Klarinet Archive - Posting 000272.txt from 1996/10

From: Jonathan Cohler <cohler@-----.NET>
Subj: Re: odd comments (acousti
Date: Thu, 10 Oct 1996 23:04:06 -0400

At 9:21 PM 10/10/96, thehat@-----.ORG wrote:
>"Keeping the embochure the same" is NOT a myth. It is an old French school
>method. The Selmer Brothers advocated it and it was taught by Daniel Bonade,
>who covers it in his "Clarinetist's Compendium."

I believe that people teach it. I didn't mean to say that it is a myth
that people teach it. The myth part is that it doesn't work, can't
possibly work, never did, never will.

Now there are degrees. It is possible to play mezzo forte in the high
register with just about any embouchure (and that's what most people do).

But to play from niente on any note in the altissimo range, or even down on
the A or Bb just above the staff *requires* adjustments to the embouchure.
It stems from the physics of the reed/air column coupled vibrating system,
and the impedance response of the system.

That's why everyone gets undertones playing the A softly. That's why
people have trouble making a smooth slur from a high C to a high D, or high
C to high F, etc., etc....

First, the main pressure point on the reed must be moved slightly lower and
higher (depending on the note) by pushing the jaw forward or pulling it in
slightly. All the while (as Neil noted), one must avoid too much pressure
on the reed. Oral cavity shaping helps as well (by positioning the tongue
properly), but the correct positioning of the embouchure is imperative
because it changes the nodal positions on the reed.

Whereever your lip is pressing on the reed is effectively a nodal area. By
changing the position of your embouchure (up or down the reed), you change
the nodal area, thereby changing the resonances of the reed, thereby tuning
the reed resonances to the air column resonances, thereby making it
possible to come in from niente.

Without it it's not possible. Now, some people may be doing it without
knowing that they are. But it must be done.

-----------------------
Jonathan Cohler
cohler@-----.net

>
>Robert Marcellus, who had fantastic success in the higher registers, did not
>make adjustments of the jaws or lips to change registers. I saw him play
>close up and I know this to be so. He believed (as do I) that the changes to
>be made are all internal, involving the middle and back of the tongue. He and
>I had many discussions about the poise of the tongue. In fact, if one were
>having trouble with grunts or squeaks, he often guessed (since he could not
>see) that moving jaws were the culprit, and he was often correct.
>
>If someone would like to point out the weaknesses in Mr. Marcellus's and Mr.
>Bonade's playing to me (at least as relates to their high register control).
>I would be happy to hear about it.
>
>Whenever anyone suggests that there is something you must absolutely do or
>not do, you should immediately become skeptical. I have heard beautiful
>sounds come from embochures that looked "horrible" to me and, of course,
>heard sounds that could peel paint and plaster come from textbook picture
>perfect embochures.
>
>Remember, it's not the swing, it's getting the ball in the hole.
>
>David Hattner
>clarinetist-at-large, NYC
> -> Alice4Mac 2.5d3 E QWK Eval:04Feb96
>Origin: Hat's Nut House