 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: jnc8
Date: 2009-08-25 00:40
What is the easiest/quickest/most efficient way to rebuild the strength of your embouchure?
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Author: EEBaum
Date: 2009-08-25 01:00
I've had good results by taking a wine cork, cutting it in half so I have two half-cylinders, and placing each half in my mouth, flat sides against the outside of my top teeth. Makes you look like a squirrel hoarding nuts. Keep them in there for your entire warm-up routine (or for as much of it as you can bear). I saw significant improvement within a few weeks.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2009-08-25 02:22
Get a large plastic soda straw -- the kind they give you with cans of cola. Cut it into 3 pieces. Flatten each piece gently.
For the first exercise, put a piece horizontally between your lips and squeeze it flat with mostly lip pressure, without biting. When your lips get tired, rest for 30 seconds and do two more cycles.
For the second exercise, put the end of a piece of the straw between your lips sticking out from the center like a cigarette and squeeze it flat, again using your teeth only as a foundation for your lips.
Initially you won't be able to hold either position for more than a few seconds, but you'll build up slowly to 30 seconds.
Be aware of not tensing the muscles in other areas, such as your neck or shoulders.
I've done this while reading the newspaper and sitting or standing on the subway. An advantage is that it builds up a callus on your lip and strengthens both lips equally so you can play double lip or use your upper lip to balance the pressure when you play single lip.
As a third exercise, while I'm sitting at the computer, I use an old mouthpiece and reed, with an old barrel, to hold in my embouchure. Again, I've built up from a few seconds to about 60 seconds.
Good luck.
Ken Shaw
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Author: William
Date: 2009-08-25 14:32
Isn't anyone going to suggest regular intervals of quality practice time as the best (only) way to build your playing endurance? Long tones, scales, etudes, repretoire, improv with an Abersole CD, etc........(??) I really think that actually playing the instrument is the only way to build or rebuild your playing chops. Maybe this answer is too simple............
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2009-08-25 15:06
"As a third exercise, while I'm sitting at the computer, I use an old mouthpiece and reed, with an old barrel, to hold in my embouchure."
Ken,
When you do this, do you support it with your hand or do you try to suspend it entirely with the strength of your lips?
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Author: EEBaum
Date: 2009-08-25 16:01
William-
It's way possible for a player to put in lots of practice time and continue to have a poor embouchre, if they're not doing it properly.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2009-08-25 16:28
Practice? PRACTICE? What an outlandish concept... ![[wink]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie3.gif)
If you think your lips are flabby, grab an oboe and do long tones...
--
Ben
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Author: tholland
Date: 2009-08-25 16:41
Given that you didn't have any embouchure issues to begin with, start with 10 minutes of scales, then rest until your muscles are relaxed, then try 15 minutes, rest, and then 30 - simple stuff that you know you can do, scales, simple etudes...and build from there. Using this process it only took me two weeks of solid playing to build back up to my youthful 3+ hours of practice a day...and that was after a solid 20 year layoff.
It's just like working out the rest of your body muscles. You must REST in between workouts in order for the muscles to repair themselves...basic physiology here.
Tammy Holland
Returning Lost Clarinetist
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Author: mrn
Date: 2009-08-25 16:42
Breathe through your nose when you play long tones so you don't have to release your embouchure. This will give your muscles a good workout.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2009-08-25 18:53
skygardner -
Embouchure alone. It helps, strangely enough, to start with the reed on top. At the beginning, I did it just with the mouthpiece. When I put the barrel on, I couldn't hold it for more than a few seconds, but I worked it up to a full minute.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2009-08-26 18:44
I have to agree with William as long as one has a good embouchure to begin with. Obviously if your embouchure needs correcting then you have to work on both otherwise you are rebuilding a poor embouchure. Check my website for some suggestions. ESP http://eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: Brenda ★2017
Date: 2009-08-26 19:17
Practicing to build embouchure... can encourage biting down if you haven't developed the lip and cheek muscles. These exercises with a straw sounds great for showing a student which muscles need to be used! Hey, even the mouthpiece could be used while commuting in the car... the highway I use isn't that busy, but it still would look really funny I suppose!
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2009-08-26 19:37
Reed strength ....practice with easy playing reed...graduate to medium .....don't overdo practicing.
Freelance woodwind performer
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2009-08-26 20:24
Brenda -
I've gotten some very strange looks while driving with a mouthpiece and barrel. However, as a man, I can pretend it's a cigar. Your own results will probably vary. ![[grin]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie5.gif)
Ken Shaw
Post Edited (2009-08-26 20:24)
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Author: Brenda ★2017
Date: 2009-08-27 14:07
Exactly! I was thinking that since these people won't be meeting me at work or home then it won't matter.... but in the days of YouTube? Hmmm.
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