The Clarinet BBoard

The Clarinet BBoard The C4 standard

New Topic | Go to Top | Go to Topic | Search | Help/Rules | Smileys/Notes | Log In

Previous Message | Next Message

Re: Clarinet Angle

Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2016-02-03 17:58

Agomongo wrote:

> How do you teach clarinet angle?

If you're talking about a beginner, I place the mouthpiece for the first time in the student's mouth so that it's at a little closer than 45 degrees - no protractor, just eyeballing.

From that point on, through my most advanced high school students, I don't say anything about angle unless it sounds to me that the student is having a problem that changing the angle might help solve. Then, I suggest trying different angles. If raising or lowering the clarinet makes a positive difference, usually the student and I both hear the difference. If it doesn't help, or worse, makes things worse, I leave the topic and try something else.

It isn't just a matter of how the weight of the clarinet impacts the way the embouchure and reed interact. People have different dental alignments that tend naturally to influence comfort at different angles. It's a very complicated set of relationships that I think can't be prescribed, as many teachers do, according to way the teacher plays. The angle that works well for me may be torture for a player with a different dental bite.

Pulling the instrument in too close to the body can also affect technique, which has occasionally come up with my students. Too close an angle (I'm talking about much more extreme than 30 degrees) can put stress on the wrist and forearm, which can be detrimental regardless of the effect on response and tone.

Karl

Reply To Message | Avail. Forums | Flat View

Newer Topic | Older Topic

Topics