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Re: Embouchure question

Author: Clarence Beale
Date: 2016-05-29 03:24

Max,

For what it’s worth, the idea of completely forming the clarinet embouchure before inserting the clarinet into the mouth that you found in Larry Guy’s Embouchure Development book seems to go back to Robert Marcellus. In Larry Guy’s latest book, “Articulation Development for Clarinetists”, Larry has this quote printed in bold type in two different places:

“Form the embouchure completely before inserting the clarinet.” Robert Marcellus

Now that I have invoked the name of the great Robert Marcellus I would like to make it clear that I do NOT think that just because Mr. Marcellus suggested doing something means that all clarinet players should attempt to do the same thing. There are many different ways to play the clarinet “successfully”. I hasten to add that there also are many different opinions as to what playing the clarinet “successfully” means. It would be a dull world if all clarinet players sounded the same.

That said, I always very seriously consider anything Mr. Marcellus said. Personally, I think he was a genius at figuring out how to play the clarinet efficiently. At his 28 June 1977 Masterclass given at Northwestern University he said:

“I may live to rue my words at these classes, but playing the clarinet really can be quite simple. Perhaps it might be better phrased: It is more simple than a lot of people I have seen come into my studio seem to think it is. ”

I have my own interpretation of what he said:

“Playing the clarinet can be quite easy if you play the clarinet like Robert Marcellus played it.”

Just my opinion.

Mr. Marcellus developed a set of integrated interdependent principles which he used to play the clarinet his way. You have done the same, your way. Now you are trying to graft into your set of principles one principle used by Mr. Marcellus, and you are finding that it doesn’t quite work. That should not be surprising since you probably are not using all of the other principles Mr. Marcellus used.
When Mr. Marcellus played the clarinet he did some things that are contrary to what many, if not most, clarinet teachers dogmatically teach. Let me give one example.

In Larry Guy’s Embouchure book he has a section on The Open Throat. Larry wrote that the “open throat” concept of playing the clarinet involves half a yawn. The half of the yawn not used is the process of dropping the bottom of the mouth and tongue. The half of the yawn that is used is the “lifting of the soft palate.”

When I began studying with my first significant teacher, George Silfies, he told me to open my throat more. I was somewhat surprised when he asked me to do that because I thought that my throat already was open and when I tried to open my throat more it felt unnatural. Nevertheless, since he was the master and I was a lowly fourteen year old clarinet student I tried to do what he suggested. Later, when I was studying with Harold Wright he also talked about opening the throat. In a lecture Mr. Wright gave on the double lip embouchure in 1969 at the University of Denver’s National Clarinet Clinic he said:

“Now let me just touch upon some of the benefits of a double lip embouchure….It opens the oral chamber of the mouth. That means that you are more like this all the time rather than pushed down in the throat. Your throat is more open. Consequently, your tone becomes freer. “

The most extreme argument for the open throat that I’ve read is made by Anthony Gigliotti. In 1970, an interview of Mr. Gigliotti by Arthur Hegvik was published in The Instrumentalist magazine. This is an excerpt:

A.H. How does the throat fit into all this?

A.G. It's very important....I have worked out a series of vowel sounds which go from the tightest to the most open throat position. Many say the throat is most open when you say ah, others say O. I feel it should be a deep open O, not up in the mouth, but low in the throat....The throat position of the O is roughly the same as a yawn. In a yawn the adam's apple drops and the throat distends far beyond its normal position. In other words, the position of my throat when playing is not the same as when I speak--it is more open. This is a matter of muscular control, which must be developed. It makes a great difference in the sound.

Some twenty-five years later, Mr. Gigliotti repeats essentially the same thing in an interview by James Gholson published in 1996.

Note that Larry Guy advocates half a yawn while Mr. Gigliotti seems to advocate a full yawn.

James Gholson also interviewed Robert Marcellus, and the interview is included in the same 1996 publication, “Seasoned Clarinetist”:

J.G.: "What misconceptions do you feel exist in the teaching of the clarinet?"

R.M.: "Mostly horrible sound!"

J.G.: "Yes, you talked about a wide open throat."

R.M.: "Well, that's death to a beautiful sound. Misconceptions taught are open throat, anchor-tonguing, or worse sometimes--chin or lip or hand vibrato as we see it practiced occasionally. It's a misconception that it's easy to play in an orchestra. But it's easier to play in a good orchestra than a bad orchestra. Oh yes, another misconception is that double lip gives a fuller sound. Quite the contrary. It gives a smaller sound."

Wow! “Death to a beautiful sound.”

In the Masterclass lecture at Northwestern University referenced above Mr. Marcellus said: “I believe the throat should be in a very nice rounded position but not unusually open. Quite the contrary."

Who was right? Mr. Marcellus or Mr. Gigliotti? I think both were right.

Within the context of Mr. Marcellus’ set of principles which he used to play the clarinet a wide open throat as advocated by Mr. Gigliotti didn’t work as well as a throat that is “in a very nice rounded position but not unusually open.” For Mr. Gigliotti, using his set of principles, the wide open throat worked better.

What is the point of all this? If you want to pursue Mr. Marcellus’ principle of completely forming the embouchure before inserting the clarinet into the mouth then I would like to suggest that you do some research and learn what other important principles Mr. Marcellus used to play the clarinet his way. For example, how did Mr. Marcellus form his embouchure and how did he use his tongue to control the flow of air. In my opinion, these principles are well documented. You can get the documents and read them for yourself. Don’t trust what other people say including me. There seem to be some opinions floating around that I think contradict verbal quotes of what he actually said. You can read all this yourself and form your own opinion.

Finally, I watched your YouTube video. It seems to me that the “Whoosh” sound you demonstrate is nothing more than air SLOWLY moving behind the reed over the mouthpiece rails into the clarinet without the reed vibrating. Why so slow? You will understand why I think this is an important question when you can answer this question:

Why does air moving rapidly behind the clarinet reed over the mouthpiece rails into the clarinet mouthpiece cause the reed to vibrate?

There may be other problems explaining why the reed isn’t vibrating: Like: Is your reed so strong relative to the kind of facing your mouthpiece has that you have to smash the reed toward the mouthpiece facing using your old embouchure – not the new embouchure described in Larry Guy's book which you seemed to be trying to emulate - before the reed will start vibrating?

Keep asking intelligent questions. It’s a great way to learn.

Clarence Beale

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2016-05-26 08:56