Klarinet Archive - Posting 000461.txt from 1997/05

From: Jonathan Cohler <cohler@-----.net>
Subj: Re: Pino book
Date: Fri, 16 May 1997 00:07:55 -0400

>On Wed, 14 May 1997 20:59:14 -0400 Jonathan Cohler <cohler@-----.net>
>writes:
>
>>The other big problem that is caused by breathing, is the disruption
>>of
>>embouchure and fingers. When one takes a breath through the mouth,
>>one
>>necessarily moves the embouchure. Therefore it must be reset before
>>playing again.
>
>I don't find this difficult. Simply breathe out of the sides of your
>mouth so that top & bottom lip and top & bottom teeth don't move
>relative to the mouthpiece / reed. You may relax the pressure from the
>bottom jaw a little while you're inhaling, but you immediately go back to
>the necessary amount of pressure when you start playing again; your body
>knows how much pressure to apply.
>

Much easier said than done. It is precisely this readjustment of the sides
of the mouth and the reapplication of pressure in the lower jaw that is so
difficult to accomplish rapidly, and with no adverse effects to either the
end of the previous note or the beginning of the next.

And while making this change rapidly, many people are distracted and have
finger problems to boot.

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