 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: kawallace91
Date: 2011-08-21 21:24
I've been playing for nearly 10 years, and the ideas of "using more air" and "air support" have been expressed to me numerous times, but I feel it's still something I've yet to master. It's hard to say what exactly is going on when I play, but I feel like after I take a breath, I kind of hold it in and try to blow air from my mouth and throat rather than much lower (like my lungs where it's actually stored!) as I know I should. (hope that kind of makes sense) My embouchure tends to tire out quickly, and my cheeks often get a little puffy, both of which I think mostly result from the incorrect use (or maybe lack of use) of my air.
I did manage to make some improvements with this last school year by thinking about my tongue position. (Seemed strange to me, but it made something click!) My endurance has become MUCH better already, but it still has a lot of room to grow. I also struggle with playing loudly. If I could learn to really "use" my air, I think I'd be able to let go even more with my embouchure, and a lot of other things would fall into place.
What kinds of things do you feel or think about to really push out the air? Are there things with or without the clarinet to practice that will help? (Long tones, of course!  ) I'll be returning to school next week, so hopefully this is something that will develop throughout the semester!
Post Edited (2011-08-21 21:27)
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Author: EEBaum
Date: 2011-08-21 21:51
Sometimes thinking less about it can help. I recall one day when our orchestral woodwind section was coached by the trombone instructor. The part was marked fff or ffff. We played it loud, but he kept asking for it louder and louder yet. At the end, people were playing louder than they had thought they could.
Someone screaming "Louder" over your shoulder may allow the air production mechanisms to kick in more forcefully on their own.
It's partially a let-loose-and-get-out-of-your-shell aspect of playing. Trying to methodically analyze the sound production process may indeed get you there in the long run, but "blast the flutist's f***ing head off!!!" may get you more mileage.
I might actually recommend some intensely physical short-burst non-musical activity to help get you in that mindset. Martial arts. Sprinting, especially uphill. Powerlifting. Get yourself comfortable with the concept of beating something down or pushing as hard as you can.
"Play as loud as you can" is a usually a required exercise when I teach lessons. I've taught 10-year-olds who can't get above a mezzo-piano the first day, and others who have made my ears ring. It's not necessarily something that needs a lot of study (though that can help), just a lot of guts.
While actually at the clarinet, perhaps situate yourself near something that measures volume. Blast an A5, and see how loud you can get it. Then get louder each time, as much as you can.
If I'm in a passive mindset, playing "loud" will get me reasonably loud. However, if I'm active and intense (not to be confused with tense), I can usually blast a few more dynamic levels out beyond that.
Perhaps some ffff long tones too, each held 2 seconds longer than you think you can.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2011-08-22 00:00
Blow up a balloon for a few minutes a day for a few weeks or when you think you have a good understanding. The cool part is you are learning to blow into the balloon/horn and you are learn how to support the pressure. It's OK to do this for several months, perhaps not everday, but for your body to do this without thinking; its automatic.
Often teachers will say use your diaphragm. What the heck is that? Doesn't matter... Playing with a balloom will solve your problems including the diaphragm muscle. Did I spell diaphragm right?
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
Post Edited (2011-08-22 00:05)
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2011-08-22 01:52
kawallace91 wrote:
> My embouchure tends to tire
> out quickly, and my cheeks often get a little puffy, both of
> which I think mostly result from the incorrect use (or maybe
> lack of use) of my air.
>
Your cheeks' puffing out has more, I think, to do with your use of your embouchure muscles than a lack of air. You may (I can't see or hear you play, so I'm guessing) need to do more with the corners of your mouth, firming them and closing solidly around the mouthpiece, which may help the reed vibrate more efficiently and keep your cheeks in.
> I also
> struggle with playing loudly. If I could learn to really "use"
> my air, I think I'd be able to let go even more with my
> embouchure, and a lot of other things would fall into place.
>
> What kinds of things do you feel or think about to really push
> out the air?
I agree with what has already been posted by Alex and Bob. But there's another possibility as well. Many of my students, when they first begin lessons, have trouble not so much with "pushing out the air" as with *letting air into the mouthpiece.* The jaw often pushes so much against the reed (pinching/excessive biting) that the reed closes enough to block most of the air coming from the student's lungs, resulting in soft sound that won't even approach a normal, healthy forte. (The back pressure can also cause cheek puffing.) The solution frequently isn't to blow harder, but to re-shape the embouchure to get it more *out of the way.* Once a more full sound is achieved because the reed is vibrating more, loudness becomes a much easier issue to work with.
Karl
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2011-08-22 09:56
Air is PUSHED with the abdominals. Alright, have you ever tensed your stomach and said to a little brother, "alright, punch me." THAT'S the feeling you want to get in the abdomen to achieve a steady stream of air. The other way to think of it is the feeling of pushing DOWNWARD with a full tank of air much as if you would if you were constipated (apologies for the analogy).
The main idea is to not only have a ready reserve of air but to be able to work it at will in a more focused and speedy form. To this end one should also focus the stream of air properly in the mouth. FOR ME, this means to keep the tongue OUT of the back of the throat (that is, DO NOT think the sound AAAHHH as you would for the throat doctor). Just keep the tongue in a natural position or much as if you were saying the word 'EEEEE.'
As for the cheeks, the puffyness is the lack of using your cheek muscles. If you've ever tried to get a thick chocolate shake through a straw, those are the muscles being engaged. Now just use them to blow OUT.
...................Paul Aviles
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2011-08-22 18:53
Those are good ideas. Here's two more. There are "tools" you can buy, look in the online websites of WW-BW or any of those on line sellers and look for breathing tools. There's one that includes keeping a ping pong ball up in the top of a tube, it's not very expensive but it's a good tool. The other thing you can do as well is to lie down on the floor and put a book on your stomach, that's so you have a visual, take deep slow breaths and exhale slowly through a small aperture in your mouth. This will give you practice in breathing properly and exhaling too. It's almost impossible to breath wrong in that position. Then also exhale using more air pressure after a while as well to simulate playing loud but keep the aperture small as if you are blowing into a clarinet not blowing out candles. Once you get the nack of this, a week, a month what ever, using the tube with a ball in it every day will really help you. Several brass players in my orchestra use that to help "warm up' before playing. I see them in our locker room.
The ballon idea is good but you will probably blow out you cheeks doing that, I know I do if I'm blowing something up, other than my clarinet of course. ESP
eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2011-08-22 20:52
As Maria Callas rather indelicately put it, you inhale "from hair to hair." Inhale as a whole, including the chest, the belly and the ribs at your sides and in your back. Then let it out as a whole, letting your trunk and the weight of the air do the work.
For what it's worth, I try to feel a single air column from my hips through my lips and through the clarinet.
Ken Shaw
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Author: luckyclarinettoenla
Date: 2011-08-28 01:26
There are some really great suggestions from really great players above. I've learned that in order to correct bad habits, one has to recognize when they are in play. To accomplish this, I bought a cheapo mirror and to keep on my stand when I'm practicing. I work on things that I've played before but this time watching my embouchure in the mirror. I play scales/arpeggios, etudes, long tones and tonguing exercises. During the first session,low and behold, I discovered that my embouchure was changing every time I switched registers and it had a direct correlation with my air flow.
I found it helpful to remember that from your chest and shoulders up, there should be relatively little visible motion when playing the clarinet, in any register. Set your tongue position and go forth! Also, it will help if you talk to someone who is a private teacher--they can provide a lot of on-the-spot guidance.
Best of luck to you!
Never fool yourself into believing that today's 'good enough' will do tomorrow!
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2011-08-30 09:55
I have to make a comment here about the balloon. The idea and the question was related to getting a bigger sound, not a better sound, therefore suggesting to practice with a balloon offers back pressure and pushing air through the resistance of the balloon.
I feel once this exercise is somewhat completed perhaps mastering
your sound qualitywill greatly improve in just a few months to a life time of trying to get that perfect sound.Therfore I agree with everyones comments. THis is simply a tool to help people find their sound. With no air going through the horn a good sound most likely will take forever, if not ever.
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