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Re: Another try

Author: SecondTry
Date: 2023-06-18 01:14

Hank Lehrer wrote:

> Second Try,
>
> How do you know "where considerable bite pressure is
> unavoidable (on both sax and clarinet)?
>
> And why is knowing when or why changes from single to double
> lip or vice versa occurred is important. I have been playing
> for well over 70 years in all sorts of settings and with
> several very fine teachers and cannot recall ever having the
> topic come up.
>
> HRL

Hi Hank:

As you must realize by now your first question was inspired by Lydian's thoughts and has been addressed by this poster.

As to your question on why the change from double to single lip (I really don't think it was in the other direction) is important to me is so that I can better appreciate what it is people gained from moving to single lip--what was the motivation---and what was lost in it that people like Opperman, as late as the turn of the century, still insisted on it?

I have my own theories. I just think its easier to grasp the instrument with your mouth when at least one lip (the upper) doesn't stand between those teeth and the mouthpieces, more so than any loss in tone production from single lip play, particular for players who incorporate some of the double lip mechanics into their single lip play.

Understanding why players switched embouchures better informs this player of the pros and cons of each method of snugging the mouthpiece. I've heard the double lip pros, and I'd like to hear what others have to say about the single lip pros, other than my beliefs above.

Sometimes in life people follow change in herd mentality like ways for little good reason. But given the vast move to single lip play once mouthpieces changes allowed it, I suspect that there are reasons related to play that can perhaps justify the paradigm shift, beyond simply following the trend.

I have no idea of there is a "chicken or the egg" type argument here that found mouthpieces switching to accommodate reeds on bottom because it allowed for desired single lip play, or whether single lip play was a product of, rather a motivation for the mouthpiece change. And at least within the scope of my focused inquiry the history doesn't interest me (although I appreciate a poster's comments on the mouthpiece change allowing for easier play using either embouchure.)

The question whose answer interests me is "once both embouchures became possible with mouthpiece changes, why did the vast majority of players make double lip play a thing of the past?"

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Another try new

SecondTry

2023-06-17 18:59