Klarinet Archive - Posting 000817.txt from 2001/05

From: "Tony Wakefield" <tony-wakefield@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Lips and teeth (Steel jaws)
Date: Tue, 29 May 2001 05:06:45 -0400

From: "Tony Pay" To: <klarinet@-----.org>
Subject: [kl] Lips and teeth

> It may well be true that if we were in the very artificial situation
> of having to construct one general announcement, to be broadcast
> willy-nilly to the clarinet playing community, on the subject of the
> forces between lips and teeth, then we would do better to say that the
> lips should exert less rather than more force on the teeth.
>
> This is because more people tend to err on the side of excessive force
> of lips on teeth than on the side of insufficient force of lips on
> teeth.

You were up early today Tony. Raiding the fridge

I fail to understand how it is, that it is possible to have teeth
dominate the use of the lips. Surely it is the natural requirement for the
lips to
control pretty nearly everything, where the production of sound is
concerned. <The> major function of the teeth surely, is, in tandem with the
jaws, to
in turn help the mouth to close to a sufficiently comfortable position
(without the need to bite) to enable the lips
to then take over responsibility of "fine tuning" the embouchure.

I was originally self taught, picked up lots of incorrect embouchure
formations before it was explained to me that what supports the instrument
inside the mouth is in fact not the jaw, not the teeth tightening/biting
onto the lips, not the lips themselves, but the right hand thumb. This thumb
is active passively, (if one can understand that) all the time one is
playing, constantly adjusting, (as I say, subconsciously), in order to help
the lips perform their task in creating good control, tone, intonation,
innuendo wild or otherwise etc etc.
My hard lesson to learn/experience (and a valuable one) in being initially
self taught, and moving onto saxophone too early, only 18 months after first
starting the clarinet, was to teach me that my clarinet embouchure had not
formed properly, (I was always struggling when changing back to clarinet)
and I have to thank what common sense I had remaining, when I then got rid
of the sax. ( In my middle teens). If others try this premature move onto
sax, do be sure to understand that the right hand thumb plays no part in the
sax embouchure, as it is a "sling" instrument. The sling adjusts to a
preferred position. what the R.H. does where the clarinet is concerned.
Therefore, the thumb is not then able to fully learn/understand what is
necessary, for it to contribute towards the clarinet embouchure.

I wonder how many self taught we have on this list, and what <they> may like
to comment on re the above. And also indeed the same request to our
sometimes quite forthright pro`s.

In another post, the bite was mentioned and in another, shot-down. I`m
wondering if the use of the word "bite" was wrong in this case, and that
instead, the "faster flow of air" (requ. for harder reeds) is what was
meant.
Breathing the air thru` faster is surely not in our best interests. Yes,
that <is> what is required for forte etc, but in the end will it surely tire
us, as we are in fact making ourselves work harder than what we need to? I
wonder what would happen to our stamina, (and embouchure) if a 4 hour Wagner
opera, or a Mahler symphony plus other items was on the prog., if one had to
play on harder reeds because of the close facing mouthpieces which have been
mentioned. Especially if we hadn`t taken our daily dose of Lucosade :<)

<I`m> off to the fridge now.

Best,

Tony W.

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