The Clarinet BBoard

The Clarinet BBoard The C4 standard

New Topic | Go to Top | Go to Topic | Search | Help/Rules | Smileys/Notes | Log In

Previous Message | Next Message

Re: Converting to double lip embouchure

Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2019-11-23 18:36

I made the change 46 years ago, so I don't remember too much of the mechanics of the transition. I am fairly certain that, against most advice (including my own here to younger "switchers"), I didn't go back and forth to rebuild my embouchure strength. Once I began to play double lip, the advantages for me were clear enough that I couldn't comfortably go back to single lip after ten minutes - the single lip with my teeth on the mouthpiece just felt uncomfortable and the reed didn't respond as cleanly when I tried to go back. So I just shortened my practice sessions.

I did try for a while to play without any support from my upper teeth - opening my jaw/teeth so far that the upper lip and teeth were completely out of contact. That worked up to a point, but it tired me too quickly. I think there is a school of playing that does that - it may even involve not supporting the lower lip, either, and doing all the work of supporting and controlling the reed with the lips alone. That's tiring for me, and I find it important, or at least more comfortable, to have the reed resting on my lower teeth and the mouthpiece beak resting against my upper teeth, with the lips interceding and cushioning on top and bottom and controlling the mouthpiece from the sides.

I teach two young ladies who happen to play double lip. They had taught themselves to play that way before they came to me, so I wasn't the instigator. The biggest problem I notice in their playing is a tendency for the instrument, and as a consequence, the mouthpiece, to move in their mouths. The slight wobbling that happens when they move over large intervals (moving several fingers at once) or over the break can cause audible changes in the sound or in the worst case bad connections or even squeaks. You have to prevent those wobbles with a combination of embouchure firmness, right thumb support, and maybe when added stability is needed, some knee support under the bell.

The high note difficulty may be a matter of finding a more efficient contact point on the reed for your lower lip, or it might be a problem with reeds that are either too hard (so they need more lip pressure than your newly active lip muscles are ready to give) or too soft (so the pressure you need to control them for high notes closes them).

Double lip doesn't mean not engaging the muscles of your lips (now both) - they aren't just cushioning the contact points. The action of closing your lips around the mouthpiece provides the embouchure pressure on the reed that your jaw may have been providing before. The distribution of the pressure, in my sense of what double lip does, is different from the bottom-up jaw pressure that can result from playing single lip - with double lip I feel as if I'm supporting the sides of the reed more reliably. In time, you'll gain flexibility in approaching reed strength.

Karl

Reply To Message | Avail. Forums | Flat View

Newer Topic | Older Topic

Topics