an epileptic fit. Perhaps I got too excited!
HI Jimmy, Getting saliva stuck behind the reed is normal. You can compensate for this by "vacuuming" it back into your mouth as you inhale. Then you will at least avoid the gurgley sound that it produces. I wouldn't worry about it.
Hi - the important part of steps 3 and 4 is that 1) your tongue is cleanly ending the notes by instantly cutting off the sound and 2) you keep blowing, even when the reed is closed by your tongue. Step 4 is most effective if each note is no faster than 60. If your total focus is shortness, the speed will be a side effect of this exercise (and a really good one). After you do these 4 steps, then you could take an easy scale and play long quarter, 4 short sixteenths - increasing speed as you can.
Thanks a lot for this. We have this piece for chamber orchestra by Poulenc with some insane tonguing in the Finale. I'll definitely work with this technique :)
Fernando Herrera I hope it helps. I really notice an improvement in most people's speed within about 2 weeks if you are really focusing on the exaggerated shortness of notes in this exercise.
Do you mean while staccato tonguing, or just in general? If your embouchure is shaped properly and your tongue is sitting in a good position (as if you are saying "HEE"), your tone can sound very good with deep air support. There are many factors - fast air, good blowing muscles, proper embouchure and a reed that is not too soft (which can sound flat and squawky if you go loud). If the challenge is just while tonguing, you may be "biting", which dampens sound. Try rounding your corners.
Thank you so much for the videos! I just recently started to teach myself by using the help of youtube videos, I'm still practicing how to hold a note and tonguing seems to help me practice. I figure it's a good habit to get into anyway. I watched 'Scales made easy for beginning to intermediate players' which helped a little but I'm so new that most of it I didn't understand. Can you suggest any good beginners books on how to read music and finger placement for scales? Or any other advice?
Have fun with Honor Band. That was one of my funnest school experiences!
I love it so far
Michelle, very well explained !! You should work together with Hamburgs Martin Schmidt-Hahn
Great tutorial, thank you! Your videos are an excellent resource :-)
Hi - Sorry for the delay. For some reason I missed your reply! When you do this exercise properly, you will have a much stronger build up of air pressure than in normal playing conditions. Having air leak may be a necessity! It is not a good habit for "normal" playing, but in this case, it indicates that you are doing a good job of keeping up the air pressure, which you want. It is part of the training. - Michelle
Thanks very much you help me a lot!! :-) you have an realy beautiful dark sound amazing I want to buy that kind of moba barrel are amazing! Greetings from Costa Rica! :-)
When I tongue I hit my tongue against my bottom inner lip is this bad? And how would I be able to correct it?
quick reply! i'll use your advice! thanks again:)
Thanks a bunch
This is actually very similar to how percussionists control the length of their notes or play staccato - that is to place the hand onto the instrument with some pressure to stop the vibration quickly. It really is two separate actions: one to start the note, and another to stop the note.
Thanks for that observation. I always enjoy finding out when different instruments share similar technic.
This is awesome! Thank you so much!
Hello - Check out my How to Play High Notes - Parts 2 & 3 for some tips specific to that register. The good news on high G, is that it is one of the easier high notes. The video explains this in more detail, but if you think of your bottom jaw putting pressure down lower into the heart of the reed, those high notes pop out better. It also helps to really bring the corners of your mouth in firmly around the edge of the mouthpiece. - Michelle
Thank you for the 16 note thing it helps a lot but I still a have a fuzzy sound what can I do about that please respond
Thank you, Michelle for helpful tips to get my students tonguing cleanly. I have a couple students who have been playing for awhile, and have braces -they are both 8th graders- and I think this might help them, but do you (or anyone out there) have any advice for the added challenge of braces?
Hi Amy - I don't find that braces add any extra challenge for tonguing. It can make it harder to pull the bottom lip away from the reed, although students can still manage a pretty good embouchure. If they are "biting" while they play, the braces will feel uncomfortable. This can be countered by encouraging them to wrap the corners of their mouth firmly inward. I hope that helps!
Extremely helpful! Thanks!!!
I have an big audition this Saturday, any suggestions?
shes reallly good
Any tips for clarinet players playing the Clarinet run in La Belle Helene?
Thank you for the helpful video! What type of clarinet do you have?
I need to tongue SUPER quickly for Pirate's of the Caribbean, but MAH DANG TONGUE won't move fast enough! Any tips?
Very helpful, thank you!
if you are playing about ten eighth notes in a row and they need to be staccato, would you have time to put your tounge back on it between each note???
Hi Michelle my name is Ian and I have been playing the clarinet for a year and a half. When I try your technique, I have a feeling it Gould work, but it doesn't. My tongue is very slow when I try to move it fast apart from the reed and back to it. Do you have any tips to making my tongue just move faster? Thanks
Hi Ian, If you really focus on playing the notes as short as possible in this exercise, the speed will come. You need to trust the exercise. It has worked for hundreds of people! You can try and keep your tongue in general closer to the reed, which may help. If you try it everyday for 2 weeks, I predict that your tonguing speed will be faster. (You can track your sixteenth note speed with a metronome and gauge how much you progress.)
ian you play clarinet???????
Hi, I've played flute for about 10 years now and have just started doubling on clarinet. Your videos have been a huge help so thanks so much for your videos! I've begun getting much more comfortable playing in the clarion register however one thing I am struggling with is tonguing in the clarion register. Tonguing in the chalumeau is fine for the most part, but as soon as I start tonguing above the E in the clarion it sounds like there is a strange undertone with a very faint squeak and it sounds a little obnoxious. Basically I cant get the tonguing to sound clean in the clarion, I tried upping my reed strength and finally adjusted to a Vandoren 3 inch which helped a little but mostly just helped with intonation in the clarion. Any tips?
+Abby Shaw Hey thanks for the advice! So I actually tried this in my practice session today and it did help but the notes started getting flatter. I tried putting more of the mouthpiece in my mouth which helped but then I had trouble controlling my dynamics :(
Man Im loving the clarinet but I'll tell you there are some things I thought I had hard on the flute that are nothing compared to clarinet. Fingerings after the throat tones yeah omg they are so tricky. I thought I had it bad when I was learning to go from C to D on flute.
+Gamer of the Winds Hi - Sorry - I must have missed this comment when you left it. That undertone is very common. It means there is not enough support for the note. That can come from the reed, the embouchure and your air speed. Abby's comments help improve embouchure. The stronger reed helped too. Next is super fast air. Perhaps these will help: th-cam.com/video/Eb4_HOwsEhE/w-d-xo.html - activating blowing muscles
th-cam.com/video/X9nd2wLMBOA/w-d-xo.html - whisper technic
th-cam.com/video/7tyKWTO0mqs/w-d-xo.html - long tones
th-cam.com/video/a2TUGyTslUM/w-d-xo.html - Embouchure Tester
Thank you! useful as usual ...
Trust the system
i know that this may be a dumb question, but does your tongue land right on the the tip of the flat side of the reed? or in between the reed and mouthpiece?
Hi. I am a beginner clarinet player. November 1st, my group and I are going to be playing at a school football game. My band director says I'm not tounging well, but my tongue is touching the reed. Any tips?
Thank you :)
All this time I've been tonguing against the roof of my mouth; just recently I started the "real" way--tonguing against the reed--and it's really hard. Also I just moved up to a 3 reed and that makes it even harder :P
Most people don't have clear directions on how to do this when they are first learning the clarinet, so there are lots of adaptations that we naturally make (like tonguing against the roof of your mouth). It feels strange to do it the "real" way, but once you are used to it, it really does give good results. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for making this video, it really helped!
Thanks 🌺
Michelle would so kind to answer if you have a free time. I got a porblem. Unfortunetly, my clarinet gets spitty so fast (2-3 minutes) when I'm tonguing. This is because I'm tonguing wrongly or maybe there are other reasons? Thanks a lot.
thank you for this video! unfortunately I just discovered that I apparently am using the entire tongue when staccato tonguing. do you know of any way to prevent this?
Came across your great video, it was well needed... too bad my solo (tempo 88 sixteenth note staccato tonging, yes I suck) is tomorrow :'(
+Pootis Pow This may not help much in one day, but it can make a clear difference in a week or two.
You want to keep blowing when you are blocking the airway to build up air pressure for the next note
When you say that I should keep blowing the whole time, do you mean that the air should come out in the sides of my mouth? Because the air can't go though the clarinet if the tongue is blocking the air way, which it is. Or is "keep blowing" synonymous with just keeping, like, the feeling of blowing, but all air stays in the mouth?
Sorry if I'm bad at expresing what I want to say, haha.
You have an realy beautiful dark sound amazing! :-) You help me alot thanks! And nice moba barrel xD i want one jaja xD Greetings from Costa Rica!! :-)
Hi Michelle! I love your videos and they are extremely helpful so I was wondering if you could help address my problem. My tonguing has improved a lot (I used to tongue with only air like a "ha" syllable or "hee" for everything) and find that my greatest issue right now is in fact staccato tonguing. I find it most difficult to tongue passages with intervals instead of successive staccato notes. Is it because of the different resistances of certain notes? I don't have the same issues tonguing etudes with successive notes of the same pitch and register. I get tired very quickly and actually have a tendency to push from my diaphragm quite a lot so my stomach is always moving excessively. I feel that maybe I've created a strange hybrid between the "hee" tonguing and normal tonguing? Also, when I tongue I do release a lot of air from the corners as well as producing a lot more spit so why is that? I don't do that when slurring or any other regular playing. Any idea for exercises I can do to alleviate some of these issues? Please help and I hope this makes sense to you! Thanks!!!! :)
Nevermind. My question was answered when I came across your 5 bad habits video. I'm number 4 :( lol thank you! I know what I need to do to fix my issue now :)
Jacqueline Rodriguez I'm glad you found the solution! (I wish I could answer all of my questions on auto-pilot!) Good luck with things.
Everytime there's a staccato part and it's in the high register I tongue it the same way I tongue it with the lower notes but when I do it with the high notes you can barely hear the sound,but it's weird because I can play high notes perfectly,or I think I do
When you’re in the altissimo register or high clarion, pay attention to where your tongue is in your mouth. If you say “ee” pay attention and visualize where your tongue is. Your tongue is supposed to be close to your teeth, you should be able to feel your teeth. When your tongue isn’t blocking the airflow, the air comes out better and you’re able to hit the note easily. Try practicing tongue position and high notes. Let your mouth muscles adjust to playing high notes. You need to be able to play high notes before you can do anything with them
Hey, Michelle, I'm working on Weber's Clarinet Concerto. Would this technique help me get my tonguing up to speed for the fast part in the middle? Also, what are your opinions on double tonguing? What can I do in three months to prep for this piece?
Anyone else feel free to answer.
TYPO
(WEBER'S CLARINET CONCERTINO)
I've been playing on a buffet E11 for the longest time, but I think since I've been playing a while and I'm one of the top players at my school, I'm looking into upgrading. I've narrowed it down to either a Yamaha YCLCSVR or a Buffet R13, I will get in the silver plated option, since I have an allergy to nickel plated keys (just found that out a couple days ago trying out some clarinets). I realize there is a price difference, but that is not a huge problem. I've been trying them both out and I think both are solid options, I'm leaning towards the R13, but what do you think?
R13. Good longterm investment, easy to resell
+Game Addiction Both of those are good clarinets. Honestly, I would choose the one that gives you the tone quality that you like best. If you could try 5 of each, you'd likely find some of the Yamaha that you like better than some of the Buffets, and the other way around. Each piece of wood responds differently, so play test them and go with the sound that you like. The keys on the R13 will feel more natural to you because they are similar to your E11, but it does not take long to adapt if you choose the Yamaha. The R13 for years was considered one of the best clarinets around (and it was and is), however, there are now many other good options to consider as well.
Clarinet Mentors (Michelle Anderson) Thanks, I'm planning on trying a few more this summer before I buy one.
Hi Michele, when I take my tongue away from the reed (still blowing air) I get a horrible overtone? Is this supposed to happen? Do you stop blowing air as you take your tongue away from the reed? I must be doing something wrong? Can you please help?
If you are getting a higher sound, you are likely "biting" a little bit on the reed. This is pretty common. Sometimes really concentrating on bringing the corners of your mouth in around the mouthpiece helps to prevent this. This video will give you another tool that may help: th-cam.com/video/a2TUGyTslUM/w-d-xo.html
The tonguing exercise on this page is intended to be done blowing all of the time.
Hi Michelle
Thanks for your video lessons.
When you tongue, is your tongue sliding up and down on the bottom inside of your lower lip, (not the lip itself- whatever the inside is called just below the lip... front cheek? .....) or is there no contact? Or some contact at the lower position, but none when the tongue is in contact with the reed? Or does it matter?
When I am not tonguing, my tongue is in the same place it would be if I said the word "HEEEE" (suspended up high, near the roof of my mouth). When I tongue, the tip of my tongue moves forward to touch the reed, and then just backs up a little bit, waiting for the next note. If your tongue moves too low in your mouth, you may be flat in pitch, or produce an unfocused tone.
Clarinet Mentors (Michelle Anderson) Thanks, these little details seem to make a big difference. By my attempt at logic, the vibration of the reed could be stopped with least effort if the tongue contact is as close to perpendicular to the reed surface as possible. This would mean that the tongue sits below the reed (in my case, touching the cheek surface below the lower lip. But in your picture, if I understand it, the tongue is not that far forward, and is coming in toward the reed at an angle- which might be adjusted by bringing the clarinet in at a closer angle to the body?
So I'm trying to wag my tongue up and down, and you are moving it more forward and back? Which is quite a different use of the tongue muscle(s).
Does that make sense?
Is this tonguing method applicable to saxophone?
Yes. The "exaggerated" part of this exercise will sound extra choppy on saxophone, but the tongue training still works. It is fairly easy to lighten it up when you are playing repertoire.
I have to play a song called sea songs by Vaughan William hope this helps me thanks!
+Charlie Kim I hope this helps. That is a really fun piece to play.
What is the difference between double tonguing and stop tonguing?
Double tonguing involves hitting the reed with your tongue as it moves forward, and then striking the top of your mouth as it moves back. (Ta-Ka). Stop tonguing involves stopping the note by having your tongue temporarily close the reed before you release it to start the next note.
er... (to aleah taylor) not sure... im also a beginner, not performing yet/ but theres a tongue twsiter! get it? (eh, i'll quit the puns) The tip of the tongue touches the tip of the reed... thats what my band director says in my classes. we just started tonuging yesterday! i didnt even get it, so thats why im here.
Hi Ms.Anderson,
I find that when I'm practicing fast staccato sections the notes come out very sloppy as if there's a delayed response and was wondering if it's either my fingers or tonguing not being fast enough.
It worked!!!!! :)
Okay, so. My band director was talking to me. She said I am making the correct noises and it sounds like I am tounging nut I'm not. I don't really understand. Help? @ClarinetMentora
Ive been told I jut my jaw out and am therefore 'jawing' instead of tonguing lol
it's a very difficult habit to get rid of