Klarinet Archive - Posting 001386.txt from 1998/10

From: "edsshop" <edsshop@-----.ca>
Subj: Re: [kl] double lip embouchure
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 1998 19:37:34 -0500

I'd never played much double lip, but enough to appreciate the advantage of
opening up more. Then, twenty-five years, ago I chipped one of my top
incisors. It had to be capped with gold [thus increasing my scrap value].
Suddenly the efficiency of my bone hearing increased enormously. It was
just horrible to play! Heavilly padding the mouthpiece was the only
possible choice. Luckilly that worked very well. In fact I wonder if it
turned me into a defacto double lip player? Opening up IS a good thing.
All this leads me to wonder if mouthpieces shouldn't be made thicker on top
to force us to be more open.
Ed Maurey
-----Original Message-----
From: Note Staff Unlimited <notestaff@-----.ch>
Date: Friday, October 30, 1998 6:50 PM
Subject: Re: [kl] double lip embouchure

>> Oh my GOD that's funny!! Outgrow?? Wow.
>>
>> I've been playing double lip for about eight years now, and indeed going
back
>> to teeth is like David Glenn said, "Scraping your fingernail along a
>> blackboard."
>>
>
>I "knew" we had some affinity!
>
>> I've encountered two problems with double lip embouchure. The first is
>> endurance.
>
>I started out playing double lip until my upper lip slipped out by itself
and
>wouldn't stay in any more. This was during my first season in the
Kurorchester
>(three concerts a day - pretty straining...) By the end of the first season
(1981)
>I never needed to put my teeth on the mpce anymore (for 17 years!)
>
>>
>>
>> The advantage? Tone. I know tone is a matter of taste and I've heard
some
>> beautiful single lip tones, but the clarinetists I love most to listen to
have
>> all been double lip players, so that's enough for me.
>>
>
>Hear, hear! It helped my tonguing as well.
>
>> I start all of my students double lip.
>
>Maybe this is a good idea. I alway explain to the beginner as simply as
possible
>how to blow (reed onto the lip, close the mouth and blow) and then I ask
them if
>they have their teeth or their upper lip on the mpce. I don't force the
pupil to
>use double lip as I reckon some people have shorter upper lips or
something...
>It's always clear right away whether double or single lip.
>
>> Keep your head up and the clarinet in.
>
>I find that the clarinet tends to turn out away from the body a bit more
with
>double-lip. Thereby less tiring to hold. I hardly ever have it on my knee
and
>generally prefer to play standing. Does this mean I have iron chops? I
don't think
>so.
>
>>
>>
>> Teri Herel
>>
>
>Thanks Anne and Teri for your comments.
>
>David
>David Glenn
>notestaff@-----.ch
>
>
>

-------------------------------------------------------------------------