 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Taras12
Date: 2013-04-26 01:13
I've been playing about 5 months now and have run into a problem with my emboucher...It literally explodes after about 1 hour of practicing, mainly when I'm working the 1st register. My upper lip gives out, totally... like when a horse snorts. I use mainly a Chedeville Prime MP with VanDoren Blue Box #3. I've even tried a VD M30 Profile 88, and have backed off to a VD BB #2.5. Clarion and Altissimo weaken but play. The resistance in these registers seems to be much less, but I leak air as well.
Any help or suggestions is appreciated.
Tristan
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Author: Brother Joe
Date: 2013-04-26 01:49
Hello Tristan!
Give yourself time to develop those muscles. If you're playing an hour a day you'll get there sooner than you think. Five months is not very long. You can develop very quickly also by practicing smarter, rather than longer. I suggest isolating problem areas down to the smallest number of notes and playing many s-l-o-w repetitions. Let yourself "relax" into an intense concentration. I apologize if you're already on top of this, I just don't know your level of experience.
brother joe
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2013-04-26 02:38
If you work a muscle to the point of collapse, the recovery time is much longer than if you work it to the point of fatigue, and the strength gain may not be as high. After 5 months, assuming you practice for an hour a day, I would expect that you would have got past the point of embouchure collapse. The fact that yours is still failing may be related to not enough playing time or the fact that you drive it to the point of collapse. Take a break when you start to feel your embouchure weakening.
Tony F.
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Author: curlyev
Date: 2013-04-26 04:05
I've been playing for 22 years, and if I over play the EXACT same thing happens to me. You describe it very well!
Definitely try not to get to the collapsing point! Happy playing!
Clarinet: Wooden Bundy 1950s
Mthpc: WW Co. B6 refaced by Kurtzweil
Lig: Various Rovners
Barrel/Bell: Backun
Reeds: Legere 3.75
OKC Symphonic Band (just started this summer)
*playing 22 years (with a 5 year hiatus) and counting*
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Author: Nessie1
Date: 2013-04-26 08:24
I agree with the comments above - it does take time to build up the muscles - for now how about doing two half-hour sessions a day rather than a full hour?
Vanessa.
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Author: joe423
Date: 2013-04-26 17:36
It's not a problem! You just have to build up the muscles in your embouchure. I used to only be able to play 45 minutes when I was younger. Now I can play 4+ hours no problem.
1975 Buffet R13 Bb Clarinet
1968 Buffet R13 A Clarinet
Pyne Clarion Mouthpiece
Vandoren V12 3.5 Reeds
Vandoren Optimum Ligature
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Author: annev
Date: 2013-04-27 16:14
I like Vanessa's suggestion very much. The other thing I've done, when that isn't convenient time-wise, is to stop when things start to feel tired, and take a 10 or 15 minute break (there is always something else that needs to be done to fill in that time). Then when I return I select a slightly lighter reed, focus on what I think is most important to work on, and continue until I feel my embouchure is once again starting to tire (sometimes pitch starts to sharpen, sometimes air starts to leak - my teacher calls it the "kiss of death"!). I think it's important to stop when that tiredness begins, rather then pushing through it. Physiologically it's better for your muscles, and technique-wise it's better because is can be easy for bad habits to develop as your body tries to compensate for the lack of strength or flexibility in the exhausted embouchure.
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Author: Taras12
Date: 2013-04-28 00:52
Thanks for all the suggestions. I work 8-10 hours day plus a regular family life. Splitting my practice up would be difficult. Taking a break may help. I've found that adjusting the reed placement has helped reduce the resistance.
Tristan
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2013-04-28 02:38
Taras12 wrote:
> Thanks for all the suggestions. I work 8-10 hours day plus a
> regular family life. Splitting my practice up would be
> difficult. Taking a break may help. I've found that adjusting
> the reed placement has helped reduce the resistance.
>
At risk of looking like a fool, one of the longterm posters on this board would attach a mouthpiece and barrel together and simply hold the combo in their mouth with an embouchure to and from work. Said it looked like a cigar and no one paid much mind to it.
Also heard Wycliffe Gordon give a master class and he would practice doodle-tonguing (or double tonguing) in the car while driving around. He turned out pretty good at trombone......
Point of the suggestions? The time IS there, but you may have to look at some times that are actually wasted opportunities where you could be multitasking, or maybe giving up a smoke break, maybe taking your coffee to go and not reading a paper for a half hour, maybes pending less time going out and eating out for lunch less times a week so you can eat in for lunch and save time to work on something else, etc. etc. not saying any of these things apply to you specifically, but just maybe you can rework a thing or two to give yourself a little extra time.
Alexi
Edit - while I love my tablet, MAN this things leaves typos and is tough to write properly on! Sorry if its hard to understand.
US Army Japan Band
Post Edited (2013-04-28 02:43)
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2013-04-28 04:46
I'm the one who holds the mouthpiece and barrel in my lips. It worked wonders for me, but you need to build a foundation first.
Think aardvark as you form your embouchure, lips snug against your teeth, upper lip tucked into your upper teeth and the corners of your mouth firm and stationary or pulled *very* slightly toward the center.
Go back at least 1/2 number or even a full number on reed strength.
At the beginning of each practice session, play 5 minutes of long tones and slow scales, one note per beat at 60 on your metronome. Concentrate on keeping your chin pointed and your embouchure neat and "dressy."
Press down hard with your upper lip, keeping it tucked against your upper teeth. It's even better to use double lip, with your upper lip between the mouthpiece and your upper teeth. At first, you'll need some padding over your upper teeth. Several thicknesses of Saran Wrap work fine, and several layers of newsprint paper, torn from a page with no ink on either side, work fine too.
Sustain the tone with your breath, not your embouchure. Tuck your buttocks against the back of the chair (think Donald Duck), straighten your spine and inhale from your back and sides, your intercostal muscles (on your sides below your ribs) and letting your chest rise. Remember that your lungs go all the way up to your collar bones.
Then let the weight of your breath create the tone, going from your lungs out into the clarinet and on to the back of the hall. (This is not what actually happens, but it's what it feels like.)
This will strengthen your embouchure fairly quickly. Eventually, try holding the mouthpiece (with the ligature and reed) just between your lips. The reed, the mouthpiece and your lips need to be dry.
Good practicing.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Taras12
Date: 2013-04-28 16:48
I'm not sure I want to drive with a MP/Barrel in my mouth. Not because it's strange looking, but it's dangerous. (I've seen a number of people in the Emergency Room, impaled on objects like straws. These accidents occurred when driving and then hitting something. The object then punctured the back of the throat.)
Firming up my emboucher will take time. Thanks for the advice.
Tristan
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2013-04-28 17:23
Tristan -
My commute was in heavy but smooth traffic at a leisurely 35 mph. And I wore a seat belt and shoulder strap. Any crash would have popped the mouthpiece out of my mouth.
I also did the exercise while reading the newspaper.
Ken Shaw
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