 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Betty
Date: 2004-06-09 15:19
Does anyone have any ideas on what a person can do during a LONG (winded) concert, when you still have a ways to go, and your mouth/lips just WONT hold up? I have many many years of experience playing behind me, but STILL cant get a strong lip hold after playing for 2 hours straight !!
What ever can I do? Am I destined to 'fake it' and play just a few low notes that will barely eek out at this time, or is there a way to maintain or regain your embouchure at the point of fatigue? (Yes, I do the legendary 'lip ups' exercizes....stretching into kissing lips, and then going to the grimacing face...back and forth...a couple times a week to loosen up and exersize the muscles but obviously, it is not helping to tighten anything for the long run)
THanks for your imput!! Betty
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2004-06-09 21:26
Don't know. Maybe practice more double lip embouchure. I don't know if it'll help, but it couldn't hurt devoting some practice time to double lip.
Also, I think what I've seen suggested before on this board is something like a week before your performance, practice the entire performance, straight through twice in a row. That'll help build up the endurance to play it through. And then the day before, just play it once through. And the day of, play NOTHING till you start warming up with the band.
Alexi
I think that's what it was. Just to MAKE SURE that you can play through it.
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Katrina
Date: 2004-06-10 02:43
Sorry no really great advice here...I have had to play 3+ hour dance gigs and know your pain. Just lay out when you can and be sure to stay relaxed. I think general relaxation can help when your face muscles are really really stressed out.
Katrina
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Author: ron b
Date: 2004-06-10 04:01
I'd like to second Katrina's suggestion, Betty.
The key to extended playing, in my experience, is to make(!) yourself RELAX. Most of us don't realize just how many muscles are involved in playing a wind instrument beside the mouth and fingers. Arms, back, shoulders, neck, eyebrows, etc. all add up to a Lot of stress if you're at all tense. One area will work against another, which will in turn may over-compensate for another which will trigger... you get the idea? Before you know it your back hurts, your wrists ache and your embouchure, instead of happily making music wants to cry, "Uncle!!!".
As Kat says, "...general realxation can help when your face muscles are really really stressed out." You need to go further than that - to the root of the stress. Where's the tenseness; shoulders, back, legs, feet? Examine what's happening as you play. Then 'practice' un-stressing the stress areas as you play/practice.
In plain words, RELAX!
You'll probably realize quite soon that you've been *working at playing* as you discover you could just as well be *playing at playing* 
- r![[cool]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/cool.gif) n b -
Post Edited (2004-06-10 05:51)
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Author: Ron Jr.
Date: 2004-06-10 14:36
Betty,
I know exactly what you're talking about. After your lips are shot then you really can't blow another note. Sure you can pray for the long rests but even then it's not enough time to recuperate.
Let me share some observations which may or may not help you.
Before I got braces my teeth were extremely crooked and twisted. I could only play for two hours max before my mouth got tired. I even practiced by sitting at my computer holding a mouthpiece (with reed and ligature attached) in my mouth. I read about this "Legendary" techique on this board. The person who advocated it even adds the barrel as extra weight. Even though it helped to build my endurance to two hours that was my limit.
After I got my braces off my tone quality improved, maybe because my bottom teeth were now perfectly aligned, but also because my mouth had a symetrical and compact tone chamber.
I also noticed that I could play for far longer, easily 3 hours. I suspect many reasons:
my teeth were not poking into the sides of my gums.
my teeth were pushed further back into my mouth and were perfectly aligned so that they took up less space in my mouth.
As a result it took less effort for me to hold my embouchure, keep my chin flat and fill in with my cheeks.
I don't know if your situation resembles mine, but the difference is remarkable.
At the very least try the "Legendary" technique I mentioned above. But never do it on the day of a concert. Then surely you won't be able to play for more than 30 minutes!
Take care,
Ron
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Author: William
Date: 2004-06-10 14:58
Just a couple of thoughts:
1) Many clarinetists, attempting for that "dark", "big" sound, will tend to use reeds that are too strong rather than relying on embouchure and breath control to refine the sound.
2) My endurnace really suffers when I do not have sufficient time to warm up my "chops" before the gig. Like in athletic events where stretching and shooting practice are used to prepare muscles for competition, the musicians embouchure should be prepared in similar fashion for the performance at hand.
Anyhow, food for thought................
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Author: elmo lewis
Date: 2004-06-11 18:39
If you know that you are in for a long blow you've got to pace yourself. Don't play so loud, lay out if there are tuttis where you won't be heard anyway. Don't be a hero! There's no use giving your all for 2 hours and then not giving anything for the last hour. It's better to give 85% for all three hours.
Another tip: get you lips off the mouthpiece at every opportunity. I normally keep my embouchure set during short rests or rests where I don't breathe but when tired I take it out of my mouth for every rest-even eighth rests. I find that this gives me 15 or 20 minutes more playing time.
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2004-06-11 18:43
......sink ships.
That's what we used to say in the Navy (with regards to keeping classified information to ourselves).
I just knew you needed to know that.
Not really clarinet-related, I suppose. Sorry GBK and Mark (who understands, being ex-Navy too, I think)
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Author: Woodwinder
Date: 2004-06-13 06:44
Assuming that your corners are firm and your chin is flat, try pushing up on your top teeth---balancing your whole head using your top teeth on the top of the mouthpiece to hold up your whole head. Relax your neck. This releases the tightness in your lower lip, creating a cushion for the reed to vibrate on. Think of fattening your lower lip, like a sponge absorbing water. Also, good breath support makes the reed vibrate automatically. You can force a reed to vibrate (when your lip is thin and stretched out) or let it vibrate.
Then, if all else fails, pick a discreet moment and flap your lips like a horse. We sometimes deplete our lips of blood when we play alot, and this gets the circulation back.
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Author: Joel Clifton
Date: 2004-06-15 00:30
Darn it David, I clicked on this post with the sole purpose of saying, "Sink ships". You beat me to it.
:-)
I'm not/wasn't in the navy, I just know that.
-------------
"You have to play just right to make dissonant music sound wrong in the right way"
Post Edited (2004-06-15 00:30)
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Author: chuck
Date: 2004-06-15 04:24
David: We also said, "when in doubt, leave it out". Chuck
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Author: BobD
Date: 2004-06-15 14:24
There's something that builds-up in runners' muscles....aha , lactic acid....that can be combatted with a drug but I forget its name. Maybe that has some possibility for lip muscle aid....
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