 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: baggs
Date: 2004-01-21 23:32
Has anyone had any experience in dealing with air that is escaping through the nose while playing? My doctor sent me to a speech therapist because he thought my soft palate was weak. My speech therapist has no experience in this and is researching also. I am doing alot of vocal exercises to strengthen the soft palate - no luck. Any help would be appreciated.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: diz
Date: 2004-01-21 23:59
this has been discussed here ... you might try the search feature, it's great.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: clarinetmajr
Date: 2004-01-22 01:14
Hey Baggs, you can email me if you like about this. I have had this problem since the end of high school (i'm now in college). From what I have read, this "leak" is not a strong enough leak to impede speech but it does affect playing. I can speak fine, but when I try to play, it usually happens to some degree.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: theclarinetist
Date: 2004-01-23 02:47
This used to happen to me all the time during high school. After so long, the air would start leaking. Eventually, I would be unable to make a good sound if I practiced long enough. I don't really know what caused it, but it doesn't happen anymore (and I currently play several hours a day as a clarinet teacher). Maybe my anatomy changed or something. It was very frustrating when it happened and no one seemed to know what was causing it or how to fix it. I'll have to search for the past post.
DH
theclarinetist@yahoo.com
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: sfalexi
Date: 2004-01-23 03:14
Hmmm. I was wondering, would a clothespin on the nose solve it?
Alexi
Hmmmm . . . maybe I've been watching too many cartoons lately . . .
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Brenda
Date: 2004-01-28 02:22
Did you ever get an answer to this? I've been out of the country, and away from high speed anything!! So I'm catching up on the news. Today I answered a post on this BB under another thread (a returning player) that might just answer your question.
Basically the situation is this - if you're working too hard and trying to push too much air through the instrument (OR: pinching off the reed by biting the mouthpiece) the air that you're pushing has nowhere else to go except through your nose. Think of your garden hose - if you close off the nozzel before turning the water off, the water will spray out of any hole it can find, right? So try to lessen the bite on your reed, and/or reduce the volume of air you're pushing into the instrument. Sometimes we try too hard and don't realize that a great sound can come out with less pressure. What does your teacher say? Are you using enough diaphrahm support even with pp notes or are you relying only on a powerful air flow to get sound? Is the reed so hard that you're struggling to get a sound out of it? Experiment.
To cure biting, try double-lipping for a short while - it's an instant cure, believe me! Your upper lip won't tolerate the bite, but what a relief for the jaw. It also automatically demands that the proper facial muscles are called into play. Maybe your reed is too soft and therefore collapses on you? You'll want to ensure that you're not squeezing off the air flow at the reed. Again, you'll need to experiment, and maybe the answer will become very clear.
Perhaps this will be of some help.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: baggs
Date: 2004-01-31 14:57
Thank you Brenda and to all who have offered suggestions. Yes, I have used nose plugs, clothes pins, etc....still no luck. I'm still working with my ENT and speech therapist. I have taken your replies to them and they are still researching. Hopefully I'll be able to play again.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
