Klarinet Archive - Posting 000341.txt from 1996/10

From: Jonathan Cohler <cohler@-----.NET>
Subj: Jaw pressure
Date: Sun, 13 Oct 1996 11:36:35 -0400

Everett's comments about jaw pressure are important.

So that we don't give the wrong idea to any beginners on the list, one
should be clear that jaw pressure is absolutely necessary to play the
clarinet.

Once again this stems from the basic physics. Without pressure on the
reed, it will not vibrate. I won't go into the details of how this works
here, but suffice it to say that the appropriate amount of pressure is
*required* (once again interested readers can see this documented in
painstaking detail by Arthur Benade).

Now, when Neil says that he thinks of using no pressure from the jaw, I
believe he means (and correct me if I'm wrong, please) that he uses this as
a mental concept to find the optimal amount of pressure.

Because playing the clarinet is a feedback system (i.e. we hear what we are
playing and we automatically make physical adjustments as a result), one
always applies pressure with the jaw to make the reed vibrate. If we think
of applying "no pressure" as a concept, we will tend lessen the pressure to
the point where the playing is most free and easy.

This is certainly a good approach.

But make no mistake about it, jaw pressure is required to play the clarinet.

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