 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: john4256
Date: 2011-08-01 10:18
After a week's solid playing of my Bass Clarinet during a Big Band Summer School, I have a very sore bottom lip on the outside. This is due to the constant rubbing of the reed against the lip. Does anyone have any ideas on how to avoid this in the future?
I am on another course on Wednesday with my soprano sax so I would appreciate any advice.
Post Edited (2011-08-02 10:05)
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Author: ThatPerfectReed
Date: 2011-08-01 18:15
Hi John:
OK--I'll throw 1 or 2 suggestions out there--if for no other reason than nobody has yet--not that I'm suggesting my ideas superior.
Would the acquisition of adhesive backed foam or felt at a home goods store--cutable with a scissor, do the trick?
I say this because--to point out the obvious, where the outer lower lip contacts the reed is a point of dampening, not vibration. Therefore, sticking on the reed itself, a tiny strip of such product--maybe the length of a reed's with, and the height of a lip's width, might take the edge off of the discomfort.
You speak of a very sore bottom lip, but I'm not sure if your discomfort has more to do with pain associated with rubbing up against the reed, or the pressure you apply to the reed while your mouth and reed rub past each other only minimally, or reed vibration.
Yes--you talk of rumbling from reed vibration--but sometimes what a student "reports," and "what is," are, nobody's fault, 2 seperate things. Since I can't see you play, I'll try to cover as many bases as I can.
If rubbing or rumbling best describes your pain, I'd think the felt is your best route. While "pressure like" discomfort might suggest use of foam.
Finally, you describe how this is do to the constant rubbling (maybe you meant "rubbing" or "rumbling"----I'll cover both words) of the reed against the lip.
Okay--using either term I'm confused. The place where your outer lower lip comes in contact with the reed as a point of dampening of reed vibrations, correct, so what rumbbling (with the letters "em" and "el") do you speak of. And if it's rubbing (no "el") why are you not playing with a relatively stationary mouth, with respect to its distance from the tip of the reed, such that said rubbing would occur? You open your mouth subconscienously wider than your embochure when sliding on and off the mouthpiece, correct? So there's no rubbing assocaition with engaging or disengaging the mouthpiece, correct? Lastly, you dry off your mouth to prevent chapping if necesssary, correct?
I apologize for anything "lost in translation." Sadly, we are not sitting in front of each other to observe this problem visually. They last thing a player in pain wants to hear is criticism--so I apologize in advance if that's how my ideas might be taken.
I wish your virtuosic pain free playing!
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Author: kdk
Date: 2011-08-01 18:53
How many different reeds did you use and what material were they made of? If only one reed, maybe you just need to polish the surface of it a little. If several, check to make sure the surfaces aren't unusually grainy and don't have burrs (even small ones) sticking out. Meanwhile, the only way to clear up the soreness that's already there is probably to rest it and apply some kind of material meant to sooth chapped lips or hands.
My only experience with irritation on the outside of my lower lip has come from reeds that were more rough-surfaced than usual. I have occasionally noticed that using Legere reeds for extended periods has caused some irritation, though not to the point of being painful.
Karl
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Author: john4256
Date: 2011-08-01 19:48
Sorry that was a spelling error. I meant RUBBING.
We had a week course where we were playing 5 one hour sessions a day for 6 days!! It was the first time I had picked up a Bass Clarinet in a year. I normally play soprano sax.
I think you are right that the reed might have been a little rough. Bass Clarinet reeds are bigger than I am used to.The sore is dead centre about half a centimeter diameter and it was definitely the rubbing of the reed during playing. We had one conductor who kept stopping every bar which meant the instrument was in and out of the mouth like a yo yo!! lol I think it is the slight but continuous movement during playing which was the cause.
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Author: john4256
Date: 2011-08-02 10:09
Karl, I used two different Rico Royal reeds. Unfortunately the soreness arrived after I finally stopped playing so I couldn't do anything about it. I will definitely take your suggestion and polish the area a little and see how it goes next time.
Many thanks to the above two guys for your help.
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2011-08-04 16:32
Yes, it is possible that the outside of the reed needs a little polishing if it has a rough surface. In any case you should do what I do, I put on blistex after every playing, I carry a tube in my case. And then I use chap stick several times a day, even in the summer, to keep my lip protected. ESP eddies clarinet.com
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Author: ThatPerfectReed
Date: 2011-08-05 02:05
Synthetic reeds like Legere and Forestone are pretty smooth. I've heard of bass clarinet players using Tenor Sax size reeds before...
of course....the pros and cons of synthetics is personal, and well, well discussed on the board already...
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