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right mouthpiece bite? - More thoughts

Author: Dee
Date: 1999-07-11 23:27

Perhaps it would help to avoid even using the term "bite." This may subconsciously lead you to "bite" or "pinch" when you play. This is a bad habit that a lot of people fall into when they try to play altissimo and can lead to very thin, shrill sounding notes. Instead, visualize your embouchure as providing firm, disciplined support and control around the entire circumference of your mouthpiece.

If you think that this may be your problem, try playing with the double lip embouchure part of the time. Here the upper lip is folded over the teeth just like the lower lip. It is impossible to bite or pinch as you will immediately feel *pain* if you do. At first it may be very difficult to balance the clarinet this way so if need be use a neck strap. Also your embouchure may not be strong enough at first to be particularly successful with it. But it certainly helps pinpoint and break a pinching habit.

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