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Re: Embouchure Fatigue

Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2020-01-27 05:42

Dan Shusta wrote:

> Now, allow me to ask the following: "Have any of you ever heard
> a player who sounded exactly like Marcellus? <snip> If
> you take two players using the exact same equipment, would they
> sound exactly the same? I don't believe so, again, because of
> the differences in their oral cavities.
>
I think, going back to the original context of Exiawolf's question, it isn't so much a matter of trying to sound like anyone, and asking his professor's opinion needn't be focused so much on what he should use to sound like his professor. It's more an issue of very possibly needing to change something that's tiring his embouchure or causing him to lose control of it after a few minutes of sustained playing. This doesn't seem to be an issue of finding a personal playing style or a "sound" (he says he's very happy with the sound he's already getting). It's one of finding a physical cause for a physical symptom or phenomenon that's interfering with his overall success as a player.

Mouthpieces, reeds, ligatures and other equipment choices are indeed personal choices once you've reached a point where choices of style and sound palette are priorities. When there's a problem with production itself - the OP, a 2nd year performance major (not a beginner or recently returning from a long hiatus), is having trouble getting through an etude, indeed more than a couple of minutes of sustained playing, without losing control of his embouchure - it's almost always time to ask for help from someone capable of diagnosing the problem. And then trying to follow the prescription until the problem is solved.

It doesn't have much to do with personal choices. He can't physically get through an etude. You don't need to want to duplicate an expert player's tone and style in order to benefit from his advice.

Karl

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Embouchure Fatigue new

Exiawolf

2020-01-16 04:38