 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2016-05-09 22:05
I have found that on pieces where I'm called upon on clarinet to make fast and significant jumps between clarion register notes, as might be found in sections of either:
Weber Clarinet Concerto 2, 3rd mvt, or
Krommer Clarinet Duet, Op.91 1st mvt
that the notes voice better for me using a double rather than a single lip embouchure.
Now, of course, you're not watching me and/or playing my setup, but might you have any theories on why this is the case? I've done my level best to match the position and strength with which my mouth applies pressure to the reed for both embouchures.
Thanks.
Post Edited (2016-05-09 22:06)
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2016-05-10 06:42
I agree (double lip seems to smooth out large leaps like that).
Just in case you haven't tried it, try your single lip embouchure (teeth on top), with an ooooo embouchure. Imagine your embouchure is an O-ring just sealing off the air from escaping and making sure the ONLY place it can go is in the clarinet.
My initial theory and suspicion is that it's not necessarily just the pressure or position, but also the shape of the corners of the mouth. Single lip tends to pull the corners tight. Double lip tends to make an O with the mouth.
Worth trying, at least. As for why double lip works better? Maybe because it's generally a softer embouchure, and responds to changes more dynamically than a single lip which can be more 'static'?
US Army Japan Band
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2016-05-10 07:13
My experience is the same as yours. Although I have learned after decades of playing primarily (for all intents, exclusively) double lip to duplicate the embouchure for short periods of time with single lip and get the same (to my ear) playing result, I always go back to double because, **for me**, it's just more comfortable - natural - feeling. Things that I do without much thought using double lip take more concentration and care with single, and eventually I slide into doing things that were the bad habits I originally tried double lip to overcome. So I'm not surprised that some other players, perhaps you included, have the same experience.
I'm don't want to try to theorize about why my level of comfort and, therefore, control are better using both lips over my teeth. There are too many possibilities, and I can shoot holes myself in every explanation I can come up with. But the bottom line is that I can maintain a comfortable embouchure and my best control over the reed more organically, more naturally with double lip.
There are many players who get very beautiful, well controlled results with single lip embouchures. Could I re-learn single lip to be able to use it with comfort equal to what I feel with double lip? Maybe. But I haven't tried because what I'm now doing works, just as the players who are successful with single lip stay with it. What they're doing already works for them.
I guess in the end, my answer to your question is that it doesn't matter much why you get better results with double lip. If it's the case, and your effort to get the same result with single lip is less than a success, maybe it's wasted effort.
"Who can explain it, who can tell you why? Fools give you reasons. Wise men never try."
"Fools" of course is Oscar Hammerstien's word, not mine, and he isn't talking about clarinet embouchures. But you get the idea.
Karl
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2016-05-10 10:06
Since I've never been accused of wisdom, I will venture a theory.
I am also deep into a sea change in how I play based on the traditional German mouthpiece/reed combination.
As my embouchure evolves to an almost "non-factor" in playing (the "just blow" approach), I find that most things are controlled by the speed of air versus how the reed vibrates at given partial (or note really). The air and reed will make this change faster than our embouchure could ever keep up and perhaps on some level the more "active" embouchures actually get in the way (unless they are fast enough to almost keep up).
So, the much lighter (less wrench like) double lip stance allows the reed and air to just do their thing at the necessary speed to make the changes appropriately.
Well, at least I am finding that I have been getting in my own way for the last 40 years and I am almost dumbfounded by this discovery.
Thank you Bas De Jong and the Viotto mouthpiece for helping me down a very fruitful path.
.....................Paul Aviles
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