 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: CarlT
Date: 2008-08-31 19:33
Before I started clarinet lessons I thought proper fingering would be the hardest thing for me to learn. Although I could read music fairly well (played a little piano), I also thought the next hardest thing would be to be able to read music fast enough to play a tune.
Boy, was I ever wrong. The above two are easy compared to holding a good embouchure (possible exception is crossing the break smoothly, and I'm even doing that better with each practice session) .
I'll admit I'm an elderly adult (5 months of playing under my belt), but I'm in pretty good shape physically, exercise vigorously daily, and I can hold a note for at least 30 counts at 60 bpm, so I have pretty good breath control. As I say, my embouchure falls apart so fast though. Just going through four 2-octave scales warming up pretty much does it for me until I rest my chops for awhile. Then shorter and shorter sessions the rest of my practice time.
Question for teachers and other experienced players. Is there some way to increase my embouchure muscles any faster than just practice, practice, practice??
CarlT
Post Edited (2008-08-31 19:34)
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2008-08-31 19:49
CarlT wrote:
> Question for teachers and other experienced players. Is there
> some way to increase my embouchure muscles any faster than just
> practice, practice, practice??
Ask Arnold Schwarzenegger, he's a capacity in muscle enlargement.
No, practicing is the only way to do. Not 7x24 but say half an hour each day.
--
Ben
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Author: Pam H.
Date: 2008-08-31 20:21
Ben is right. Don't be tempted to overdo it. Build a little each day (or week).
Pam
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2008-08-31 21:26
Practice several times a day instead of all at once. Each week try to extend the practice time by a little bit until you can last longer. It's like doing push-ups. If you can only do ten you can't suddenly do fifty in two week. Well I can but you can't. You got to build up them there muscles slowly. ESP www.peabody.jhu.edu/457
Listen to a little Mozart
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Author: FDF
Date: 2008-08-31 22:28
There are excellent articulation exercises, that help build the muscles used for the embouchure. You can do these without playing and without breaking down your capacity to play (without undue pain) at any given stage, but you will continue to build your ability to maintain a correct embouchure. For instance, count in an exaggerated manner from one to twenty, then take a breath and count another twenty, etc. There are many other exercises for the articulators that will build strength for a correct embouchure. Also, IMHO, the embouchure changes to play registers and certain notes, etc., so, perhaps, there is no "perfect" embouchure.
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Author: johng ★2017
Date: 2008-09-01 02:47
The suggestions about building your embouchure are all valid, but one thing I might want to check is your embouchure itself. It could be that you are doing something there that causes you too much tension in the embouchure.
John Gibson, Founder of JB Linear Music, www.music4woodwinds.com
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Author: Augustus
Date: 2008-09-01 19:53
These are all good sugestions, but as an elderly clarinet player I have one also.
My thought is that you may be playing with too hard a reed which for me quickly tires my embouchure.
Try switching to a softer reed and see if that helps. Try a Legere Student Reed, No. 2 or 2 1/2 and when you have to rest it won't dry out but will be ready to play as soon as your chops recover.
Hope this helps.
Augustus
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