Klarinet Archive - Posting 000829.txt from 2001/10

From: @-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] FW: Speaking of "Returning Clarinetists"....
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 23:56:12 -0400

About teeths...
I am Magnus Börjesson, 44 years old and live in Örebro, Sweden. I play in an
amateur symphony orchestra and have played clarinet since i was 10.
I have a slightly problem with my upper teeth, one of them has a small piece
cut off. The result is that only one teeth bites in the mouthpiece, if you
know what I mean.
I´m thinking of asking my dentist to make adjustments.
My question: Has anyone got experiences? Did it have any effect?
(It´s not really a big problem, but maybe its good to have the preassure on
both teeths)

Bye

/m
----- Original Message -----
From: <Tom.Henson@-----.com>
Subject: RE: [kl] FW: Speaking of "Returning Clarinetists"....

> Regarding my return to playing clarinet.
>
> One thing that I learned from a mentor of mine while in the Army Band had
to
> do with the lower lip placement. Since I was stationed in Germany the
> subject came up one day of using a double lip embouchure. Many European
> clarinetist use this.
>
> He showed me what he learned from his professor while attending graduate
> school and felt it could work for me also.
>
> Many people play clarinet who do not have a perfect row of upper or lower
> teeth. The shape of the teeth can certainly affect the way you position
the
> mouthpiece in your mouth and the way you shape the lower lip over the
bottom
> teeth. I had learned the standard way of placing the lower lip over the
> bottom teeth, but occasionally this would lead to problems with my lower
lip
> from the teeth cutting into them. I have especially sharp teeth and it
only
> made matters worse. When I had to do a lot of playing I would fold up a
> piece of paper and placing it over my lower teeth to help cushion the
> contact. Now they make products for this, but back then they did not.
>
> Well, I learned not to put the lower lip over the bottom teeth, but simply
> pull it tight up against the front of the teeth. This leaves very little
of
> the lip actually curling over the edge of the teeth, and the reed does not
> rest on the part that curls over the top to any great degree, so I now
have
> no problem with my teeth cutting into my lower lip.
>
> I would imagine that this would be another problem for people returning to
> play clarinet again, and would limit the amount of time one could
> comfortably practice.
>
> I also find that by resting the reed mainly on the lip instead of on the
> teeth I have more control. It also makes your chin flat because you have
to
> pull down on the chin to pull the lip tight against the teeth, instead of
> pushing up with the chin like some beginners to support the lip rolled
over
> the teeth.
>
> It is hard to describe, but for me it worked wonders and I never have a
sore
> lip any more regardless of how long I play or practice.
>
> Tom Henson
> Houston, Texas
>
>
> Mitch Halpern wrote: << Yes, I, too, am a returning clarinetist. I
> played seriously through
> college and grad school, but have only played/studies intermittently (at
> best) for the last 18 years.
>
> So far, my experiences pretty much mimic those mentioned by the other
> recent "returnees", except for one very troubling item: a completely
> unstable
> embouchure. After only a few moments of playing, my lower lip and jaw
> start an "involuntary tremble" which, obviously, makes consistent tone
> quality, intonation, and articulation essentially impossible in the
clarinet
> and
> higher registers. I have experimented with reed strength and with some
> old mouthpieces I have had "lying around" and nothing (yet) seems to have
> any significant effect on the tremor. I hope this is just muscle fatigue
> from a weak embouchure which will disappear as the respective muscles gain
> strength. >>
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>

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