Klarinet Archive - Posting 000050.txt from 2002/01

From: Michelle White <mwhite3@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] lips
Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2002 17:21:23 -0500

I suppose most things are an issue of personal preference and style. My embouchure setup keeps me sensitive to biting and helps provide a great seal. (I like a lot of resistance in my mouthpiece setup and hate embouchure air leaks.)

One thing I did to avoid potential biting was to use smaller and smaller portions of the EZO. This way, I have more teeth to lip contact than EZO to lip which also keeps me sensitive to biting, etc. I now use EZO only over the top of the one bottom tooth that sticks up higher than the others (where the indention was the worst and tended to cut).

I had one professor who had sharp teeth filed down, but that didn't sound like anything I wanted to do. :-) I don't even want to TRY to think about what that sounded like as it was happening ... <shiver> He was happy and I'm happy for him. :-p

It is good, however, to be aware of the potential for biting as that is obviously never a good thing.

"reedman@-----.com" wrote:

> The down side of using something like that is that you can easily "bite" the reed. Loosing the sensitivity of the lip and teeth because of putting something like ezo, paper, etc can cause bitting. When I started lessons with Tony Gigliotti he made me stop using the Ezo and (I had also used first aid tape folded) it gave me a lot more sensitivity in knowing whether I was biting or not.
> Not to say that everyone using ezo etc. bites, but it is sure a lot easier to do that. Better to get used to the indentaton.
> When I said to Gigliotti that I had sharp teeth, he showed me his bottom teeth which were really *really* crooked!! :)
>
> David Blumberg
> http://classicalartists.toptempo.com
>
> ------------------------------------
> Michelle White
> Subject: Re: [kl] lips
> Message-ID: <3C337504.83AC053E@-----.com>
>
> One thing I do is place EZO (which is waxy substance used by denture wearers)
> over my front bottom teeth. You can cut the EZO into small strips. It
> usually
> only takes a little while to break in one tiny strip, but that tiny strip will
> last a good while. I keep my strips in a pill box in my case and try to have
> at least one broken-in backup.
>
> You can purchase EZO at most grocery stores. It will be located with other
> denture products.
>
> While I still have a dent, there is no pain and I can play for an extended
> period of time. I've used EZO for about 6 years now and neither my sound nor
> my
> embouchure have been adversely affected.
>
> Happy New Year!
> -------------------------
>
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