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Beginner Question

Author: Jorge
Date: 2001-10-23 21:45

I'm studing Bb clarinet and I feel a lot of pain in my throat, especially
when studing low long notes. Could someone help me with an exercise for
relaxing the throat ? My teacher aparently doesn't know how to help me. He
just says "relax the throat" , "let the air flow freely", etc, but can't show me it in a practical way.

Thanks
Jorge

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RE: Beginner Question

Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2001-10-23 22:14

Jorge -

Throat pain is unusual, particularly on low notes. The most likely cause is tensing your throat or vocal cords, so you're blowing against them. You need to train yourself to blow without that obstruction.

Try the following. Stand or sit upright, without your clarinet. Drop your abdomen down and out, making a "pot belly" and then immediately inhale all the way down to your hips. Keep the air coming in, filling up from the bottom, until your chest rises naturally on top of the air.

Then, relax and let the air rush out. Don't close your throat or pucker your lips or offer any resistance. Your lungs should empty quickly, over maybe a second or a second and a half.

Now inhale the same way, but make a loose embouchure and play an open G (or the C below, if that's more comfortable). Don't use any effort blowing. The weight of the air does it all. Learn to feel the pressure of the air from your belly against the reed, with nothing in between.

This takes time to get used to. Don't worry if you go back to your current way of playing. Just keep at it.

Do this for a few days and come back to let us know how you're doing.

Best regards.

Ken Shaw

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RE: Beginner Question

Author: Eoin McAuley
Date: 2001-10-24 07:46

Are you tonguing the notes properly? Some beginner players start the notes by controlling the flow of air with their throat rather than with the tongue. This makes your throat very sore after a while. If you've only just started, your teacher may not have noticed this yet. You should keep a continuous flow of air and use your tongue on the reed to start each note.

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RE: Beginner Question

Author: Jorge
Date: 2001-10-24 14:12

Thanks, I'll try your sugestions and let you know If worked.

Regards
Jorge

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RE: Beginner Question

Author: Jorge
Date: 2001-10-24 19:42

While trying your sugestions, and paying very atention in how I was breathing and tonging, I discovered an strange thing.

I inhaled and just before to blow (and tongue) I closed my throat, like a valve, so that I could relax the diaphragm and the air could "wait" until my tongue and embochedure wasn't ready. I Think this produced my throat tension. Now I'm studing not to do that, keeping my abdomen holding the air, and releasing it at the right moment.

I noticed even the sound looks better now.

Thanks all
Jorge

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RE: Beginner Question

Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2001-10-25 10:11

It is your tongue touching (closing) the reed that should be working "like a valve".
Are you suyre you are tongueing - with the END (tip) of your tongue, not the base?

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