Klarinet Archive - Posting 000444.txt from 2004/03

From: "Ronald Robinson" <ronald034@------.ca>
Subj: Re: [kl] Teaching clarinet embouchure to Asian students
Date: Sun, 7 Mar 2004 14:35:01 -0500

I've also had problems with embouchure in a student wearing braces. He
can't get firm enough in the corners of his mouth. The throat tones
expecially are bad sound.

Evelyn
----- Original Message -----
From: "Audrey Travis" <vsofan@------.ca>
To: <klarinet@------.org>
Sent: Sunday, March 07, 2004 11:23 AM
Subject: [kl] Teaching clarinet embouchure to Asian students

> Patricia Crispino wrote (many months ago):
>
> For embouchure think of Q, that is what I tell my
> kids. If you have them say the letter Q their lips
> already form that shape, lower lip over the teeth,
> pointed chin and so forth. Another thing you can use
> is the idea of putting on chapstick. When they pucker
> up to apply the chapstick their embouchure is pretty
> much already set. As long as you get the point
> across, that good embouchure consists of a pointed
> chin, lower lip over the bottom teeth, and top teeth
> on the mouthpiece, then I think you're ok. As for how
> much mouthpiece and reed to stick in the mouth you
> could always use the paper trick. stick a piece of
> paper behind the reed and where it stops is usually
> where your lower lip should be. Be sure to give him a
> sound sample, the difference in tone and pitch when
> using little mouthpiece/little reed/lots of
> mouthpiece/lots of reed/and the best of both worlds.
> It helps when they hear what to strive for. Best of
> luck to you, hope that this helped some.
>
> Here in Vancouver, I teach a lot of Asian (mostly Chinese students). A
> great number of them have serious difficulty firming up the corners of
> their mouth at all to approximate a good clarinet embouchure. As a
> result they play flat much of the time. They simply put the mp in their
> mouth with no tension in the corners at all. Many of the Asian students
> who grow up speaking only English don't seem to have this problem.
> Also, re Patricia's comments, it's very easy to say "Q" or put on lip
> balm without puckering or firming the mouth corners. If we have any
> native Chinese speakers (mother tongue) on the list or linguists, could
> you please
>
> a) comment on my theory below and
>
> b) offer a possible solution?
>
> Theory: there are no sounds in Chinese language(s) which require the
> mouth to be firm in the corners, therefore my native Chinese speaking
> students have never learned how to form this shape.
>
> Please help if you can.
>
> Many thanks
>
> Audrey
>
>
>
>
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