Author: donald
Date: 2017-01-11 09:55
I experienced TMJ before studying with Dr Dave Etheridge at OU (where I was to meet Brad, who makes excellent comments above). The most significant thing that improved MY situation was a change in "concept" of my embouchure. Here I am talking about the concept of how the embouchure is functioning, rather than references/advice to change certain aspects (ie "push down with upper lip" "smile" and such advice).
This may or may not help you, but I suspect it MAY as I also suspect (as do others above) that you are playing with unnecessary tension in your embouchure.
Many players think of the embouchure like this- we put the instrument in our mouth, and then hold it with our mouth, the physical effort of our mouth is part of the exertion that is creating the sound.
I found it incredibly liberating and helpful to instead think of it this way- we create a shape with our mouth, and then place the instrument (mouthpiece) into this shape. The primary function of the embouchure is to SHAPE the AIR, not manhandle the reed. Think of a flute player, or a trumpet player- the shape they make with their embouchure is vital as it is directing/controlling the AIR, not holding the mouthpiece (though of course the trumpet players lips have an extra important function!)
IMAGINE you are playing, make your embouchure, and blow air- wwwwffffffff. How much muscular effort/tension is REALLY required to do this? Just enough to stop your lips from making that "horse noise" (surely you know what I mean) and hold your lips/cheeks against your teeth. Your mouth muscles need to be FIRM, but not strenuously active.
NOW your clarinet can be held steady by upward pressure of your right thumb pushing the mouthpiece gently against your top teeth (assuming you play with a single lip embouchure).
The REED is held against the lower lip only by the pressure created by the downward angle of the instrument (and if you have the optimum amount of reed in your mouth, the contact is very close to the point where the reed comes away from the facing).
Here is what I was taught to be the most important bit- the jaw is lowered away from the reed (it HAS to be, so you can make an "O" to fit the mouthpiece in your mouth, right?), so the MUSCLE FLOW (or direction of effort) is actually AWAY from the reed, not TOWARD the reed. Some teachers refer to this as a "flat chin".
Ok, so I've just written a lot about embouchure that may not seem relevant (it's the summer holidays and I've a big cup of coffee), but this idea of....
Embouchure- a shape/structure you have made to shape air.
Minimal tension of facial muscles- only enough to hold lips against the teeth, and lower the jaw so the mouth is opening, not "clamping".
.... these two things were the key, FOR ME, in eliminating TMJ.
Post Edited (2017-01-11 13:38)
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