 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Lindsay
Date: 2001-02-19 06:00
I keep reading about using double lip embosure and single lip embosure. What is this? I've never heard the term before. Thanks!
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Author: graham
Date: 2001-02-19 09:45
Stick your top lip over the upper teeth (as well as the bottom lip over lower teeth) and that's a double embouchure.
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Author: Eoin McAuley
Date: 2001-02-19 10:47
Double lip means that your top lip covers your top teeth. It is your lip that rests on the top of the mouthpiece, not your teeth.
Double lip embouchure is intended to stop you from biting the mouthpiece, because if you do, it hurts like hell. Biting the mouthpiece is a bad idea because it bends in the reed, closing the opening between the reed tip and the mouthpiece, reducting the amount of vibration possible. Double lip embouchure has the advantage that you can't do this because you'd bite your lip off. But it has the disadvantage that it is very sore when you start doing it. Some people think that it should be used all the time, but most players use it only occasionally during rehearsal to remind themselves not to bite.
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Author: Anji
Date: 2001-02-19 12:54
My teacher has me use this technique when I start pinching or biting to reach high notes (alot of us seem to do it) as a remedy. With a muscular embouchure and lotsa air the notes pop out.
I can't maintain it for long, but it demonstrates how airflow makes a more predictable note than biting.
I understand some of the great players worked out this way, but I'm good for all of 20 minutes with double lip.
The amount of lip covering teeth is VERY small. Too much really dampens the sound. If your lip hurts, lay off. It is like the amount of pressure when you blow up a balloon.
Good luck!
anji
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Author: Beth
Date: 2001-02-19 14:20
As a double lip embouchure person, the above descriptions are accurate. I can't give the technical reasons behind it, but I can give you some personal impressions about it. I've used double lip all my playing life (started in mid 1960's). I don't remember much discomfort beginning with it. You do develop a small callus on the underside of your upper lip (where your teeth rest). I've heard this method sometimes called the "French embouchure". Why ? I don't know - maybe someone out there does know. I know I can play a softer reed using this embouchure, than the single lip. (I've been trying out single lip for the past 6 wks. or so and not happy with it.) I have to be very aware of what pitch I'm playing as so not to play constantly flat or sharp. I've noticed that if I'm not paying attention, I'll be sharper in the "piano" passages and flater in the "forte" passages than my single lip compadres. I like the control the double lip gives me on my upper notes. But using this embouchure, as your main embouchure, does take continual fiddling with the mouth to stay in pitch. I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing and look on it as good - it makes me more aware of my sound and of my instrument. I can play constantly for about 2 hours using this embouchure before my "corners" get tired and I start to leak air. But it's not very popular embouchure. There's only one other fellow player in community band that uses double lip and he also learned to play clarinet in the mid 1960's (but a different part of the country). If anyone out there can give background on this embouchure, I'd love to read more about it. I've been going around in circles with my instructor about single lip v. double lip.
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Author: Lindsay
Date: 2001-02-20 01:45
Oh! Now I understand! I'll have to try that, I tend to bite on my really high register into F, G, and A. Thank you for your help!
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Author: Bob Arney
Date: 2001-02-20 14:53
You can laugh all you want, I don't care. It works real good--real good--when I take out my upper plate. One up for the golden oldies around here!!Yeah!
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Author: Lindsay
Date: 2001-02-20 23:44
I wasn't laughing! I believe it'll work! :o)
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