 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: saxysam89
Date: 2005-09-08 23:11
I have been playing clarinet for about 5 years and for the past 2 years I have been getting into the more advanced things. The problem is after all my practices my teeth sort of cut my bottom lip open... let me explain.
After any practice (especially when I play the high notes), from curling my lip to make a cushion for the reed, my teeth dig in to the part that's not actually the lip. It dosen't bleed and it usually heals within a few days, but I wanted to know if this happens to anyone else, and if so, how do you fix this problem... Sorry for the poor explanation, but it really is hard to explain this kind of thing.
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Author: hans
Date: 2005-09-09 00:36
You could consult with your dentist. If your teeth have sharp edges, she/he may be able to help you by smoothing them.
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Author: GoatTnder
Date: 2005-09-09 04:32
It's a fairly common problem, so don't feel too weird about it. A few suggestions:
- Get a piece of garden tape or teflon tape, fold it up a bit, and put it over your teeth. It feels kinda funny, but it will keep you from biting into your lip.
- Play with a double lip embouchure. If you bite too hard (hard enough to hurt your lip), you'll really feel it on your top lip, and you'll back off. Your bottom has probably built up a good tolerance for pain, so it's not the best judge of pressure.
- Take it easy on the high notes. It's the whole, "Doctor, it hurts when I do this," thing. Build up to them slowly, with more air pressure than lip pressure. For one, they'll sound better. And, you won't hurt your lips because you've been biting into them too hard.
- Do a search. I'm sure much more has been said about this on the board.
Good luck!
Andres Cabrera
South Bay Wind Ensemble
sbwe@sbmusic.org
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2005-09-09 04:47
You most likely don't need to smooth our your teeth, you need to stop the biting. Putting something over your teeth will only encourage biting as you reduce your sensitivity completely when putting an aid on the teeth.
been there, done that (all through high school)
Better off not biting as much when you play. The sore area will develop a callous eventually, but don't bite too hard or it will just set you back.
Get your top lip involved more if it's not already.
Good luck with it!
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Author: Brenda
Date: 2005-09-09 14:00
All the suggestions are excellent, just one thing to add. If and when your lip is busted, you can promote fast healing by keeping your mouth very clean, especially overnight. A mild salt-water solution swished around in your mouth before sleeping and after brushing your teeth will help the lip heal quickly. This is also a useful treatment after molars are pulled. Saline solution is a very simple, inexpensive sterilizer and soother for wounds of all sorts, and it doesn't hurt! Not at all like rubbing salt in a wound.
Then keep up with the above suggestions to toughen up your lip and prevent biting in the first place.
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Author: Aussie Nick
Date: 2005-09-10 04:35
I used to get the exact problem really bad...then I changed teacher upon moving interstate, and he didn't like the look of my embouchure so we rebuilt it. I was tucking too much lip in over the bottom teeth rather than shaping my mouth like an OOO shape... Also I had to stop playing reeds as hard as I used to which was a very good move. Hope this helps
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Author: Gretchen
Date: 2005-09-10 16:28
Congrats on moving onto more advanced things in your practicing. However, it really concerns me that you are biting so much that it's leaving a mark that doesn't go away for a few days! Do you have a clarinet teacher?? If so, the two of you really need to sit down and talk about your biting issue. If you are biting, it's a very hard habit to break, one where you'll have to start back at the basics and build back up to a proper way of playing.
Here's my suggestion if you are not taking lessons: First, get a teacher, because that's an issue that they probably would notice and help you with right away. 
Second, while you're practicing for now, try to form your embochure as loosely as possible, one that does not hurt your bottom lip at all. Only play with that much pressure no matter what note you're playing. Your embochure is like a cushion for your mouthpiece and reed to sit on, not a support system to make notes speak! Your tongue position and air stream should do the all of the work. (Also, use a soft enough reed that allows you to make a sound without having to use your embochure's pressure on it in order to make a sound.)
Third, while practicing if you catch yourself biting (after forming such a beautiful soft/no pressure but supportive embochure I described above), STOP! Stop playing, go back to a correct amount of pressure by re-aligning your mouth/teeth pressure, and try the note/passage again while you think about your air controlling the note, not your mouth. This is the most difficult part. (a teacher could really help you with this!) Use a mirror if you can't feel it happening. You'll notice your mouth changes when you bite. It'll take some experimenting.
Good luck
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Author: crnichols
Date: 2005-09-10 19:30
I would also recommend experimenting with using a double lip embouchure, maybe not switching completely, but to make sure you're using all of the proper muscles in your face. You shouldn't be gripping the mouthpiece with your teeth, but rather, I think, feeling like you are pushing in from the sides of your mouth a bit. Use a reed that's a bit softer and try playing double lip focusing on volume and speed of the air. Also, if you are biting, you may be using excessive embouchure pressure to compensate for lack of breath support. Thinking about the volume and speed of the air should help. All of this is inter-related, the volume and speed of the air, and the embouchure. If the volume and speed of the air is correct, it will help to loosen the embouchure so you aren't biting. Get a teacher with good credentials to help you with this if you don't have one already.
Good luck!
Christopher Nichols
1st Infantry Division Band
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