Klarinet Archive - Posting 001003.txt from 2004/10

From: Adam Michlin <amichlin@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Joe Allard
Date: Sun, 31 Oct 2004 22:29:44 -0500

At 08:49 PM 10/31/2004 -0600, Forest Aten wrote:

>Adam said:
>
> >The advantage (and hence attractiveness) of smiling is that it thins our
> >lips out, lessening the dampening of the vibration of the reed and thus
> >creating more sound.
>
> This is NOT true.... In several pretty recent posts by Tony Pay, he
>described the importance of the bottom lip, both in terms of how the
>muscle was "flexed" or in other words, the firmness and nature of the
>cushion...and he discussed the relationship between the bottom lip and the
>reed...in detail. Most of this information was in the referenced post
>Tony posted. I wish I could find the more recent postings. Perhaps Tony
>will remember the posts I refer to.

Yeah, but I don't agree with a portion of what Tony has said. He does say
it quite eloquently, though. He has asked that I not voice my opinion and I
fear I have already violated that request too much (is that like being half
pregnant?).

But, for sake of argument, why do you feel so many students fall into the
trap of a smile embouchure? There must be some attractive quality to it (we
have to assume the student is listening and critically evaluating to some
degree or we might as well not even bother with this conversation). What is
the quality and why does smiling give it to them?

I submit the smile embouchure is better than no embouchure for the above
quoted reasons and that is why students often fall into such an embouchure
without guidance. I am in no way advocating the smile embouchure!

> >Unfortunately, the muscles which we use to smile are
> >very much connected to the muscles in our throat.
>
> This is really NOT true.... There are over 150 sets of muscles in
>the face...none of which are attached to the muscles in the throat.
>Players often suffer from negative correspondence between muscle sets
>related to performance of a musical instrument.

Not directly, but indirectly. I used to zone out in my lessons when my
teacher would take out Gray's Anatomy, so in this case I am very guilty of
merely referencing other pedagogues. I do know that when I tighten my lips
I feel my throat muscles become tense.

> >Try to smile (a silly
> >'Chesire Cat' kind of grin) and talk. You will feel the tension in your
> >throat. I hope Tony won't take me to task for suggesting a tight throat is
> >not conducive to an efficient clarinet tone.
>
> This is NOT true... I can't imagine how a smiley face embouchure and
>a "tight" throat work together...or how they might even remotely
>correspond in positive ways???
>
> Sorry Adam....If players buy into this information and follow this
>smiley face embouchure advice, most will suffer.

Pardon me? Who said anything about a positive way?

To be clear, a smiley embouchure is better than no embouchure. A "rubber
band" embouchure is better than a smiley embouchure. I do feel there is an
embouchure which combines the advantages of both the smiley embouchure and
the rubber band embouchure. Better, of course, being defined as more
efficient. I also feel this embouchure is equally effective on saxophone.

Of course, we shouldn't assume everyone is after a more efficient sound. By
understanding all the different approaches musicians can pick and choose
whatever sound they want and teachers are better able to diagnose problems.
I can play legit, Dixieland (well, I don't improvise very well), Glenn
Miller lead, or almost any other style I want using any and all of the
above techniques and exactly the same mouthpiece reed setup.

-Adam

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