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lower lip position

Author: DrH2O
Date: 2007-11-21 18:13

I have a question about the "posture" of the lower lip in a single lip embouchure.

Do you keep the center of the the lower lip pulled relatively taut across the lower teeth with little to no muscular tension in the middle of the lip, or do you contract the lower lip as part of an all around "O" to create a muscular pad between the teeth and reed?

When I try to play with the contracted "O" embouchure, whatever muscles control the center of the lower lip tire quickly and I find I'm playing with contraction only in the corners of the lower lip, and the center of the lower lip is pretty flat and thin. It's easy to get a sore lip under those conditions, even with minimal pressure, because there's so little cushioning between the teeth (which happen to be irregular and pretty sharp) and reed. With a thin piece of parafilm over my bottom teeth I can play for quite awhile so I'm not biting really hard, but it occurs to me that the way I am holding my lip may be the bigger issue.

If a contracted lip is the way to go, are there any recommended exercises to strengthen the center of the lower lip?

Thanks,

Anne
Clarinet addict

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Re: lower lip position

Author: pelo_ensortijado
Date: 2007-11-23 21:39

the only thing one shall do with the lip is to make shure air doesn't get out and that the mpc doesn't move around in the mouth. the rest is done mainly by the airsupport!! (which is the most important thing when playing.

let the mpc rest against the bottom teeth and just lay the lip between, easy and relaxed. but the less lip against the reed, the more vibrations you get, so remember to stretch the chin downwards as much as needed to eliminate unneccessary contact. but how little lip vs. how confortable it is to play is something very individual!!

an o formed lip also makes the intonation go nuts. atleast for me. one has to have extreme muscles to do it!!!

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Re: lower lip position

Author: runner
Date: 2007-11-23 23:43

I think of positioning my lower lip "in front of" my lower teeth. I was taught that by my college clarinet teacher, but feel I am the only person on earth that really thinks of it that way.
I was rolling my lower lip over my lower teeth (a double lip embouchre). This was akin to "bunching." My teacher felt that even if I position the lip in front of the teeth ,it will crawl over anyway, thus providing the real proper position. I feel my tone improved with this approach. Sorryfor the log-winded response.

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Re: lower lip position

Author: Keith P
Date: 2007-11-24 16:11

http://www.clarinet-saxophone.asn.au/downloadabledocs/The%20Clarinet%20Embouchure.pdf

Is an excellent article about the clarinet embouchure written by Carmine Campione of the Cincinatti Conservatory; it may help answer your questions about embouchure.

runner: Rolling your top lip over your top teeth creates a double lip embouchure - is this what you meant? Bottom lip needs to be rolled over regardless.

Hope this helps!

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