Klarinet Archive - Posting 000735.txt from 1999/01

From: Note Staff Unlimited <notestaff@-----.ch>
Subj: Re: [kl] double lip
Date: Sat, 16 Jan 1999 15:35:36 -0500

Jennifer McKenna schrieb:

> (excuse the MY last posting, I keep forgetting that Hotmail doesn't alow
> you to use a TAB key when typing the letter!)
> I have played clarinet for 9 years now, very wonderful years...well
> 5 of them anyway, becuase I have had the unfortunate task in highschool,
> of being a doubler. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't forced :) I played alto
> sax, and at one time had considered that my main instrument, I never
> really paid much attention when my saxophone teacher told me I played
> sax like a clarinet, I didn't think it really matter. I developed TMJ,
> I'm not sure if this was the cause, but it started about half way
> through my short lived (4 year) sax career.
> Anyway, about 2 weeks ago, I had the very unpleasant task of having
> to 'unstick' my jaw, i was practice clarinet when all of a sudden I
> heard a pop...followed by pain...and having to slam my jaw closed. (its
> very unpleasant for ppl that have had to do this) Well this episode was
> followed by a trip to the dentist, and a referral to the Tufts medical
> school TMJ team, where I received the second of 2 cortizone shots.
> They told me I had done irreversable damage, which I don't agree
> with. For those of you that have TMJ, and to those that don't, its very
> painful. It's not enough that it effects your playing, but it gives you
> headaches that last for days, you can't chew, yawning hurts, among the
> emotional pain of not believeing that you can continue to play clarinet.
> I love music, and unfortunatly due to the fact that my parents and I
> have no money, am not in school to continue my music career at the
> moment. But when I heard this, i can't play anymore, I was in total
> denial. Almost nothing can be done for TMJ, and the worst of it, HMO's
> consider it a stress disorder, and so anything that you want done to
> help eleviate pain, you have to pay for yourself.
> So, getting to the real point of this sob note :) I was wondering how
> many ppl on this list play double lip? I really feel this is my last
> option. It should help immensely. Also anyone who knows of ppl who
> have played double lip. Unfortunatly it is a dying art. Any information
> would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Jennifer :)

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Hi Jennifer,

I'm sorry to hear about your problem with your jaw. Did you have no warning
when it was going to happen? (If so, one could -at least theoretically - stop
before the crunch.)

Don't know what TMJ is or the consequences of it but from the description -
it's just a gut feeling - I wonder if the last trigger was trying to keep
your jaw in a single, tense position over a longer period of time. Assuming
the damage is not irreversible and you start playing again, my suggestion
would be to use a gentle jaw vibrato. In this case, the jaw is more important
than whether vibrato fits to the music or if you like vibrato at all. I'll go
further: It doesn't matter what it sounds like - only how you feel. You can
worry about the tone later.

Because the embouchure and the fingers react to each other - when one is
tense, the other also will be - I suggest you massage your clarinet gently
with your fingers. Here, the movement is important. It's the same as with
your embouchure/jaw. Of course, you'll want to be sure that you have a
correct hand position, nicely rounded fingers, etc. It helps me to
consciously use a finger movement in which the fingers do not hammer directly
at the thumbs (vertically) but that the fingers move at a slight angle. So
they are not hammering at the thumbs/clarinet but brushing past the thumbs.
In other words, if the clarinet weren't in your hands, the middle finger
would not hit the thumb but slide right on past it. You can practise this
without the clarinet. When holding a note, don't press harder to make sure
the holes are closed but feel for the roundness of the holes. When you
recognize the round shape, the hole is closed. That's enough.

Use of imagination can help here. I like to use this with especially my
younger pupils: Imagine that your clarinet is the beautiful long neck of a
singing bird. How are you going to hold it so that it will sing nicely? I
stole that from a violin teacher (Havas)

With the double lip embouchure, don't be afraid to let the clarinet go out a
little bit further from your body (than with single lip) and make sure the
shoulders are not locked.

Like Teri said in her post, the upper lip won't hold up for long at first. Be
patient and it will increase in strength.

I hope with this note that maybe you gained some hope to play with out
further pain. Of course double lip can't do medical healing (at risk of
stating the obvious) but maybe you will, through double lip embouchure, start
to minimize the damage which was caused through playing with bad habits
before.

Good luck, Jennifer!

David
David Glenn
notestaff@-----.ch

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