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Third Article Deadline, March, 2010

The Pedagogy Corner


By Larry Guy
The Primacy of Breath
Our first two installments were devoted to methods of controlling the air stream, which
I think is the foundation of good clarinet playing. Our goal is to give the student a mental
concept of how the support mechanism works and a physical sense (reconfirmed daily) of
what it feels like when it is working well. These concepts are revisited frequently and
clarified during a course of private study. Although we will focus on the embouchure for our
next topic, breath support should always stay in the foreground of our playing and teaching.
The Embouchure Some General Observations
Readers of my Embouchure Building for Clarinetists know that I divide the study of the
embouchure into two parts: the external embouchure, which includes the muscles of the lips
and cheeks in an area around the mouth similar to Homer Simpson's oval, and the internal
embouchure, which studies the position of the tongue and the muscles at the back of the
mouth into the throat. Briefly stated, the muscles of the lips should be firm and steady
around the mouthpiece, like a taut rubber band. This is about the last thing these muscles
want to do, being designed for speed of motion and flexibility, (as in the activities of talking,
eating, and singing) so training them to stay in one place while exerting a steady pressure
takes some diligence. The tongue position of an ideal embouchure is high in the mouth and
forwardly placed, poised, as Robert Marcellus used to say, and when it moves, it does so in
tiny, specific motions. This is not what the tongue is naturally designed for, having evolved
into a powerful, sensitive, frequently-moving muscle, often evincing a somewhat nervous
personality. These are just two reasons why an ongoing study of the embouchure is so
important, and why not all good players have good embouchures.
But of course everyone takes this study seriously because of the gigantic benefits a
good embouchure provides: a focused, ringing, vibrant sound, the control of dynamics, pitch,
and articulation, even help in finger technique and rhythm. In short, it affects every aspect of
our art, which is why Keith Stein called it the heart of clarinet playing.
For this article, I will limit our scope to the external embouchure because it is the area I
usually emphasize first with students. The internal embouchure will be the subject of a later
installment.

The External Embouchure


Acting as a taut rubber band, the lips exert firm, steady pressure in two directions at
once: against the teeth (they hug the teeth) and against the mouthpiece evenly all around
it, not just against the reed. The chin is stretched down and forward making a long, flat,
pointed shape. The skin of the chin is taut: it shines. Regardless of the structure of the
mouth and lips, most good embouchures (built away from the clarinet) look similar to the
following photos. Note that in spite of natural differences of mouth shape, lip thickness, etc.,
externally they share many similarities.

Example #1: Five Different Mouths Yield Similar External Embouchure Shapes
Next, students are instructed to blow air forcefully through the small holes in the
center of their lips. There should be no relaxing or puffing of the lip muscles the look
should stay the same as the photos above: compact and firm. This way students keep the
idea of the primacy of the breath, while concentrating on the muscles of the lips.
To help young players learn this shape, I use a mirror at every lesson until they have
memorized the feel (reinforced by the look) of a flat, long, pointed chin. I prefer that this
shape be learned as a separate entity without the clarinet, before inserting the mouthpiece
into the mouth. Students can practice it anywhere!
Moment of Mouthpiece Insertion
After the embouchure shape has been learned away from the instrument, ask the
student to slide the mouthpiece and reed into the mouth. Observe this process carefully: the
lower lip should not get soft to accommodate the reed, but should stay firm and in position
as the reed slides against it. The result is a very advantageous sliding relationship between
reed and lower lip. Often the lower lip will soften at the moment of insertion my theory is
that the lower lip naturally does this as food is ingested. If so, we are dealing with a wellingrained habit learned within the first year of life! So take a moment to look closely at the
insertion and if need be, remind the student that the reed is not a morsel of food, and that the
old habit must be over-ridden for clarinet playing. Jeffrey Lee demonstrates below.

Examples #2 and #3: Insertion of Reed Against Firm Lower Lip


Tool Box: Drinking Straw
When young players first learn to form their embouchures away from the clarinet, the

hole in the center of the lips is usually too large. To maintain a slender air stream and to
control the reed, it is important to develop a very small hole in the center of the lips, and to
accomplish this I use a drinking straw, one of our greatest tools for embouchure development.
Although I have outlined a procedure for using this tool in my embouchure book, I include a
paraphrase of it here.
1) Start with two narrow-bore straws. Crimp the end of one of them and join the
two together to make one long straw.
2) Flatten out the front inch of one end and put it in your mouth. Inhale strongly
through the straw, as if drinking a thick milkshake. Flatten the chin and look at
the embouchure in a mirror. Note how compact it is, with the corners nicely
drawn in.
3) Blow out forcefully through the straw while looking in the mirror. Note that the
compact embouchure shape does not change. Be sure the lips and cheeks do not
puff out.
4) Take another inhale through the straw, blow out strongly, and this time
surprise yourself by removing it abruptly in mid-exhale. Note in the mirror
that the embouchure shape does not change when the straw is removed.
5) Inhale again through the straw, and exhale while fingering a slow arpeggio
figure (say, five slurred quarter notes). This should feel as if you are really
playing the straw.
6) Put the straw down and duplicate the embouchure and air stream as you play
the same slurred arpeggio on the clarinet. Observe the sound and legato
carefully.
7) Duplicate the last two steps (#5 and #6), moving the arpeggio figure up step.
8) Play at least 4-5 arpeggio exercises of this sort, always starting with the straw,
and then duplicating the embouchure feel on the clarinet.
This exercise helps students get the feel of a compact embouchure, helps them see
the thin air stream, helps them focus their tones, and begins to train the tip of the tongue to
stay close to the reed. Especially with students having somewhat unfocused, spread sounds,
it can make tremendous improvement.
Spy Report Yields New Device for Inclusion in Tool Box
The excellent young clarinetist Ben Seltzer, our Boston-based operative, reports that
some cutting-edge teachers in Beantown are using a device called the Facial-Flex to help build
the muscles at the corners of the mouth the muscles that aid in tonal focus, upper register
control, and elimination of the dreaded air leak. A worthy addition to every clarinetist's
tool box, this device requires the corners of the mouth to come in and overcome the resistance

offered by a tiny rubber band, thereby strengthening exactly the right muscles. One can
multi-task by using it while working on reeds or other chores. After Ben's demonstration, I
had to get one immediately, and found that it is easy to obtain. Simply Google Flacial-Flex
and any one of a number of online drugstores will be happy to take your order. I have been
using the device for months, and can vouch for its effectiveness. It is a little expensive, but
well-worth the price. Laura Urdaneta demonstrates, below.

Example #4: The Facial Flex Tool

Example #5: Facial-Flex Open


(Lip Muscles Relaxed)

Example #6: Facial-Flex Closed


(Lip Muscles in Use)

At first, one will simply open and close the device with the corners of the lips,
repeating often enough to induce fatigue (do not overdo it!). Later, the objective will be to
keep the lips in the closed position for a number of seconds until tiredness sets in. It comes
with two strengths of rubber bands; start with less resistance, and as one becomes more adept
graduate to more resistance.
Follow up a facial-flex session with a few embouchure twists keeping the small
hole in the center of the lips and moving them from side to side three or four times, saying
oo throughout, as Laura demonstrates in the following photos.

Example #7: Twist and say oo

Example #8: Twist and say oo

What is Biting?
Any discussion of biting takes for granted that it is something to be avoided at all
costs, and yet for many players, an exact definition remains elusive. It refers to excessive
pressure, but it is often unclear from where, and to where that pressure is exerted. I'll throw
my definition into the discussion-pot, and invite other teachers to add theirs. To me, biting is a
stage most young players go through, at the ages in which their lip muscles are not quite
strong enough to do their jobs. At that point, (and it can last for years without teacher
intervention), the jaw exerts too much pressure on the mouthpiece (sometimes experienced as
teeth pressure), and the lips not enough. In this scenario, the lips are passive, like little
pillows between the reed and the teeth. Since they are not firm, they must touch the reed and
mouthpiece near the tip, so as not to become mutilated by teeth and jaw pressure (the farther

down on the reed the lip is placed, the more pressure is needed to engage the reed). The
resulting sound is very distinctive and easily remembered: thin, small, choked, with little or
no dynamic range and, in the upper register, sharp in pitch. The student is biting the tip of
the reed into the tip of the mouthpiece and is producing a sound which cries out for
improvement.
Most students who sound like this have been told at one point or another that they are
biting, either because they are going through the rubber patch on the top of the mouthpiece
every few weeks, or that their lower lip gets very sore after a long playing session. The irony
is that to conquer biting, they will have to work harder and seemingly exert more pressure
than before! The reason lies in the relative strength of the jaw muscles versus the lip muscles.
Jaw muscles are naturally among the strongest in the body; for clarinet playing they need to
be subdued. Lip muscles are naturally among the weakest in the body; for clarinet playing
they need to be developed.
So the problem with biting is not pressure per se. To vibrate well, the reed must be
engaged onto the mouthpiece by pressure. Without that engagement, there is no vibration
and no sound. With intermittent engagement, the sound comes in and out of focus, and the
tone lacks evenness from note to note. Intermittent engagement is a problem we hear
frequently!
The above facts contribute to my approach in teaching embouchure. It is my opinion
that the real culprit in biting is not always overly-aggressive jaw muscles, but frequently lips
that are too soft, unformed, and movable. That is why I ask my students make embouchures
in front of a mirror: to become aware of the lip strength needed to get the right shape and
hold it while blowing through it. In spite of forming the embouchure ahead of time, the
lower lip will often soften as the mouthpiece approaches, so I watch the moment of reed
insertion carefully. Gradually the student gets the feeling of a sliding relationship between
lower lip and reed. As the lips become stronger, jaw pressure can lessen.
The next step is to look in the mirror while playing slow slurred scales the
embouchure does not change. Finally, as one introduces larger and larger intervals, the
external embouchure continues to be steady and firm; at some point a eureka moment
usually occurs, in which a student realizes that no matter how large the interval, the lips do
not perceptibly move, nor should they. As the lips strengthen, the student begins to take in a
larger amount of reed, and the sound greatly improves.
Toy Department: Writing Pen
I owe the beauty of my tone to the strength of my lips.
Ralph McLane
Many players are confused about lip pressure versus jaw or teeth pressure: they know
that the goal is maximum lip pressure and minimum jaw pressure around the mouthpiece,

but they find it difficult to distinguish one set of muscles from the other. This is
understandable because the muscles lie closely to one another and frequently work together. I
use a pen to help students understand the difference, as Alexander Linsalata demonstrates.
1) Ask the student to put one of his or her own pens into the mouth, and hold it
there with the teeth. The lips are not involved.

Example #9
2) Extract the pen for a moment. Pull the lips over the upper and lower teeth (like
a double-lip embouchure), but keep them relaxed and soft. Again insert the pen
and use jaw pressure to keep it from falling. Feel the pressure of the teeth
against the lips.

Example #10
3) Leave the pen in the mouth and slowly open the jaw while preventing the pen
from falling by increasing lip pressure around the pen. Gradually the lips
should take on the appearance of a firm embouchure around the pen. As the
jaw is opened, have the student note the feeling of largeness at the back of the
mouth. This largeness, the result of a more open jaw position, is a relaxed, open
throat very much to be desired.

Example #11
4) Repeat this procedure slowly three or four times to clarify the difference in feel
between lip pressure and jaw pressure. While the student is holding the pen in
the mouth with lip pressure, gently move the pen from side to side to gauge the
amount of lip pressure being used. Ask the student to again feel the openness
at the back of the mouth. Put the pen down and insert the clarinet, (playing
double-lip embouchure at first), and achieve the same lip firmness around the
mouthpiece while keeping the teeth open and the back of the mouth free. Now
switch to single-lip embouchure and get the same feeling.

Tool Box: Stationary Bike


A spy report from the University of Southern California reveals that the great teacher
Yehuda Gilad requires students to play long tones while operating a stationary bike. When
the student begins to get comfortable, Dr. Gilad swoops in and increases the resistance. This
is an effective way to strengthen the lower abdominal muscles while at the same time relaxing
the leg muscles, which can tighten up while playing. Those of us with smaller studios can
purchase a compact device from Drug World called the Essential Pedal Exerciser (about
$50, cheaper over the Internet) that accomplishes the same objective. I assign it to my college
students, and have noted marked improvement in endurance and use of the air. Charles
Furlong shows us how to operate this device.

Example #12
Any long tone exercise will work, so long as it is played with a metronome. Start
pedaling first, sit on the sit bones, use the edge of the chair, and keep the back straight. This
exercise can be very strenuous, so use it in moderation. A recommended approach is to play
one set of long tones with the pedal machine followed by one set without. If necessary, give
yourself some time to recover between sets.
An Iconic Tool Customized: The Breath Builder, Latest Generation
Readers of our first two installments have noted the importance I attach to the breath
builder. Now some advanced players are fashioning new custom models using mouthpiece
patches or tape to cover the large hole, one small hole, and of the remaining small hole (see
photo below). When used with the narrow blowing tube, this model needs more air pressure
to operate, closer to the amount required by the clarinet. Although the breath builder routine
listed in the December installment can be of great value, ambitious players will discover new
challenges using this version, which is more sensitive to the pressure of the air: any slight
change in pressure and the ball will drop. Since the mouthpiece patches cover the resistance
holes, one hand is free to monitor the abdomen and back muscles as breaths are taken and
expelled.
Example #13
Lesson Exit Strategy
A recent visit with Dr. James Gholson and his fine young students at the University of

Memphis yielded valuable information about the way Jim handles the last few minutes of
each lesson. This is an important time, when many teachers provide a wrap-up or synopsis
of the material covered. Jim requires that the student give the synopsis, after having taken
notes during the lesson. The next step is to prioritize three major points of the lesson. Jim
and the student then discuss, based upon the level of playing and grasp of the material, what
the grade should be for the lesson: first the student grades him or herself, and then Jim makes
the final decision. The student's grade for the semester is an average of grades received
during lessons. Based upon the intensity level of Jim's students, I would say that this exit
strategy has a good effect upon motivation.
At the end of every lesson the student should have clear ideas of what to practice
during the coming week. To that end, some teachers (including the great Stanley Hasty)
require students to keep an ongoing journal of their lessons. Another strategy is to make a
recording of the lesson. The student will then provide the teacher, at the beginning of the
next lesson, a synopsis of what has been learned through repeated listening to the CD over
the course of the week.
Recommended Reading
The Art of Learning by Josh Waitzkin (Free Press) is a truly outstanding exploration into
how we acquire skills and how we compete with one another. Mr. Waitzkin, who was a chess
prodigy, the subject of a book and film called Searching for Bobby Fischer and subsequently
a national and world tae-quan-do champion, writes in fascinating detail about his experiences
in competitions and intense practice sessions. He digs deeply into the learning process as
well as the psychological games we sometimes indulge in to trip ourselves up. The parallels
to music endeavors are too numerous to list, especially auditions. Of special interest is the
intensity of the post-mortem studying a performance afterward to glean insights into
improvement. I wish I had read this book when I was sixteen years old; so I hand it out to
ambitious young students as birthday gifts; a slightly-used paperback edition is available at
Amazon.com for around $3.50. Highly recommended.
Dr. James Gholson is Professor of Clarinet at the University of Memphis and Principal
Clarinet with the Memphis Symphony. He holds an undergraduate degree from Michigan
State University and the Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts from The Catholic
University. His major teachers include Elsa Ludewig-Verdehr, Keith Stein, Sidney Forrest, and
Anthony Gigliotti. As a member of the United States Navy Band, Washington, D. C., he
appeared frequently as soloist. Dr. Gholson is a member of the Memphis Woodwind Quintet
and the author of The Seasoned Clarinetist, a bundle of interviews with prominent clarinetists,
the UNITUS website and Windscapes, a video taped series of clarinet primers. James is the
2007 winner of the FLAME award given by the University of Memphis.
Larry Guy is Professor of Clarinet at New York University and Vassar College, and teaches at

the MAP Program at the Juilliard School and the Precollege Division of the Manhattan School
of Music in New York. He welcomes your input on any pedagogic concept you may be
willing to share. If your idea is chosen to be included in an upcoming Pedagogy Corner
article, you will be given credit. Email him at <LGuy551856@aol.com> Young players are
encouraged to join our Spy Club. Membership is easy: simply send in your favorite concept,
observation, or comment about clarinet performance and if your idea is selected, you will be
mentioned in an upcoming article.

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