 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: just_duckie
Date: 2011-03-27 23:32
I have an intermediate student (3rd year) who gets too much saliva in his reed about every 4-8 measures (I am not exaggerating). He sucks it out, starts playing again, and has to stop to suck it out within just a few measures.
He is a talented musician, and when he was a beginner, I thought he would grow out of this problem as his playing matured. But it is not the case, and he is unable to achieve a beautiful tone and continuity of performance because of the constant gurgling/rattling.
Any suggestions? I am out of ideas.
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Author: kimber
Date: 2011-03-28 14:40
Make sure he is consciously sucking the saliva back and swallowing every time he has a rest measure to prevent buildup.
He can also practice oral saliva containment by building up a little in his mouth (or taking a small sip of water), putting a straw or reed in his mouth, just practicing blowing while keeping the liquid tucked in the lip/cheek pockets. The lower he tucks his head, the harder it will be to keep the saliva out of the straw/reed.
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Author: Loliver
Date: 2011-03-28 15:22
After being called a 'dribbler' by my clarinet teacher, I can offer the advice that eating anything up to 30mins before playing will cause a massive increase in the amount of saliva. I do find that brushing my teeth about 5-10mins before playing does help, as does having a glass of water, to wash everything away.
And if you think I am exaggerating about how bad my saliva problem was...it caused my reeds on clarinet to rot after about a week, even after cleaning them after every practice.
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Author: jhoyla
Date: 2011-03-29 08:41
I suggest that perhaps his problem is not saliva production; we all do that.
the problem is probably that he is carrying the saliva to the reed with his tongue.
Tell him this, and ask him to concentrate on keeping the tip of his tongue slightly raised, and dry. Saliva will gather beneath in the bottom of his oral cavity under his tongue, and a quick swallow now and then should keep him free of problems.
I am NOT a medical expert in any way - but perhaps his saliva is particularly sticky? In contrast to all of the advice above, perhaps he should swill his mouth out with water and drink a glass before playing, to dilute any stickiness? Also worth a try.
Tell him to stop sucking at the reed - this is a dreadful and noisy habit, and mostly unnecessary. a small amount of saliva in the reed will simply run out through the instrument. If the saliva becomes a real problem he should remove the reed from the instrument and blow it out through the staple.
J.
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Author: Dutchy
Date: 2011-03-30 03:33
He may be--consciously or subconsciously--feeling that the reed is too dry and that it isn't "sounding" properly, and thus he may be--consciously or subconsciously--trying to add water to the reed to make it easier to play. Try having him soak his reeds not by merely dipping them in 1/2" of water, but by running water through the reed for a few seconds; this ensures that the entire reed is wet all the way up to the staple.
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Author: GoodWinds ★2017
Date: 2011-03-31 05:07
I agree with all those proposing "water" solutions: rinse the mouth, rinse the reed, as well as the posture ones: keep the head up.
NO spicey, tart, highly acidic, or high-sugar food before playing.
And encourage him to practice those l-o-n-g t-o-n-e-s to increase his stamina: can he play a few measures of sustained notes without drowning?
He should DEFINITELY rinse the reeds after playing as saliva tends to break down reed fibers faster than plain water.
Good luck.
GoodWinds
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Author: jhoyla
Date: 2011-03-31 21:11
I forgot to mention something in my earlier post.
If the student keeps the tip of his tongue in the right position and breathes in through his mouth, the inrush of air should keep his tongue dry. The saliva glands are under the tongue, not on top.
This is just a technique he should learn and practice, like any other.
Apropos sucking; it is not only noisy and unattractive, it is also mostly ineffectual. Sucking through the thin, uppermost end of a straw is unlikely to shake loose any droplets further down.
J.
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