 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Roxann
Date: 2013-06-05 03:29
I seem to produce a whole lot more saliva than the clarinet players who sit beside produce. And, as my embrasure weakens because I've been playing and playing, it becomes rather bothersome to deal with. Do others have this problem? Any suggestions on how to deal with this or, better yet, prevent it?
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Author: kdk
Date: 2013-06-05 05:54
What are you actually seeing to compare your saliva production to others'? Are you just seeing more water dripping from your bell when you play? So much of that is condensation when breath hits relatively cooler air and wood (or whatever) inside the bore, not actual saliva.
Karl
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Author: Maruja
Date: 2013-06-05 11:53
My teacher has just told me that saliva production diminishes as you get older. This is the reason why clarinetists don't play beyond 80. Please tell me this is not true!
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Author: gsurosey
Date: 2013-06-05 13:04
I have this problem when playing bass clarinet. I'm not sure if these reasons are accurate, but I attribute it to 1) some spit not making it past the neck curbe, and 2) I play synthetic reeds on bass. I'm not sure if it's a sealing issue between the reed and mouthpiece, but it only happens on bass.
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Rachel
Clarinet Stash:
Bb/A: Buffet R13
Eb: Bundy
Bass: Royal Global Max
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2013-06-05 13:32
Hi Roxan --
First things first: everyone produces a different "coefficient of slobber" as I call it.
We're supposed to salivate when we put things in our mouths. For that matter we salivate even when we anticipate putting things in our mouths! Over time your mind learns that you're not going to eat the clarinet, you're just placing it in the mouth -- and you stop producing extra saliva.
I would imagine putting a new reed on (because of the taste) could cause an increase for someone who is past the point of extra production.
I think this idea also explains why gsurosey experiences the same when they play bass -- it's a lot bigger.
How long have you been playing?
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: Roxann
Date: 2013-06-05 16:54
Maruja...One of the best clarinet players in our band is 86 years old...ignore your teacher on this one! I've been playing again (after a 40 year hiatus) for 4 years. I do get a lot of water running down inside my bell and dripping out the other end. I spray out the sides of my mouth as the rehearsal goes into the second hour. I do suck on the mouthpiece whenever I have the chance to try to clear it. The players around me aren't doing any of this. They're all at least 10 years younger than I am, some as much as 40 years younger. Is it kosher to pull off your reed between numbers and squeeze the liquid out of it?
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Author: kdk
Date: 2013-06-05 17:13
Talking about sucking water out of the mouthpiece during rests reminds me of the director of one of the bands at Temple when I was a student there, a very accomplished clarinetist himself (David, I'm sure you know him), who had a pet peeve about the clarinet players in the band doing that - the louder the noise the made the more annoyed he got. My partner on the first stand used to do it constantly - although he had always done it, I'm not sure to this day if he continued simply out of habit or to irritate the director. If you do this, do it quietly.
I'm still not clear why you're sure this is all saliva. It doesn't much matter when it comes to keeping the clarinet clear by swabbing, sucking, blotting or however you need to keep water out of the tone holes, but it does make a difference if you start down the road of trying to limit your actual salivary output if what you're really dealing with is condensate.
The players I've seen who seemed to have obvious issues with saliva volume had trouble not so much with saliva inside the mouthpiece as saliva seeping out around the *outside* of the mouthpiece and the bottom of the reed (because of overflow within the mouth itself), causing an annoying amount of slipperiness that made the mouthpiece unstable in their embouchures. Are you having this kind of problem?
Karl
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Author: GeorgeL ★2017
Date: 2013-06-05 20:14
Rachel wrote: "I have this problem when playing bass clarinet."
Same here. I only use synthetic reeds on bass because wood reeds became waterlogged after 20 minutes of playing. I attribute the water production to condensation which forms in the neck and runs back down to the mouthpiece.
My solution to the problem: frequently dump the water out. If I'm playing on a stage with a wood floor, I try to hit a towel I place on the floor. Tucson is dry enough that water usually evaporates quickly.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2013-06-08 14:12
It is clear from what I see as a technician that some players allow saliva to pass straight into their clarinet.
IMO only moist air should enter the instrument.
I have a space under my tongue, behind my lower teeth, where I collect excess saliva, then swallow it when the opportunity presents.
This is possibly impossible if the head is tilted forward.
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Author: pplateau
Date: 2013-06-09 20:18
At almost 75 and still playing after many years of not, I'm happy that my saliva still works! But if needed I swab the clarinet and swallow any excess when the break in the music allows.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2013-06-10 02:05
"At almost 75 and still playing after many years of not, I'm happy that my saliva still works! "
That sure is a blessing! Life is pretty depleted for people whose saliva has stopped working.
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Author: mk
Date: 2013-06-11 15:50
study the following topics by googling them....dew point, relative humdity, vapor pressure and you will better understand this phenomenon. Saliva production in fact is very healthy. Those suffering from inadequate saliva production have a medical concern.
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