Klarinet Archive - Posting 000144.txt from 1998/10

From: "Sheryl L. Katz" <slkatz@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Embouchure/Mouthpiece Clarinet/Sax Question
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1998 18:07:12 -0400

I've got a question about the interaction between (1) Instruments, (2)
Mouthpieces, and (3) Embouchure.

I have a problem on the Alto sax that I don't have on the clarinet or Tenor
Sax and it's driving me crazy trying to figure it out.

The problem is this: I get a buildup of spit between the mouthpiece and
reed that makes the sound raspy. It doesn't seem to matter which mouthpiece
I use or which reed I use - I've tried several. I only seem to have this
problem on Alto Sax and Soprano Sax. On Tenor Sax and C-Melody I never have
this problem. On Clarinet, not matter which clarinet or mouthpiece I use I
never get this problem.

Could it be that I need to try still more mouthpieces? Could it be the size
of the mouthpiece? (But why Alto Sax and Soprano but not clarinet?) I
think I use a different embouchure on clarinet than sax. I say I think it's
a bit different because sax definitely requires the mouth to be more relaxed
and when I started on sax I couldn't play it with my clarinet embouchure.

This is very frustrating because emptying the moisture from the mouthpiece
seems to fix the problem but only for a few bars and then it starts all
over. Any suggestions about what might cause this particularly to be a
problem on Alto Sax and not clarinet and not tenor sax?

Have any of you had this problem or encountered it with a student with the
clarinet?

Sherry Katz

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