Author: Jarmo Hyvakko
Date: 2023-06-16 00:45
In basic, embouchure is putting your lips around the mouthpiece air tight and pressing the reed slightly towards the mouthpiece to make tension to the reed. Thus when you blow air into the instrument the reed starts to vibrate producing sound.
You can press the reed either by biting the reed against the mp by your jaws or by tightening your lips around the mouthpiece.
I see it wiser to use the lip muscles than your biting muscles, because it's easier to control exactly the pressure against the mouthpiece with your lips than with your jaws.
However, to control the embouchure you will need the mouthpiece be stable enough in your mouth. Therefore a certain amount of jaws is also needed: i suggest you think your jaws to be like an adjustable wrench exactly adjusted round a bolt, not too loose not too tight.
I advice a student to check this frequently by trying to wiggle the mouthpiece horizontally left and right while playing. If you can't, your jaws are too tight, If your teeth are not in contact with the mouthpiece or lips, your jaws are too loose.
How to blow, how deep the mp is in your mouth, in what angle the instrument is etc. are another story!
Jarmo Hyvakko, Principal Clarinet, Tampere Philharmonic, Finland
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