Klarinet Archive - Posting 000343.txt from 1996/10

From: Richard Faria <faria@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: Jaw pressure
Date: Sun, 13 Oct 1996 12:58:37 -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

This well made point struck home with me recently as I was working with a
student who has a large overbite. She could make a very "good looking"
embouchure, but a very unpleasant sound. Once I got her to bring her top
and bottom teeth more into line, thus bringing more pressure to bear on the
reed (it was vibrating almost totally unsupported before) her sound became
_much_ more controlled, as well as her attacks, intonation, etc.

Now she has to find the balance between too much and not enough...

Has anyone else had experiences with clarinet students having a large over
or underbite? Any good solutions?

******************************
Richard Faria
Assistant Professor of Music (Clarinet)
Ithaca College
School of Music
Ithaca, NY 14850-7240
Office (607) 274 3425
Fax (607) 274 1727
faria@-----.com
http://www.ithaca.edu/music/music4/
******************************