Author: SecondTry
Date: 2023-06-14 03:47
When a student asks, "how hard do I grip the mouthpiece (single lip embouchure we'll assume)," I'm prone to say, "not one bit harder than is necessary to form a pleasing in tune sound."
I try to explain that clarinet play is in part about energy conservation and that to expend energy for no improvement, worse, inferior play, is a waste.
For those who teach, if faced with the same question though, what is/might be your reply?
We tend to say, "don't bite" to students, rather than, on the other end of the spectrum, "grip the mouthpiece harder," as tension from play tends to make its way to the fingers and mouth where inadequate mouthpiece grip is usually not the culprit.
But when the student listens and asks, "so how hard do I grip the mouthpiece," what's some good stock reply do you think?
Mark Nuccio is reported to have said about reed strength, "the lightest that doesn't interfere with your artistry." But I'm not sure this parallels with embouchure strength.
TIA
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The Clarinet BBoard
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