 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: karlbonner82
Date: 2010-11-10 08:33
I notice that when I play for any length of time, even on relatively easy-blowing reeds, my embouchure starts to get tired after a few minutes if I don't take periodic breaks. I've been careful to avoid too much pinching pressure with the jaws, but there's a lot of "radial" tension by the muscles to keep the cheeks firm and focus the air flow to get a resonant tone.
Could this just be because I haven't played much the past couple months until the last week and a half, or am I really using way too much tension? If so, how can I relax things without the tone color collapsing?
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2010-11-10 12:42
You may be doing too much of the right thing. I've often found myself needing to use *more* pressure (of the "radial" kind you describe) to control reeds that are too light. Very soft reeds, even if you avoid closing them off, tend to vibrate more wildly and spread more easily than reeds that are of the right strength for the rest of the setup. Maybe you're going too far in the "easy-blowing" direction. The reed needs to vibrate well, but for me an optimally resistant reed needs less pressure and effort than one that's too soft.
Or, maybe it's because you haven't played much the past couple of months.
Karl
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2010-11-10 15:41
My guess: you're out of shape!
I'm having the same sort of difficulties, resulting from a 2-month trip in which I was only able to play a few hours.
A good thing is that I seem to be more aware of everything that's going on with my face as I play. My tone seems b l a h, too.
The advice I've gotten is to stop when your muscles are too tired to do what you want them to do. Come back to it a few hours later for another short session.
Bob Phillips
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Author: knotty
Date: 2010-11-10 15:55
I relax the embouchure every chance I get even for an instant, on rests and when taking a breath etc. For me, this made all the difference in the world.
~ Musical Progress: None ~
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2010-11-11 04:21
I talked with my teacher today, and his advice is to quit playing when your embouchure gets tired --let it rest for a while and then return to your work.
There is not much use in practicing bad form.
Bob Phillips
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