 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Kim
Date: 2001-07-03 14:21
I play on a 5RV Lyre and V-12 3 1/2 reeds. With these reeds I am biting like crazy both top and bottom. By orthodontist even complained on how much I am biting my mpc. My embouchure is also not fully developed so I would like to know if you think I should go to a lower strength vandy reed.
Thanks for your help in advance.
Kim
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Author: Fred
Date: 2001-07-03 14:57
Kim, the stronger you make the sides of your embouchure the less you will bite from top and bottom. You'll save yourself a sore lip too. One of my teachers would grasp the barrel while I played and attempt to move it from side to side. That was a good exercise for emphasizing the need for lateral support.
By the way . . . when you quit biting you may very well drop down a bit in reed strength. In fact, I think I would recommend it if you choose to practice what I listed above. Don't buy a year's supply . . . just get some that won't fight you as you practice. Play long tones and really make them open up and sing. You can work on tone, projection, and embouchure all at the same time.
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Author: David
Date: 2001-07-03 14:57
Have you experimented aorund with reeds before?
Several clarinet players take their first brands of reeds, weigh the differences, and then immediately switch to something else. It might not be the 3 1/2 som uch for you as the V-12. My own personal choice is a thickness 2, though it does make the clarion register sound a little on the reedy side. You have to be careful, becuase the lighter your reed, the more it can affect your tone. I would try around with other brands (Rico, LaVoz, there are plenty to choose out there.)
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Author: Sylvain
Date: 2001-07-03 15:20
Kim,
Unfortunately changing reed/mouthpiece will not instantly make you change embouchure. Your setup is a very standard and usually well recommended one and you should focus on fixing your problem by working on it instead of trying to find a trick that will solve it for you.
Embouchure is one of the most if not the most essential aspect of playing the clarinet. We are constantly trying to improve it and it should be worked on each time you practice.
If you bite too much, you have to really concentrate on making your embouchure rounder. Think of your lips as a rubber band wrapping around the mp, that is what you should try to develop. Always listen carefully to your sound and intonation. Play long tones, 12th, slow chromatic scales for homogeneity of the sound across the full range.
It is very difficult to give good advice without seeing you, so try to get help from a teacher. You can also search the BB for embouchure and biting. You will find many useful tips to improve the quality of your sound.
Good luck and good clarinetting
-Sylvain
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Author: Dee
Date: 2001-07-03 15:40
Do you have adequate breath support? If not, you may be getting a thin sound that is flat in pitch. Biting often comes from trying to get up to pitch. However biting then leads to an even thinner, shrill sound in the upper clarion and altissimo ranges. So check your breath support.
I would not advise going down in reed strength on this mouthpiece. Vandoren recommends the use of the equivalent of a Vandoren 3 to 4 reed.
Try to determine *why* you are biting. Then once you know the cause, you can address the problem.
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