Klarinet Archive - Posting 000339.txt from 2000/02

From: "Dr. Laroy Borchert" <lborcher@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] corner leaks (was spitty tone)
Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2000 02:38:36 -0500

Lynn,
If air is leaking from the corners, (with or without spit), it is a sign
that:

1. too much air is being forced through the embouchure - (you indicated
that too little air was a problem) and
2. not sealing the corners with a firm enough forward, or inward, pull of
the muscles.

Since the second likely seems to be the problem, may I recommend some
exercises that strengthen the control of the corners? You may search
through the archives under this topic also, since it has come up before, but
here is a good one that I use with my some of my students:

1. In front of a mirror, form a good clarinet embouchure, (major cautions
here on what is a "good" embouchure).
2. Maintaining the flat chin and firm corners, (you can place your index
finger on the chin and pull down to check the chin firmness), have the
student form the syllables eeeh/oooh. They will, hopefully, begin to feel
which muscles they have to use in order to seal the leak.
3. Use your index finger as a mouthpiece substitute and slide it into
your mouth about as far as the normal moutpiece would be inserted, approx.
3/8 of an inch (how may cm is that?).
4. Still maintaining the flat chin, inhale and then exhale forcing the
leak at both corners.
5. With the chin flat and firm, (notice a pattern here), alternately seal
and open the corners leaking on "eeeh" and sealing on "oooh." Another
caution here: this will not work if the top lip is splayed out too far or
not tucked in firmly against the top teeth.
6. The idea is to get them to feel which facial muscles they have to use
in order to seal the corners tightly.
7. Continue the exercise with the instrument and gradually build endurance
with long tones, slow scales, and perhaps slowly playing the excercises on
p. 16 of the Klose "Method for Clarinet."

Good luck!

Dr. Laroy Borchert
Professor of Clarinet
Music Department
New Mexico State Univeristy
Las Cruces, NM 88003
(505) 646-3735 (office)

----- Original Message -----
From: Hojnacki <hojnacki@-----.com>
Subject: Re: [kl] spitty tone

> David, you R right. My student with the spitty tone also doesn't send
> enough air through the clarinet. The spit bubbles at his corners on the
> sides of the reed which indicates weak embouchure and not enough
> practice!
>
> Dr. Laroy Borchert - It is saliva collecting behind and coming out the
> sides of the reed.

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