Klarinet Archive - Posting 000360.txt from 1996/10

From: Luuk van Buul <vanbuul@-----.com>
Subj: Over- or underbite
Date: Mon, 14 Oct 1996 11:01:10 -0400

[text of Cohler skipped]
> 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

Here in the south of the Netherlands there is a clarinet 'professor' who sells
his own line of mouthpieces. One of the basic design ideas is that people with
different over- or underbite need different mouthpieces. The mouthpieces are
named for the millimeters overbite of the intended user, for example '116' is
built for people with 1 to 6 mm. overbite; '003' is intended for 0 to 3 mm.
underbite etc. Whether this really works I don't know.
I've met this person once and he measured my teeth with help of a
vernier calliper (?). I was advised to buy the '116'.
His name, and that of his mouthpieces is Piet Jeegers.
Luuk van Buul
--
================================================================================
L.J.M. van Buul vanbuul@-----.com
Philips Research Waalre Philips Optoelectronics Centre
Prof.Holstlaan 4
5656 AA Eindhoven Tel. +31 40 2744649
The Netherlands Fax. +31 40 2744335
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