 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Roxann
Date: 2014-02-22 23:54
When the term "biting" has come up, for some reason I've always thought it referred solely to what the bottom teeth and jaw are doing. Now I'm beginning to think the term may also be referring to what the top teeth are doing. Just how much pressure should the top teeth be exerting on the mpc? Or does it matter? Thanks in advance.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2014-02-22 19:49
I think it of differently. For an exercise, instead of exerting pressure from the top teeth onto the mouthpiece, you can try to push the mouthpiece UP with your hands into your top teeth. Exert pressure onto your TEETH from the mouthpiece. That tends to create a looser embouchure (believe it or not).
If you don't want to play this way, play double lip. If your top lip hurts cause the teeth are pushing into it, you're biting.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: qualitycontrol
Date: 2014-02-23 03:53
If you're putting pressure with your bottom teeth against the reed, what are you pressing against? The clarinet?
What is it pressing against? Your top teeth. You can't bite up or down, just together.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-02-23 00:01
Technically I agree with "quality control." There is only one thing happening when your jaw muscles contract. However, if you are angling the clarinet closer into your body, there is a natural fulcrum created there where you are actually exerting more pressure OUTWARD against the back of your front teeth. The desirable element there is that you are NOT clamping straight up and down.
Also perhaps you are referring to using the upper lip muscles to press downward. This IS desirable to control much of your upper register but is part a parcel of the overall firmness that must be present ALL AROUND the mouthpiece.
But as I have been saying over and OVER again, if you are consciously putting pressure on the reed in any sort of noticeable way (particularly if your jaw feels strained after playing) you are putting way, WAY too much pressure into the embouchure.
..............Paul Aviles
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2014-02-23 05:48
At the end of a show season, when I am in practice again,and my lip has hardened up perhaps, I am not "consciously putting pressure on the reed in any sort of noticeable way".
However at the beginning of a season, after a period of not practicing for several weeks, my lip is more delicate, so when it has localised pressure on it it DOES tell me that I AM "consciously putting pressure on the reed in any sort of noticeable way".
In both situations, I believe that the pressure is the same, and certainly not excessive. It is achieved with some support from the lower teeth. That, by definition, is biting, and I believe it is done by most players. I see nothing wrong with it unless taken to excess.
It's just that of all the people exerting a typical degree of rather necessary biting, some notice it more than others. That may be because their lip has not been "conditioned" enough (by the relative hiding it gets during practice, as opposed to in eating or speaking or even kissing) in the previous months (as in my case) &/or because shoe teeth are a lot sharper than others, &/or because some teeth on some people are longer than their neighbours, thus applying more local pressure.
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