Klarinet Archive - Posting 000819.txt from 2001/05

From: Roger Shilcock <roger.shilcock@-----.uk>
Subj: Re: [kl] Lips and teeth (Steel jaws)
Date: Tue, 29 May 2001 06:13:20 -0400

I'm mostly self-taught, and I think I discovered this role of the thumb
well before I was actually capable of putting it into practice - I forget
why.
The bass clarinet is also a "thumb" instrument, of course (?), unlike any
sax - the need here is to prevent the thing rotating about the thumbrest, or at
least it seems that way. Basset horns are different again because they are
inherently bottom-heavy.
Roger Shilcock

In message <001b01c0e81e$c86ca480$d22c7bd5@-----.org writes:
>
> From: "Tony Pay" To: <klarinet@-----.org>
> Sent: 29 May 2001 04:46
> 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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--
Go, go, said the bird; human kind
Cannot bear very much reality
------ T. S. ELiot ("Burnt Norton," I)

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