 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Suzanne
Date: 2001-05-24 04:54
I have two seventh-grade clarinet students, and they are coming along in terms of sound, because I feel confident in my ability to teach correct use of the wind... but they both need some work on their embouchures and I'm not sure how to teach that. My own teachers never really stressed embouchure, they just focused on sound, and wind, and somehow my embouchure turned out fine as sort of a side effect, without me really being deliberate about what my muscles were doing. I have tried doing with them what my teachers have done, but somehow their embouchures aren't looking right, and I think they could sound even better if some changes were made. But I don't know HOW to teach it, or better yet, how to articulate it. Any ideas?
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Author: Gary
Date: 2001-05-24 06:11
Unfortunately embouchure is really some that I think one can teach over the internet; it's sort of a "hands-on" sort of thing. However, I'll give it a try.
It wasn't until grad school that I was actually taught a COMPLETE embouchure. By "complete" I mean, ALL aspects of embouchure were explained to me, as opposed to a "flat chin" here, and a "don't smile" there.
My most recent teacher, Bil Jackson, explains embouchure this way: "O" with the lips, "E" with the tongue. In other words, form the lips as if you were saying the vowel "o," and have the tongue in position to say the vowel "e." I found this to be extremely uncomfortable for about a year, then everything just clicked for me.
(It is my belief that this embouchure and this method of teaching embouchure comes directly for Marcellus. I may be wrong.)
This embouchure has made MANY aspects of clarinet playing much easier for me: intonation, wide intervals, projection, focus, etc...
I hope this helps, and good luck,
Gary
P.S. feel free to email me if you have any further questions.
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Author: jan
Date: 2001-05-24 12:09
without knowing what the childrens embouchures look like, i will tell you a piece of advise i got from this board awhile back. my student had not played before...just learning, and she was my first student. so we were/are both learning. she wasnt understanding how to place the mouthpiece in her mouth. someone here suggested she think of a feather taped to her chin and try to blow it off. i told her this "trick" the next lesson and boom she got it. going back to basics might help your students.
good luck
jan
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Author: Anji
Date: 2001-05-24 13:20
As a beginning plonker, I can grasp the challenge the kids face.
Larry Guy's book really gets to the heart of the problem, and would make a solid reference for any teacher (especially teachers with beginning students).
In his chapter on Equalizing the registers, he recommends using a soda straw and mirror as illustrations of the proper position.
When my play goes slack (you know, daily), I play double-lip for awhile.
This seems to put everything in the 'filing cabinet' back in order.
With double-lip, the soft palate and tongue go to the same places as when yawning (like at a Yanni concert?).
The feather trick sounds good, but as part of my work-release program I have to stay 100 yards from live poultry.
Good luck!
anji
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Author: jerry
Date: 2001-05-24 17:24
Anji wrote,
"When my play goes slack (you know, daily), I play double-lip for awhile.
This seems to put everything in the 'filing cabinet' back in order."
Messy filing cabinets? To iterate what Anji said in an earlier thread, it's amazing what you can learn on this phorum.
Think about this. There are very few birds besides chickens that lay eggs on a daily basis. If we didn't eat chickens and eggs, we would be knee deep in road kill. What does this have to do with clarinets - nothing!
But I'm sure you've all heard this one. The difference between an onion and a clarinet?
~ jerry
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Author: Marcia Nottle
Date: 2001-05-24 23:42
Yes. No one cries when you chop up a clarinet.......but I thought that was an oboe joke!!
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Author: Meri
Date: 2001-05-25 13:47
David Pino has an idea that I have found to be successful with younger students: have them think about blowing in a milkshake.
In conjunction, though, you could encourage them to listen to good clarinet recordings.
Meri
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