 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: faltpihl ★2017
Date: 2016-07-05 12:36
Hi
http://www.zwerchfelltrainer.de/english/aurus-7.html
I just ordered this thing to give it a try.
Anyone else tried it? Or any thoughts of it?
It seems like exercises such as "playing with extremely loose embochure to only allow air through the instrument while playing a scale" or other blowing exercises could give similar results perhaps.
I personally found that playing bass clarinet before going to the Bb or A clarinet, gives a huge benefit. And since I first tried it, I have wanted a way of getting a similar "warmup" to be able to play that well without lugging the bass clarinet everywhere.
I hope this device may do something similar with getting the breathing going in the right way
Regards
Peter
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2016-07-05 16:00
I play best when my embouchure muscles are strong. The Aurus 7 seems to do exactly the opposite.
Also, when I move from contra or bass to soprano, I need to reaccustom my embouchure to the tighter Bb level.
The Aurus 7 may help German style players who play with a very relaxed embouchure, and it may help players who bite, but otherwise I don't see the benefit.
Ken Shaw
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Author: faltpihl ★2017
Date: 2016-07-05 16:05
Maybe you're right, if a player uses a very non-relaxed embochure, this may not be for them!
(I am using german or german-ish mouthpieces on a french clarinet)
I am hoping that besides the relaxation, the air warm-up will be more benefitial than other devices I've tried for "getting your air going".
(From my understanding the idea with the device is that your upper-lip will be floating above the mouthpiece creating a small gap where air will escape.
This will force you to compensate with much more air, but you are still able to play and after a couple minutes be really warmed up and hopefully using your air in a more benefitial way than before)
Regards
Peter
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Author: seabreeze
Date: 2016-07-05 23:25
Peter,
Please let us know if this device provides some benefit to you in forming a more supple and sensitive embouchure and in making you more conscious of exactly what kind of air support you are giving during practice and performance. It is reasonable to suppose that a change in one part of the embouchure might affect another part of the embouchure or another part of the body, such as the diaphragm, since the body is such a cross wired feedback network. You may recall the post here from Tony Pay in which he pointed out that increasing pressure from the upper lip tends to cause the lower lip to flex also, and this fact can be used by discerning players in a variety of musical situations, in determining whether they want to exert more or less pressure on the reed.
Milan Rericha has a YouTube presentation introducing the Aurus 7. I once had a chance to play on his setup, and it definitely was not an Oehler clarinet or German style mouthpiece. It was a Boehm clarinet with a typical Boehm style mouthpiece crafted, I believe, by Licostini in Italy. What Rericha, as a player who sometimes ventures into the extended super-altissimo, has to say about the embouchure should be of special interest to many, including those who have to play the high D on the A clarinet transposition of the Ginastera Variaciones Concertantes and want to do it with a nice full sound and without pinching.
Post Edited (2016-07-07 21:35)
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Author: Agomongo
Date: 2016-10-05 08:21
Hey guys I just wanted to bump this post back up, because I'm curious. Has anyone else tested this product out so far?
My teacher has been changing my embouchure. I was told not to engage the bottom lip into the reed and no one has ever addressed the top lip with me. The only thing anyone has ever said to me was "corners in." My teacher is now teaching me to strengthen my bottom lip so that I engage with the reed more and my top lip down more to help keep my chin pointed and an even pressure. With that in mind I also have a tendency to bite since I'm trying to change my embouchure. Do you guys thinks this will help?
It looks like it may Milan Rericha said that it teaches one to relax the embouchure, however I think what he meant was that relax the jaw and just use the embouchure instead. I also feel like it would be a good product to teach you how much pressure you need and that if you overkill with the engaging that it'll stop you and tell you the pressure is too much. (On their website it says, "Why sometimes is no tone being created for the first time?" Answer "Too much pressure does now allow the air to pass the reed and mouthpiece.") It also looks useful in that it teaches you how much mouthpiece to take in. Instead of just feeling it you have something telling you.
What do you guys think?
Thanks!
Post Edited (2016-10-05 08:42)
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Author: Richie
Date: 2016-10-08 01:59
It looks pretty interesting, maybe it's worth a try. Anyone could benefit with better air.
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Author: Agomongo
Date: 2016-10-09 06:41
Richie wrote:
> It looks pretty interesting, maybe it's worth a try. Anyone
> could benefit with better air.
Agreed
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Author: faltpihl ★2017
Date: 2016-10-09 15:57
I used it for a while after getting it.
I used it mainly as a warm up routine.
It felt good, but for some reason I was too lazy to use it every day, and it was now a long time ago since I last used it.
I was never able to do the exercise exactly as it was recommended, I never got the tones to be in tune at 440, so I only used it as an air warmup.
Maybe because I already use a loose embouchure (soft german reeds on my viotto N1) I felt that the difference wasn't extreme after using this.
I am going to pick it up right now and try it again though
Regards
Peter
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Author: YT
Date: 2016-10-10 09:14
I tried it, too, and I'm pretty impressed about the benefits one can have with that tool. I think it's beneficial for the air as well as for the embouchure and your sound improves immediately, although I had the same problem Peter described: as I play with relatively loose embouchure on my german clarinet with a B2 mouthpiece by german manufacturer Leitner&Kraus, I also wasn't able to play in 440 Hz. But as a warm up routine, I can absolutely recommend it.
Sorry for my lousy english....
Regards!
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Author: Agomongo
Date: 2016-10-10 09:36
YT wrote:
> I tried it, too, and I'm pretty impressed about the benefits
> one can have with that tool. I think it's beneficial for the
> air as well as for the embouchure and your sound improves
> immediately, although I had the same problem Peter described:
> as I play with relatively loose embouchure on my german
> clarinet with a B2 mouthpiece by german manufacturer
> Leitner&Kraus, I also wasn't able to play in 440 Hz. But as a
> warm up routine, I can absolutely recommend it.
> Sorry for my lousy english....
>
> Regards!
You're English is just fine, haha.
I guess I'll give the product a shot? Only concern is that you and Peter both use loose embouchures. I'm working on a taught one, so I'm afraid that this product will teach me to use a loose one and not a tight one. Is my concern correct? Or will this product teach me to use a firm embouchure.
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Author: YT
Date: 2016-10-10 14:14
Thanks, Agomongo ;-)
Well, I think you'll benefit anyways. My embouchure is not really loose either. It's just that I don't bite. The muscles are in tension of course, especially in the corners of my mouth and in my upper lip, but in a way that makes it possible to relax the jaw and let the reed vibrate freely...
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Author: Agomongo
Date: 2016-10-13 01:05
YT wrote:
> Thanks, Agomongo ;-)
>
> Well, I think you'll benefit anyways. My embouchure is not
> really loose either. It's just that I don't bite. The muscles
> are in tension of course, especially in the corners of my mouth
> and in my upper lip, but in a way that makes it possible to
> relax the jaw and let the reed vibrate freely...
In that case I'll save up some money for it! I know that they say to use it as a warm up and use a tuner, but for now I don't think I'll do that. I'll just use it as a muscle and air warm up.
Thanks!
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