Klarinet Archive - Posting 000004.txt from 2003/02

From: GrabnerWG@-----.com
Subj: Re: [kl] double- lipping -- overcoming the "pain" problem
Date: Sat, 1 Feb 2003 08:54:09 -0500

In a message dated 2/1/2003 12:40:14 AM Eastern Standard Time, gnibbelin@-----.com writes:

>
> Your mention of the "tonal advantage that D/L players enjoy" really hit home
> with me. I am a re-tread who returned to playing after a 40 year hiatus.
> My teacher and I were working on some tone problems when as an experiment, I
> switched to D/L and immediately my tone improved, and I haven't returned to
> single lip since. After using D/L for about a month my tone had improved
> from that of an amateur to a pretty good professional sound.>>

I question the statement that player's who use a double-lip embouchure automatically enjoy a "tonal advantage".

Having said that, let me explain that I have experimented with double-lip embouchure off and on for 30 years.

A student with a collapsed embouchure - who bites rather than supporst - can get a dramatic improvement in tone quality by learning to play double lip for awhile. Simply, the double lip embouchures encourages the development of lip strength and strongly punishes biting - because of the pain involved!

However, there are problems involved in using a double lip permanently. One of the problems is that it becomes difficult to play while standing due to the fact that the clarinet tends to move about more. If you observe a clarinetist who uses a double lip embouchure, you will often see him/her gently resting the bell of the clarinet on the knee to add a little more stability.

Having said all this, I will also say that I use a double lip embouchure almost always now when I play bass clarinet. I will also say that I never use it when playing eb clarinet.

Walter Grabner
www.clarinetXpress.com
mouthpieces

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