Klarinet Archive - Posting 000264.txt from 1996/10

From: Doug MacDonell <dougmac@-----.ORG>
Subj: Re: odd comments (acoustics)
Date: Thu, 10 Oct 1996 21:24:52 -0400

>Eric wrote:
>
>
>-->My teacher maintains that one should not change the embouchure when
>playing
>-->high notes, but I think he means that high notes should not be "forced".
>
>I cannot play these notes without embouchure adjustment (to a more relaxed
>position).
>I too have heard that it is amateurs who must alter the position of their
>muscles in order
>to effect the highest tones. Every time I play, I think of this remark. I
>have not
>_rigorously_ experimented with effecting jumps without an embouchure change,
>but
>make "attempts" quite often. They fail. ----Bill F.

I had somebody demonstrate to me that you don't need to change your embouchure
for altissimo: rotate the mouthpiece 180 degrees on the instrument. While
you are blowing, have somebody finger a D Major scale over the upper break.
It's
amazingly easy to do when you aren't anticipating a problem!

Doug MacDonell
dougmac@-----.org