Proper Way to Tongue on a Clarinet

Playing high notes is usually difficult for beginning clarinet players.

Learning to play the clarinet requires patience, diligence and determination, especially for beginners. One of the main stumbling blocks is learning how to "tongue" or articulate a clarinet properly. While tonguing your clarinet may seem like a lot of work at first, it becomes much easier once you understand what you are trying to accomplish. When you tongue your instrument, you are working to ease the flow of air between your mouth and your clarinet's mouthpiece. This process prevents the airflow from getting caught up in your diaphragm, which can distort the sound of your playing.

Instructions

1. Hold your clarinet at a 40-degree angle from your mouth with the bell resting between your knees. It is important that you hold your instrument correctly and maintain good posture, if you want to tongue your clarinet properly. This allows air to flow straight from your mouth through the mouthpiece, barrel and the first and second joints -- and out the bell.

2. Grip your clarinet's mouthpiece as tightly as you can without biting it. Place your top teeth on the mouthpiece's top, and wrap your lower lip over the top of your bottom teeth and onto your instrument's reed.

3. Push your tongue slowly upward, in the direction of your top teeth, to articulate long notes. Say "la la" to yourself, to get an idea of the motion you need to make. You can even say "la la" while you try to articulate, but make sure you do not say it audibly. To articulate short notes, push your tongue sharply upward as if you are saying "ta ta." You can also use this technique to make your notes louder.

4. Accentuate your articulation further by "double tonguing" your clarinet. Put your tongue in a position between the "ta ta" and "la la" positions, and say "taca taca" to yourself. Practice saying "taca taca" in front of a metronome before proceeding, if you have difficulty with this technique.

References

• "The Clarinet and Clarinet Playing"; David Pino

Resources

• The Clarinet Closet: Parts of the Clarinet
• YouTube: Clarinet Lesson: Longtone/Tongue Exercise