The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: SVClarinet09
Date: 2006-10-25 22:55
What do you guys do when you "blow your chops" at an 8 hour rehearsal, i.e. I haven't blown my chops in forever but yesterday I had jazz band in the morning for about 45 minutes, then 3.5 hours later I had Wind Ensemble for 90mins, then I had marching band from 6-9. After that my lower lip felt like it had been on the mouthpiece too long. Then this morning in Jazz Band again my lip was really weak. This hasn't happened to me in a while. Could it be my new C85-120 Mouthpiece that I switched to from a C85-105 and the softer reeds, or did I just really play more than I usually do?
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Author: Cuisleannach
Date: 2006-10-26 04:01
I'll probably get clobbered for this but my favorite chops extender is to play slightly off to one side or the other. It's easier than it sounds and if your embouchure is good it won't affect your tone.
-Randy
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2006-10-26 14:02
After playing 5-1/2 hours, the next day everybody feels like a horse kicked them in the mouth. Until you can spend 8 hours a day in the practice room and build your endurance up, you need to compensate.
The most important lesson is knowing when to push and when to mark. In marching band, NOBODY CAN HEAR YOU. When I was in the West Point Band, with a bunch of really good clarinetists, I once watched a parade from the grandstand. The clarinets were inaudible. The only thing I could hear were trumpets and drums, with an occasional piccolo high note. And this even though I knew the clarinet parts and was listening for them.
After that, I used a #1 reed for marching band and often just moved my fingers without playing.
Save yourself for something that makes a difference.
Ken Shaw
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