 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2020-05-14 19:23
Any suggestions for the following?
I feel uncomfortable with the mouthpiece stability and moreover the relationship of my hand positions and the mouthpiece tilt for want of another word. I end up fussing with turning the mouthpiece and never being satisfied.
My teeth are not straight at the front.
I rest the clarinet on my knee or between the legs.
It is no better off the knees or focussing on the thumb applying upward pressure.
I’ve experimented with different clarinet angles.
I have lost my neck strap attachment.
Have a pretty thick patch on the mouthpiece.
I’m using a Wodkowski mouthpiece so I’m sure the side to side curve is not excessive . I’m not sure a flatter surface would help. I’ll try this with a junk mouthpiece.
Double lip helps but that’s not how I play.
I’ve experimented also with the slight mis-alignment of the top and bottom joint.
Perhaps it’s just a psychological issue that therapy might alleviate?
Freelance woodwind performer
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2020-05-14 20:10
From my experience, the mouthpiece takes on whatever angle your mouth imposes on it. Even with the lightest approach you teeth/jaw form the shape that stabilizes the mouthpiece.
So..........maybe the point is that you're approaching this system backwards. You need to find out where exactly your mouthpiece sits "axially" and then figure out how that corresponds to where you want your keys to lie, then place the mouthpiece at that angle in the clarinet.
For example my mouthpiece sits parallel to the floor despite my crooked teeth, but I want the clarinet to tilt slightly higher on the trill key side so that I avoid possibility of gurgling in the "Eb/Bb" tone hole. Looking down at the clarinet to align things, that means I set my mouthpiece/reed so that it sits more at "6:30" rather than "6:00" if that makes sense.
.................Paul Aviles
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2020-05-14 20:13
This is something I've been experimenting with, since I'm finding myself having age-related problems with finger spread, which can be affected by the position of my wrists, particularly my right wrist.
You mention that you've lost your neck strap attachment. So you've tried a strap at some point. I'm finding that using a neck strap to control the height of the instrument, so that I'm not holding it up actively with my thumb, allows me to place my thumb in the best position to reach the RH E/B and F#/C# levers most easily. With the strap holding the clarinet *up* I can stabilize it side-to-side with my knees. When I hold the clarinet between my knees without the strap, the bell tends to slide down unless I'm tightening my knees together uncomfortably hard.
So, the strap provides vertical stability and my knees prevent sideways movement.
I don't know if you'll get the same benefit. If you can't find the attachment, you can probably buy or make a new one. Many newer clarinets have strap holders built onto their thumb rests, and you can have the same thumb rest mounted in place of your current one.
Karl
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2020-05-14 21:54
Thanks, I think it is a teeth issue. The mouthpiece doesn’t center with my front two teeth. I’ve been examining things in a mirror trying not to look at the rest of my face which has some serious aging evident.
I’m thinking a few minutes a day with the mirror will help me sort things out.
I will try the neckstrap again.
Freelance woodwind performer
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2020-05-15 05:04
Part of the problem of stability of the instrument may lie with the thumb rest. The standard thumb rest doesn't provide much in the way of stability and allows the instrument to roll around. Something like a Ton Kooiman thumb rest might help, as it spreads the weight of the instrument over a larger area.
Tony F.
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Author: JTJC
Date: 2020-05-15 18:16
Are you sure it’s a mouthpiece issue? Instability is more likely to come from moving fingers and hands. At least that’s my experience. My top middle teeth aren’t even either, but I’ve not found that a problem once I’ve rotated the mouthpiece in its socket so the angle of the beak (laterally) matches the teeth.
Having played for years it was only relatively recently that I somehow noticed it was stability of the instrument that was partly responsible for some technical difficulties. It’s also possible the instability was born of age-related issues and I had developed it around the time I began to be aware of it. Greater awareness of instability could also have been developed by regularly using instruments with unaccustomed keywork. Anyway, I think I’ve now largely cured the instability. This has been done by careful monitoring exactly when a particular note interval or movement of the fingers causes instability and adapting my finger movements to compensate.
I’ve found there have been two, possibly three main cures. First, has been an increased use of either pinky, as appropriate, to stabilise the instrument going from around first line E and across the break, and similarly when going above first ledger A, above the stave. Second, is either putting or leaving one or more right hand fingers down (on a key or hole) when this doesn’t interfere with pitch or the flow of notes that need to be negotiated. It’s usually faster passages that cause instability, so I might add a third cure. This would be re-thinking my approach to a passage such that my fingers are positioned in advance of when they’re needed or left down when following notes don’t require them to be moved (again, when this doesn’t noticeably affect pitch). I’m sure many here will have been practicing these approaches throughout their playing lives. Maybe I did too, but now I’m somehow now more conscious of these technicalities. In any case I hope this helps in some way.
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