The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Stephanie
Date: 2000-07-23 01:47
Ok. As the title says, I have just one more question. I find that after playing for 3 hours straight during honor band practice, the inside of my lip was extremely sore. I know it's from being curled over my bottom teeth while I played. I don't think my embouchure (is that how you spell it?) was wrong cuz my section leader's was sore too. I want to know if anyone has any suggestions on how to make it less sore so that it isn't so painful by the time of the concert. I'd appreciate it!
Stephanie
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Author: Dawn Anthes
Date: 2000-07-23 03:31
Well... ideally you should have very little pressure on your embouchure... but in the meantime you can try taking a bit of paper and folding it over your bottom teeth in the front. This will serve to blunt the edge of your teeth so they don't cut into your lip so much. It's a good trick for saving your lips on those occassions when you are rehearsing more than you are used to doing. Use the least amount of paper possible, using too much distorts your embouchure and may cause you to play differently.
Hope that helps!
-Dawn
auraveda@yahoo.com
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Author: Katherine Pincock
Date: 2000-07-23 15:19
Even with a good embouchure, some people just have sharp bottom teeth, so very long rehearsals can be tough on the lip--if you're like this, working on your embouchure will lessen but probably never totally get rid of the problem. An important tip for anyone in a long rehearsal is to make sure you use all the breaks you're given--when you get a ten minute break, put the instrument aside and resist the temptation to fiddle. As well as the paper trick Dawn mentioned, you can use athletic mouthguard plastic to make a tooth protector. Follow to directions on the plastic to stretch it out very thin, then conform it to your bottom teeth. It'll last longer than paper, but it's harder to get thin enough that it won't interfere. Anyway, hope that helps!
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Author: mandy
Date: 2000-07-24 02:11
this is something a girl i met at Region Orchestra told me....take some electrical tape, and fold it back on itself so the sticky sides stick together. then cut it to fit over your teeth. you have to chew on the crease for awhile to get it to stay down on your teeth, but its worth it. you don't get the after taste or the breaking up of paper. the only bad thing is if you forget about it when you leave practice people tend to think that you lost a few teeth!!!
good luck!
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Author: Kontragirl
Date: 2000-07-24 03:19
mandy wrote:
-------------------------------
this is something a girl i met at Region Orchestra told me....take some electrical tape, and fold it back on itself so the sticky sides stick together. then cut it to fit over your teeth. you have to chew on the crease for awhile to get it to stay down on your teeth, but its worth it. you don't get the after taste or the breaking up of paper. the only bad thing is if you forget about it when you leave practice people tend to think that you lost a few teeth!!!
good luck!
I used duct tape.
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Author: Roger
Date: 2000-07-25 11:59
I use florist tape,it's a soft plastic tape, cut three pieces about one inch long, put them on top of each other to form three layers and fold over your bottom teeth. After a few minutes playing it will form to the shape of your teeth--it works for me.
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 2000-07-27 07:46
Two suggestions.
1.Use teeth cushion. This is available from WWandBW.
2.Do not curl the lip over the teeth. This needs much practice and stronger muscle around lower lip. But once accustomed to this, freer expression is at hand. Besides,tone becomes better especially when the smooth red surface inside mouth is exposed to reed.
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