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Re:

Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2019-10-14 17:54

Ken is on the money here. The marking of the reed may be helpful for some just to have some sort of visual of the target. I, however, find that the lip thickness and where the pressure point with your teeth actually comes into play can only be sussed out by doing it.

That brings us to the "squawk test" that was presented on this board a few years back by Tom Puwalski. He said something to the effect that he can easily switch to any mouthpiece by determining first where the fulcrum is (the point where the reed and mouthpiece come together). Beyond that point there is nothing but noise or no sound at all. What he did was to play open "G" continuously while slowly bringing in more and more mouthpiece. At some point you get a hideous SQUAWK. Just back of slightly from there and that is the "sweet spot" for that mouthpiece (and you........lips teeth etc).

If you think about it, taking in LESS mouthpiece then that point is just like buying a mouthpiece with a shorter facing.......if that's what you want.......buy a mouthpiece with a shorter facing!

As to the poster's notion that it is harder to play using that embouchure, the solution is......wait for it..........a softer reed! When you foreshorten a facing (play closer to the tip than the actual sweet spot) what you are doing then is more than likely bending the reed down to a the equivalent of a softer strength WHILE additionally making the mouthpiece play as if it has a smaller tip opening.

In a master class I once heard David Shifrin say to a student, "You paid $300 for that mouthpiece, play the whole mouthpiece." That might sound trite, but the idea is to avoid choking off the sound of that particular mouthpiece.

Finally though, in the video of the Philharmonia Orchestra's bass clarinet player, it also appears that he does just place his upper lip atop the mouthpiece without any sort of "tuck." This might help make it look even more daunting than it is. But the proof is in the execution. He sounds great.

.............Paul Aviles

Post Edited (2019-10-14 17:57)

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