Klarinet Archive - Posting 000051.txt from 2008/12

From: Fred Jacobowitz <fbjacobo@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] embouchure problems
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2008 22:42:25 -0500

Angelia,
You REALLY need to get to a teacher. We can suggest all manner of
things, but just like a picture, a live person seeing you is worth a
thousand words.

Fred Jacobowitz

Kol Haruach Klezmer Band
Ebony and Ivory Duo

You don't get harmony when everybody sings the same note.
~Doug Floyd

On Dec 16, 2008, at 10:15 PM, Angelia Fagg wrote:

>
> Dear list,
>
> I'm hoping someone can help me with a very annoying problem with my
> embouchure. I recently had to stop playing for several months
> because of various health problems. When I could play again, I
> started out with scales and long tones, then played through all my
> intermediate books and easier pieces before I went back to the
> Mozart and Schuman I was working on when I got sick. (I haven't
> even tried the Brahms Sonata again yet-- I know those leaps at the
> beginning would kill me right now!) Since I started back, I've
> noticed that I am biting the mouthpiece, hard enough to make my
> teeth ache for hours afterward. There's a visible dent inside my
> lower lip, and my upper teeth feel like someone tried to pull them
> all out. (One of the "various health problems" was having my upper
> wisdom teeth pulled, and, yes, that is exactly what it feels
> like!) I can't find any leaks in the clarinet, and I don't think
> the reed is too hard--the tone sounds as good as it ever did. I am
> having problems getting my control back, especially when going from
> one register to another. I also have trouble with two notes--
> clarion D (fourth line) and A (one ledger line). They both sound
> stuffy, and sometimes don't sound immediately, especially after a
> wider interval. If I play f-g-a-b, it plays ok (but, like I said,
> kind of stuffy), but if I play f-a, it might come out, and it might
> hesitate for a second. Same thing with the D, only it's more likely
> to squeak. I haven't had problems with squeaks for years and
> years, and this is driving me crazy!!!!! I have no idea if all
> these problems are related, if there's something wrong with the
> clarinet, or if it's just because I'm so frustrated with the lack
> of control. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!!!!!!
>
> Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!
>
> Angelia
>
> Send e-mail faster without improving your typing skills.
> http://windowslive.com/Explore/hotmail?
> ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_hotmail_acq_speed_122008
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
>

------------------------------------------------------------------