 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: moose6589
Date: 2003-09-24 10:21
Hi, I've just discovered a new problem with my clarinet playing, and my teacher seems to agree. It seems that I'm much too tense when I play, especially on fast passages and stacatto passages. As a result, my embouchure, throat, shoulders, and fingers are all more tense. I've been trying to actively get myself to relax, but it hasn't been working too well. Any tips?
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Author: William
Date: 2003-09-24 14:20
There was an artical in the International Musician (April, 03, I think) that recommended taking a series of long, slow, controlled breaths to re-oxygenate the muscles and reduce the pain caused by oxygen deprevation--shoulder, back, etc. Perhaps this also would have a relaxation effect as well.
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Author: Leah
Date: 2003-09-24 17:28
i like to practice with the lights off ("in the dark") sometimes to get rid of my tension. it's not a concrete solution to any problems but i think it might help a little bit.
you could also try getting your body really relaxed before you even start playing. sit in the dark for a few minutes, without playing focusing on being relaxed and then play the passage at a relatively slow tempo.
Post Edited (2003-09-24 17:29)
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2003-09-25 12:04
Spend a weekend at a spa, and make sure you get a good massage as part of the deal!
David Dow
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Author: Brenda
Date: 2003-09-25 14:43
Spas, massages, these are only as good as the time it takes to indulge. The next day I'm back to my normal tension. Of course my job can be "toxic", as the doctor put it, and contributes tremendously to tension.
Regular, daily stretching exercises prescribed by a physiotherapist helps tremendously to ease tension. Then, during practice, think of opening the throat, chest and diaphragm muscles and allow the air to flow. Allow it to flow with some direction, without thinking that you have to force it to flow. A lot of this is mental relaxation, being aware of what the rest of your body is doing while you're playing music.
When not playing, think regularly about how you sit. As you sit think about your shoulders - let them fall naturally, use only as many muscles as you have to in order to accomplish your task. Is you head and neck balanced on your shoulders? This eases the strain between the shoulder blades. Think about how you stand, how you converse with others. Do you speak fast and monopolize the conversation, do you lean forward tensely and gesture emphatically, or do you have a slow easy-going manner of speach that puts your listener at ease? When you move around your home, do you have fast jerky movements, or do you practice slower smoother movements to accomplish daily tasks?
A busy and cluttered mind makes for tightness. Allow the mind to be directed into what's positive and necessary, using music and nature to calm you. Think of positive things, and slow down the mental chatter. Then when practicing you can slow things down enough to open the throat, expand the chest, and direct your energies. And do your relaxing stretches every day! Makes sense?
As you can see, tightness while playing is only an extension of every-day habits. Then you can have a teacher to positively remind you when you fall into old habits, and richly commend you on the progress you're making every week.
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Author: Meri
Date: 2003-09-25 20:46
Words of advice from my former teacher that helped me a lot:
"Stop expecting problems in your playing" (I ended up repeating his advice recently to a high school student wanting help with her audition a couple weeks ago (she got a high seating placement, BTW), who said that she always had problems with the first note of one of the excerpts of her audition, which starts on the F above the staff.)
"Let go. If you make it, it happens. If you don't, it's not the end of the world." I found that these have helped me perform a lot better in all situations.(Eugen Herrigel expands on this idea in Zen and the Art of Archery)
Meri
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Author: theclarinetist
Date: 2003-09-26 04:25
I used to have some tension issues in my shoulders. For me, I was simply suffer from a common misconception that raising your shoulders (and don't forget eyebrows) will help you hit the high notes (it actually makes it harder - which would have been nice to know all along!!). For me, simply understanding that the clarinet is making the sound (and not my body) helps alot with tension. Playing fast and difficult passages shouldn't require any more tension than playing an easy, melodic line (easier said than done, I know!)
Another thing that might help with finger tension... When you play sitting down, you do rest the clarinet on your legs? This can take some weight off your thumb and increase easy of motion in both hands (right hand in particular, at least for me). I wouldn't suggest pinching it between your knees (which can muffle the sound and makes your legs sore after a while..) I just sit with my legs sort of crossed in front of me (at about a 45 degree angle to the floor) and place the bell of the clarinet on them for a little support. If you play standing up more often or having pedagological (spelling?) problems with sitting like that (even though I've personally NEVER found sitting with a completely straight back on the end of your chair to cause anything but pain and annoyance... not to mention I've never seen ANYONE, other than 6th grade band students, actually sit like that...), you might try a neck strap... This won't fix shoulder and throat problems, but it could certainly help your fingers!
Don Hite
theclarinetist@yahoo.com
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Author: Sue
Date: 2003-09-26 04:49
Right before practice you might try clinching your hands ,holding this for a few seconds, take a slow deep breath, relax, move next up your arm tighting your forearm holding for a few seconds, relax, working your way up to your shoulders, neck and face, made a face like you just eaten a sour lemon!.
Someone told me this years ago to help relax for falling asleep, same technique just starting with your toes.
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