When teaching clarinet embouchure to students, realize that the lips do the bulk of the work. The upper lip and bottom lip come together in a drawstring fashion that give the mouthpiece a snug fit. The upper teeth rest on top of the mouthpiece and lower teeth support the bottom lip’s push towards the reed. One way to engage students is to start with this question,: “Which part of your mouth is holding the instrument?” Now, they will ponder for a moment, hopefully realizing that much of the pressure used to produce reed vibrations is coming from alternative sources, and make the necessary adjustments to their embouchures. With careful and guided supervision, the proper clarinet embouchure can be established so that your students’ musical confidence and technical facility can flourish. Here are five strategies for developing the proper clarinet embouchure to produce the characteristic sound:
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CHECK THE AMOUNT OF LOWER LIP USED
The source of the sound on the clarinet is the vibration of the reed in the mouthpiece chamber. The lower lip serves as the foundation of support that allows the reed to vibrate freely, which means students must identify how much lip covers the lower teeth. Students with thinner lips may need to put more lip over the teeth, while students with thicker lips would need to use less. It should be noted that the lower lip should “stand” on its own and not lean against the teeth.
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IDENTIFY MOUTHPIECE/LIGATURE/REED COMBINATION
Biting occurs when the lower lip is relaxed and the lower teeth push up into the lip and mouthpiece. Biting produces a thin, stuffy tone with little body and, much to the ire of band directors everywhere, results in an uncharacteristic sound. Most students who play with this excess pressure have difficulty producing tones above high C. In order to correct this problem, the position of the lower jaw should remain the same thought the entire range of the instrument. One way to open up the sound is to play the “tugboat” tones of G, F, and E in the chalumeau register. This will force the jaw to open up.
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This strategy is discussed last because it is often the first step most students and educators take to correct tone problems. Good equipment paired with poor physical embouchure development, however, will not automatically remedy the tone quality. If the student has a proper embouchure and is lacking in equipment, having the following tester mouthpieces on hand would be wise: Vandoren M30, Vandoren 5RV, Vandoren B45. Correcting and improving a clarinet embouchure takes patience and observant, daily practice of fundamentals. Along with the strategies discussed above, long tones, tone control exercises, and breathing routines will all help in the development of the characteristic tone. Consistency throughout the school year is key to breakthrough progress. ReferencesREFERENCES
STRENGTHEN THE CHIN MUSCLES
CHECK THE CHEEKS
Students who play with puffy cheeks or draw the cheeks back in order to hold the mouthpiece create a debilitating habit that is extremely hard to correct. Beginners who play with puffy cheeks should work on long tones to strengthen the chin muscles. Students who draw the cheeks back should return to practicing on the mouthpiece/barrel combination alone to relax the chin muscles.
Westphal, F. (1962). Guide to Teaching Woodwinds. McGraw-Hill. 5th Edition
Mevonnie Biggins is the music specialist at Peachcrest Elementary School in Decatur, GA. She holds a Master’s degree in Music Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Florida A&M University. She is a 2015 Midwest Clinician conducting a clinic session titled “Don’t’ go Claricrazy! Teaching clarinet fundamentals through performance of wind band literature”. She runs a private clarinet studio in Atlanta, Ga. Her thoughts and musings on clarinet pedagogy can be found at www.mevonnie.com.
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ELIMINATE BITING
Stein, K. (1958). The Art of Clarinet Playing. Summy-Birchard Inc.
Educators commonly instruct students to, “Keep the chin flat,” when trying to improve or correct the sound. In order for the chin muscles to develop, encourage students to bring the corners of their mouth toward the mouthpiece. Using the syllables “eww” or “ee-you” helps to keep the corners engaged and brings the chin down.
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fall 2015 / georgia music news
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t is my belief that amongst the myriad of annoyances a band director may face, none beats the sound of an unfocused clarinet tone. Though there is a large body of warm-ups and exercises designed to correct or improve overall technique, one cannot really master the clarinet if the embouchure is not properly solidified first.