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"Deep" Embouchure on bass clarinet

Author: Kalashnikirby
Date: 2019-10-14 16:33

It's probably common knowlegde that you need play the BC with a different embouchure. However, until today, I didn't realize how far you can go with your mouth... literally.

Check out this nice video about the BC in general: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21bcWIWJvFM&t=1216s
At 10:35 Laurent Ben Slimane explains how going further with your embouchure improves the sound. But look at just how much mouthpiece he manages to accomodate, pretty insane when I compare that to my playing or of those I know/ have seen play the BC, even on a professional level.

This had me wondering: Should I change my embouchure? Have I been doing it wrong all the time? I do realize you should use more of your mpc compared to the soprano clarinets, but how far is far enough? Or should one vary their positioning and settle on what suits them most? Personally, after watching this vid, I marked a spot 5mm away from where I usually "sit" on my mpc and found that made quite an extreme change. Anything beyond that, for now at least, makes the instrument unplayable and squeaky. Also, feels quite stressful for the musculature involved. You certainly need practice with that way of playing.

At any rate, there's always something new to learn in the clarinet world! Fellow BC players, do you also have this extreme approach?

There's probably other factors to consider, too, like type of mpc, the player's anatomy (lower facial height, maximum mouth opening, etc... this all can vary greatly), reed strength and so on
IMHO, any additional mm of "deeper" embouchure takes extra strength and seems to make circular breathing even harder, which I certainly dislike about this technique. But hopefully, practice will solve this too.

Best regards
Christian

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