Ultrasonographic investigation of clarinet multiple articulation

Successful clarinet performance is contingent on a multitude of factors working in concert. Of these factors, the ones hidden from the naked eye are particularly interesting to the pedagogue. The tongue, with its articulatory and non-articulatory functions, assumes a very active role during performance. While its motion during performance is undeniably important, diagnosing and teaching about the tongue is problematic, simply because its movement is not directly observable. Past research efforts have helped the clarinet community gain a better understanding of tongue biomechanics during performance. In an effort to address the limitations of prior studies, this study has been guided by two goals. First, it introduces a safe and effective ultrasonographic tongue imaging protocol to clarinet performance. Next, it utilizes that protocol in two instances: quantifying multiple articulation tongue motion and quantifying tongue motion when traditional pedagogical tools are utilized. Finally, this study compares and analyzes those data numerically. While this is primarily an exploratory study, the insight gained through the methodology and results should help clarinetists understand clarinet multiple articulation mechanics and the relationship between performance and speech tongue motion, as well as provide a framework for future research.