Klarinet Archive - Posting 000588.txt from 1998/09

From: Jeff Carwile <carwile@-----.org>
Subj: RE: [kl] re:Humming
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 02:09:16 -0400

I understand you, Fred. I have also run into this humming problem in
some students. When I first started teaching, I began by telling them
to "keep their throat open", but noticed that this can lead to even more
tension because they don't view it as a relaxed or natural position, but
a "forced" open one.

I've found that usually it is solved by adjusting hardware (specifically
reed strength) or by just by getting the student to be aware of his/her
tendency with careful slow sensitive practice of scales. In your
experience, do you have any further suggestions for ways to get rid of
closed (overly tense) throats?

Thanks,
Jeff

-----Original Message-----
From: Fred Jacobowitz [mailto:fredj@-----.edu]
Subject: Re: [kl] re:embouchure problem

Richard,
Sounds suspiciously like you have a very tight throat and
occasionally you close it up too much, cutting off some air and making
the
reed susceptible (sp?) to overblowing at the slightest lip pressure.
When
you were starting out on clarinet, did you have a problem with "humming"
(actually, vocalizing tonelessly) while you played? I have had students
who for some reason are too tight in the throat and they sometimes do
what
you have described.
If this is the case, you have to be more aware of what the
throat
is doing and make sure that you never allow it to close up.

Fred Jacobowitz
Clarinet/Sax Instructor, Peabody Preparatory

On Wed, 16 Sep 1998, David C. Blumberg wrote:

> Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 12:22:25 +0000
> To: klarinet@-----.org
> From: "Richard Sankovich" <sanko@-----.edu>
> Subject: Clarinet overblowing
> Message-Id: <199809161722.MAA08750@-----.edu>
> Here is weird problem that I would like to have advice on. I find it
> very easy to overblow all of my clarinets in the clarion register.
> All it takes is just the slightest increase in embrouchure pressure,
> and bingo, the pitch of the note has jumped up about a sixth! On
> many of the notes I can easily get it to overblow a second time, to a
> pitch that is about a fifth higher still. This overblowing happens
> so easily that I have to be very careful when playing in the clarion
> register to prevent it from happening. It feels almost like a leak
> or crack problem, except that it isn't, because it happens with all
> of my clarinets (Buffet R-13 B-flat and A, Noblet C, Conn B-flat),
> and all of them (except the A) use completely different mouthpieces,
> ligatures, and even reeds. So it is an embrouchure problem. Has
> anyone else ever experienced this sort of thing? I'd appreciate
> having your comments.
> ----Richard Sankovich
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Try putting a little more of your lower lip in your mouth (less red on
the
> outside),and take a little less mouthpiece also (on the top teeth).
Try
> that combo, and see if that fixes the problem. Let me know.
>
>
>
> David Blumberg
> reedman@-----.com
> http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/Music/Blumberg.html
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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