 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: dagclarinet
Date: 2006-02-23 01:04
Hopefully someone can help me with this disastrous problem. I have a clarinet student, who plays technically well, pretty sharp player. However, recently, his cheeks have puffed out like a blowfish these past 3 weeks. I tell him to look at his cheeks in a mirror, and to touch his cheeks with a free hand while playing open G's . I think he's worse after that! What can I do about this? He's a 6th grade beginner clarinet player. Any help would be appreciated.
Damien Gibson
www.damiengibson.com
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Author: Aaron
Date: 2006-02-23 01:27
I have been told that puffed cheeks are the result of an incorrect tongue position which allows air to go to the sides of the tongue rather than directed at the reed.
Maybe try working on tongue position and see if that helps.
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Author: ajhogan
Date: 2006-02-23 01:51
When I first started (4th grade) playing I puffed my cheeks. I had puffed cheeks throughout middle school, and then my freshman year I started concentrating on stopping the puffing. A few weeks later it was not an issue.
Austin
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2006-02-23 12:07
The correct embouchure, as we all know involves engaging the buccinator muscles of the cheek (the same muscles used when trying to suck something through a straw). So try that. Tell your student to attempt sucking a thick cholcolate shake through a straw (the thicker the better - preferablly a Wendy's Frosty). Now take this "feeling" and just blow out instead of in. Great dancers always say you have to "feel" how your muscles and limbs are working. Using a mirror for this might not tell the story, as you have found out.
...........Paul Aviles
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Author: BobD
Date: 2006-02-23 13:37
"as we all know "....Thanks Paul because I didn't know that. I'll pass it along to Dizzy. But, seriously, why is it that a good number of sax players "blow" their cheeks and sound OK. I think I have at least one picture of Bechet in which his cheeks are blown also. Is holding one's cheeks "in" just another of those hoary rules we've lived with ....does it really matter.
Bob Draznik
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2006-02-23 13:45
I thought we were discussing the "text book," classical clarinet technique. Naturally you can get a reasonable sound doing all sorts of things that you "shouldn't" be doing. Bechet was not in the Boston Symphony either. But if you are blowing everyone else out of the water playing through the wide end of the clarinet, why change anything?
.............Paul Aviles
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Author: William
Date: 2006-02-23 14:35
Here's a trick I use on beginning brass players to help them develop the tension in the center of the embouchures necessary to produce the buzz. It also helps with players who tend to puff their cheeks. First, have them hold a pencil, eraser end, in the center of their lips without using their teeth for support in any way. Have them gently shake their heads and continue holding the pencil with just their lips. Most are successful after a couple of drops. Then, ask them to vigorusly blow air around the pencil while continuing to hold it with just lip support. This is impossible to do without good central lip tension and puffed cheeks. In doing this excercise, students learn the concept of central lip tension to produce the buzz and to use good breath support without puffing their cheeks out. It might also be helpful for single reed players who have the puffed cheek syndrom going on. Just make sure the eraser has not been recently used.
An additional thought--it might be advisable to follow the pencil with a soda straw to avoid eventual (possibly) air leakage around the mouthpiece. But still have the student hold the straw with just the central lips--no teeth.
I have always thought that if Diz had tried this pencil exercise at an early age, we--as teachers--would not all of those famous pics for our students with "puffed cheek syndrome" to point to and say, "he does it". Good luck!!
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2006-02-23 15:00
I've been fighting a sneaky right cheek that pokes out when my attention goes to some other playing need.
I've been thinking of trying to sit on my teachers' right side, so he can't see whats going on, but that's been hard to sell.
I'm convinced that I need to stop letting that bulge happen because, when listening attentatively, I can hear my tone quality deteriorate as that cheek escapes.
That's why I suggested having your student listen carefully with his cheeks in and out of control.
Bob Phillips
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2006-02-23 17:02
Explain to your pupil that when playing the clarinet he should be BREATHING into it as opposed to BLOWING.
And that when we're breathing (exhaling) naturally we don't puff our cheeks out, and clarinet playing should be as natural as breathing.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2006-02-23 17:02
Sometimes posters don't mention pertinent information. I guess the first thing I'd do is ask the kid why he's doing it and then go from there. Doesn't it seem unusual that after playing with textbook cheeks for some time he would suddenly change. But perhaps the poster has already addressed this and didn't tell us.
Bob Draznik
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Author: John Scorgie
Date: 2006-02-23 17:11
William --
What a great way to demonstrate embouchure principles to students. I'm going to steal it from you.
Off the topic, but now that he is retired, is Glenn Bowen still living (and playing) in the Madison area?
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Author: donald
Date: 2006-02-23 18:06
i'm not sure how old this student is.... but
i tell students to "blow out the candles on their birthday cake" (i actually hold up something to help the pretence) and this invariably makes them puff out their cheeks as they blow....
then i tell them to "blow out ONE CANDLE in the centre of the birthday cake" (again, actually holding something so that they have a target) and this invariably makes then hold their lips and cheeks AGAINST the teeth as they blow, because they are unconciously "focusing the airstream". Getting them to do it this way, naturally, seems to have far more effect that actually explaining it to them.
this approach seems to work with about 60% of beginner students- the only problem being that for the older ones, they feel a bit more stupid and self concious about "pretending".
donald
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Author: William
Date: 2006-02-23 19:18
John,
Glenn Bowen lives most of the year in Tempe, AR but returns to Madison during the summer months and plays clarinet with the Capitol City Band, James Latimer, conductor. He does some incidental band arrangements, particularily of Alec Wilder tunes, that we occassionally perform during our weekly concert series at Rennebohm Park. Due to an increasing arthritic condition, he does not play as much as he used to and has pretty much given up the mouthpiece refacement business, but is still the same old Glenn with that dry sense of humor that we knew and loved during his tenure as Professor of Clarinet at the University of Wisconsin.
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Author: dagclarinet
Date: 2006-02-24 00:58
Bob D,
Thank you for your observation. Actually I haven't asked my student why he puffs his cheeks. I guess I assumed that he was being annoying, unfortunately! What a raucous sound! I thought it would be apparent to him to conform to the tonal standards of his clarinet class. I will definitely ask him about it and I'll put some of these great ideas on this thread to good use. Thanks again, it sounds like some great info!
Sincerely,
Damien Gibson
www.damiengibson.com
Damien Gibson
www.damiengibson.com
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Author: BobD
Date: 2006-02-24 13:01
"his clarinet class".....Does this mean that you are teaching a group and that this student is one of the members? If so then, obviously, he is trying to get attention or is rebelling....or both. Maybe he doesn't really want to play clarinet....or maybe he feels he is above the level of the group and it is demeaning to him. and so on. Discussion is always a good first step.
Bob Draznik
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Author: 3dogmom
Date: 2006-02-24 20:50
It's also possible that this is just "beginneritis" and will resolve itself over time, given some more developed muscles.
Sue Tansey
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