Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2017-10-30 02:36
NBeaty wrote:
> If you're using double lip, you're generally not using as much
> lower lip pressure as others might, so you have to have
> something to help with general control and stability (which is
> probably why you felt the need to increase the reed strength in
> the first place). With double lip, it would also be more
> difficult to keep the pitch up because you're not using as much
> pressure on the reed (which will bring the pitch up).
I have to disagree with this part of NBeaty's post. I don't think it's that with double lip you use less *lower lip pressure,* it's more that you use less *jaw pressure.* The controlling pressure, or strength, is transferred to the lips themselves while slightly raising the soft palate, creating more space inside your mouth. You shouldn't need to increase the strength of your reed to play double lip - in fact, many players find that double lip allows them to use less stiff reeds.
I've played double lip for the past 40 years. When my upper lip gets cut by my teeth, it's generally because I've been playing on a reed that doesn't vibrate easily. Sometimes the reed is too stiff, sometimes it's unbalanced, and sometimes the reed's profile results in stuffy response, and I'm compensating for all of those sources of resistance by tightening my lips more than usual.
I'm always suspicious when players talk about "relaxing" their embouchures. There is a certain amount of strength that needs to be applied around the reed (evenly distributed across the reed's width) by the lips. The suggestion, which I heard all my student life and still try to follow, is that you should try to use the *minimum* amount of pressure (applied lip strength) to the reed that's necessary to produce a controlled sound. If the lips go flabby, they lose control. If they pull unnecessarily tight, they damp the reed's vibrations too much and, at an extreme, close the reed. The key is to use the lips, not the jaw, to provide the pressure and resulting control. Use the teeth to provide stability under the lips.
Without hearing you play, I'd suggest that you go back to the #3.5 and concentrate on what muscles are doing the work.
Something else you might think about is your mouthpiece angle relative to your chin. There are many players who play successfully with the clarinet nearly straight out - almost 90° to the chin. But you may find that allowing gravity to do more of the work as the mouthpiece rotates toward your teeth, lets you apply less pressure with your lips.
Karl
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