 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Sean
Date: 1999-10-25 12:22
I am returning to the Clarinet after nearly 20 years (I quit way back in elementary school). The rudimentary fingerings are coming back to me but I am still fuzzy on my embouchure. I realize that this may be a stupid question but do you really put your top teeth on the mouthpiece or do you try to cushion it with your lips? The reason I ask is because I have a used clarinet and the mouthpiece, although also used, had no sign of teeth contact. I used the thing maybe three times and you can see a noticable difference in the surface. This led me to believe that maybe you should put your top lip between the teeth and the mp. After a short while this began to hurt and the tone suffered - not as "precise", if I may use the term, as when I had direct teeth contact. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
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Author: Kevin Bowman
Date: 1999-10-25 13:34
You may form the embouchure either way. Teeth in contact with the mouthpiece is called "single lip", and upper lip curled over teeth is called "double lip" embouchure. Single lip is the most common (especially among beginners) and this is what I would recommend because it is much easier to support the instrument and because it takes a long time to develop a good double lip embouchure. I also recommend that you get some mouthpiece patches. These are small rubber patches with adhesive on one side to be stuck to the upper side (beak) of the mouthpiece. They come is several thicknesses - a medium or even thin thickness will do but you may wish to experiment. A patch will help your upper teeth maintain secure contact with the mouthpiece, instead of sliding around a bit, and also will dampen some of the vibration of the instrument on the upper teeth (that irritates some people).
Have fun with your return to the clarinet.
Kevin Bowman
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Author: Sean
Date: 1999-10-25 14:49
Kevin:
Thanks for the info. Now, do have any suggestions as to what may be used if these "patches" are not readily available - some kind of tape or something that can be found in the home or local store?
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 1999-10-25 15:18
Great advice Kevin, I have used the rubber and plastic mp cushions for years, discovered them during my dance-band era and its fatigue. I go back and forth between single and double as the music seems to demand. Found out yesterday! that a newly obtained Ridenour mp could give me two [or more?] simultaneous notes via the vibration route!
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Author: Kevin Bowman
Date: 1999-10-25 16:25
Sean -
The patches are available from a number of sources - local stores and mail order. Bay and Yamaha make them, and there are other brands, I'm sure. Homemade patches can be made from almost anything rubber (rubber gloves for thin, bicycle tire patches for thick) and applied with contact cement (rubber cement). Contact cement will not permenantly adhere to your mpc, so you can peel 'em off ane replace them easily when they wear out. However, I find the manufactured ones too convenient (and inexpensive) to use to bother with homemade remedies. For one distributer, check out discount reed (at www.discountreed.com) - there are many more listed in the resource section of this site.
Kevin Bowman
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Author: Joseph Brenner Jr
Date: 1999-10-25 17:05
Your question is a good one and I think the responses are good. You may not be aware, though, that the double lip embouchure has a distinguished tradition--Reginald Kell of England, Ralph McLane of the Philadelphia, and Harold Wright of the Boston Symphony, to name just a few. It is hard to maintain stability of the clarinet without pain in the upper lip when one begins to play with a double lip embouchure. Beginners often practice with the bell resting on the thigh, to relieve pressure and discomfort from the upper lip. best wishes, joseph brenner, jr
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Author: Peter
Date: 1999-10-26 05:59
Hi Sean, and congratulations on taking up the clarinet after such a gap. I too am thinking of taking it up again after 21 yrs! It may be that the Alto or Bass appeals more this time around, but we'll see.
All the best,
Peter Q
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 1999-10-26 16:08
A good observation, Peter - In our comm. band, i relegate myself to alto or preferably bass, for several reasons. I'm sure my hearing of the high overtones is much diminished and I can tune better to the basses, tmb's and horns, but not to those dern bari saxes! Also, I can have my own music stand at the focal distance I like, not have to share and even have an occasional SOLO! I do try to stay up with the sop. Bb via a bit of minor repair and advice-giving to early students. Come back to the fun!. Don
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