Klarinet Archive - Posting 000130.txt from 2002/10

From: EClarinet@-----.com
Subj: [kl] Re: lower jaw pain
Date: Thu, 3 Oct 2002 12:46:28 -0400

Robert said:
<<Over the past week I've notice that my lower jaw would be throbbing after
Practicing or playing for an hour or more. I do tend to overbite, but this
is something I've never felt before. My question to the list is Does anyone
else experience this and is so what do you do to deal with?>>

and Bill W.suggested:

<< Sometimes a change of mouthpiece or reed can help because the wrong
set-up (wrong for you, that is) may encourage you to develop 'bad
habits' in order to get the sound that you want.>>

I occasionally will get a sore jaw, although it doesn't 'throb'. This almost
always happens if I play for a long concert on a reed that's a bit too soft
for me. I assume I use more jaw pressure to try to bring the reed closer to
the facing (?) to get more sound. (I'm sure someone can say why I am doing it
with the proper technical terms). My embouchure usually gets tired at the
same time, I guess from trying to keep the pitch up, since playing on a soft
reed makes me flatter.

I have also experienced jaw pain playing on a reed that's too hard. I used to
do this more when I was younger, but it was too painful, and I know it made
me bite more, so I just stopped playing on reeds like that.

Hope this information is of some help.....

Elise Curran
Orlando

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