First of all thank you for your videos. What do you mean when you say “core and back muscles engaged”? Do you mean kind of squeezing those muscles? I will soon start self learning to play clarinet, and I am trying to understand.
Good question! It actually feels more like I am pushing them out. This is a weird analogy, but almost think about what you would do to brace your core if someone was going to punch you in the stomach. I hope that helps!
🙏🙏🙏 Your channel is a chest of treasures. Being a bad singer, I just realized that I nevertheless adjust my throat to higher tones, which ruins the air flow at higher notes and ruins the sound up there.
BTW, I learned from a sports MD, that there is no such thing as muscle memory. It is a seperate function in the brain, where "automated" routines of movement after enough practice / training are stored with "hardwired" neurons. We then don't actively have to think about the movement itselfü - it's working "unconcious". The effect is the exact same as if it were in the muscles. (Fun fact: Only an octopus has an extra brain for each tentacle - that's why Squidward Tentacles plays that "excellent" clarinet 😁)
@@ernstzlo I love that reasoning for Squidward! I did actually know that but tend to use "muscle memory" as sort of a colloquialism, but yes it is actually more like cerebellum memory to be precise. Maybe I will do a video on this!
Hm, I’m not 100% sure what you mean without seeing it happen, but it definitely isn’t weak lungs since there are no muscles in your lungs to be weak. Instead I would focus on more core support from your abdominal muscles keeping things steady, and then think about blowing the air further forward through a nice strong and steady embouchure. I hope that helps!
@@QuickStartClarinet Thank you very much for yr quick reply. you are right, there is no muscles in my lungs. Silly me. Most probably it could be my stomach muscle but I don't feel it is. Is there any exercise I can do to improve the strength of my stomach muscle? Another thing , It seems I have to strain to blow and easily ran out of breath. I still can't get tha hang of it to blow freely. I feel like giving up even though I love the sound of the clarinet. Btw, I am using a low 1.5 reed and l find a 2.5 is too hard for me to blow. I am using a Yamaha A34(,?) with a Vendoren B40 mouthpiece. I have been playing for the past 10 yrs. On and off , on and off and never master playing it well.
@@watchitontube I suspect that you actually aren't having specifically a blowing issue rather more of an embouchure and reed issue. A 1.5 reed is extremely soft, even moving up to a 2 may be helpful. The other thing that I suspect is happening is that your embouchure isn't very steady. It is really hard to have a steady embouchure with such a soft reed because the embouchure needs to be very loose to not pinch off the reed, but then if it is too loose than it is hard to keep it steady. I'd recommend checking out this video: th-cam.com/video/8aRC6wHDfUE/w-d-xo.htmlsi=VjEfi_xCxZP2AR_B to get an overview of all of the good fundamentals and then go from there!
I want to get my self a better clarinet for my ninth grade band performance and I don’t know where to start, what are some good intermediate models within a price range of $200?
What clarinet are you on now, and why do you want a better one? Unfortunately, there aren't any good intermediate models in that price range. What I generally recommend for intermediate clarinets would be a Buffet E11 or Yamaha 450. The best you could find in the $200 range would probably be a used Yamaha 250, but you have to be careful because used instruments can sometimes need $200 of repair work or more to really be their best. And depending on your current instrument it may be roughly equivalent or actually a Yamaha 250 because they are a pretty common student instrument. With a budget of $200, your best bet would probably be to get a Vandoren mouthpiece. And M30, 5RV Lyre, or B40 would be good options. I hope that helps, have fun in 9th grade band! P.S. You may also find this video comparing my professional clarinet to a student clarinet interesting: th-cam.com/video/rz9XQ0CISLA/w-d-xo.html
That’s a good question! I think playing loud forces you to use more air, but it is definitely possible to play loud with bad air support, or at least inefficient air. To me air support is all about supporting the most effective reed vibrations for the best sound, which mostly comes down to the speed of the air as discussed in this video. It is possible to blow too hard and get a loud spread sound, and also possible to blow too soft and get a weak fuzzy sound. Playing loud can be a great way to encourage better air support, but the real way to know if you are doing it right is if you are getting a nice clear, full resonant sound.
You are correct it is air pressure. Not speed. "Speed" of flow through the mouth is irrelevant. You are misunderstanding Bernoulli. Reducing the flow path ALWAYS reduces total air energy. The state of the reed determines the frequency, not the speed of air through the mouth.
@@QuickStartClarinet "air speed" as a term is a trendy and faddish verbiage among musicians. The embouchure controls the state of the reed which directly controls rhe pitch played. The acoustic space of the oral tract possibly makes a weak contribution as well but it still has nothing to do with air speed over the tongue. The flow of air is quite low when playing and so is the flow velocity through the oral space. Even for more raised tongue position. Supplying air pressure to a musical instrument is NOT the same as blowing air into the ambient atmosphere. There are completely different dynamics occurring.
Ok. I feel like you are saying that any air stuff involved in playing is determined by the air interacting with the reed which is mostly impacted by the embouchure. If that is the case, then if you were teaching clarinet, how would you teach air? Would you talk about it at all?
@@QuickStartClarinet air pressure is the energy required for the sound. It varies with dynamics. Pressure is simply controlled by the intensity of the action of exhalation. That is, the exhalation effort. It is gentle for soft tones, and more intense for progressively louder tones. To apply power there is also air flow but it is not something to obsess over. And air speed? It varies widely within the system with time and location. There is no THE AIR SPEED, and it is of no concern.
Interesting. How do you account for the issue of playing really soft especially in the upper registers with enough air support that there are no undertones?
By "engaged," do you mean tense the gut and back muscles? Also, when I studied dance, I learned that one can increase lung capacity by expanding the ribs to the sides. I use that to get more air sometimes.
Kind of. I don’t like using the word tense because I think tension is general bad. But it is sort of tense or there is tension like as if you were flexing your ab and back muscles.
Maybe another way to think about it is keeping your core pulled or pushed down. Think about how your belly and back move down and out when you take a deep breath and then keep them there as you exhale.
what? there ain't no gut muscle (unless you mean your intestines which technically are muscles ) lol, it's called Rectus abdominis (your six packs) and abdominal external oblique (your waist muscle if you will) And I don't think your back muscles are engaged during diaphragm breathing and support.
![[Back to Basics] How and Why of Forming a Great Clarinet Embouchure](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/bP71VODlBIc/mqdefault.jpg)
great job
Thanks! I have had some great teachers over the years 😉
love what you're doing with videos like this, incredibly informative!
Thank you! I’m glad you found it interesting!
Thank you for the video dude, it’s given me a starting point
I'm glad it was helpful!
First of all thank you for your videos. What do you mean when you say “core and back muscles engaged”? Do you mean kind of squeezing those muscles? I will soon start self learning to play clarinet, and I am trying to understand.
Good question! It actually feels more like I am pushing them out. This is a weird analogy, but almost think about what you would do to brace your core if someone was going to punch you in the stomach. I hope that helps!
@@QuickStartClarinet thank you! I am looking forward to try when my clarinet arrives :)
🙏🙏🙏 Your channel is a chest of treasures.
Being a bad singer, I just realized that I nevertheless adjust my throat to higher tones, which ruins the air flow at higher notes and ruins the sound up there.
Nice! What a great breakthrough!
BTW, I learned from a sports MD, that there is no such thing as muscle memory. It is a seperate function in the brain, where "automated" routines of movement after enough practice / training are stored with "hardwired" neurons.
We then don't actively have to think about the movement itselfü - it's working "unconcious".
The effect is the exact same as if it were in the muscles.
(Fun fact: Only an octopus has an extra brain for each tentacle - that's why Squidward Tentacles plays that "excellent" clarinet 😁)
@@ernstzlo I love that reasoning for Squidward! I did actually know that but tend to use "muscle memory" as sort of a colloquialism, but yes it is actually more like cerebellum memory to be precise. Maybe I will do a video on this!
I do not know why when I blow my breath start to 'motor-boating" . Is it because of my weak lungs? Anyone?
Hm, I’m not 100% sure what you mean without seeing it happen, but it definitely isn’t weak lungs since there are no muscles in your lungs to be weak. Instead I would focus on more core support from your abdominal muscles keeping things steady, and then think about blowing the air further forward through a nice strong and steady embouchure. I hope that helps!
@@QuickStartClarinet Thank you very much for yr quick reply. you are right, there is no muscles in my lungs. Silly me. Most probably it could be my stomach muscle but I don't feel it is. Is there any exercise I can do to improve the strength of my stomach muscle? Another thing , It seems I have to strain to blow and easily ran out of breath. I still can't get tha hang of it to blow freely. I feel like giving up even though I love the sound of the clarinet. Btw, I am using a low 1.5 reed and l find a 2.5 is too hard for me to blow. I am using a Yamaha A34(,?) with a Vendoren B40 mouthpiece. I have been playing for the past 10 yrs. On and off , on and off and never master playing it well.
@@watchitontube I suspect that you actually aren't having specifically a blowing issue rather more of an embouchure and reed issue. A 1.5 reed is extremely soft, even moving up to a 2 may be helpful. The other thing that I suspect is happening is that your embouchure isn't very steady. It is really hard to have a steady embouchure with such a soft reed because the embouchure needs to be very loose to not pinch off the reed, but then if it is too loose than it is hard to keep it steady.
I'd recommend checking out this video: th-cam.com/video/8aRC6wHDfUE/w-d-xo.htmlsi=VjEfi_xCxZP2AR_B to get an overview of all of the good fundamentals and then go from there!
I'd french inhale vaper ribbons
At 65 Years since my Jr. high band experience I’m not expecting miracles but you’re making it fun😊
Awesome! At this point, fun is the most important part!
I want to get my self a better clarinet for my ninth grade band performance and I don’t know where to start, what are some good intermediate models within a price range of $200?
What clarinet are you on now, and why do you want a better one?
Unfortunately, there aren't any good intermediate models in that price range. What I generally recommend for intermediate clarinets would be a Buffet E11 or Yamaha 450.
The best you could find in the $200 range would probably be a used Yamaha 250, but you have to be careful because used instruments can sometimes need $200 of repair work or more to really be their best. And depending on your current instrument it may be roughly equivalent or actually a Yamaha 250 because they are a pretty common student instrument.
With a budget of $200, your best bet would probably be to get a Vandoren mouthpiece. And M30, 5RV Lyre, or B40 would be good options. I hope that helps, have fun in 9th grade band!
P.S. You may also find this video comparing my professional clarinet to a student clarinet interesting: th-cam.com/video/rz9XQ0CISLA/w-d-xo.html
Again a really helpful explanatory video. Thanks.
Glad it was helpful! Let me know if you have any questions or anything you would like to see a video on!
Very good video. Lots of helpful ideas/concepts to work on.
I’m glad you liked it!
can you play a forte with bad air support? or is bad air support only a problem at softer dynamics?
That’s a good question! I think playing loud forces you to use more air, but it is definitely possible to play loud with bad air support, or at least inefficient air.
To me air support is all about supporting the most effective reed vibrations for the best sound, which mostly comes down to the speed of the air as discussed in this video.
It is possible to blow too hard and get a loud spread sound, and also possible to blow too soft and get a weak fuzzy sound.
Playing loud can be a great way to encourage better air support, but the real way to know if you are doing it right is if you are getting a nice clear, full resonant sound.
Thank you, thank you, thanks! I am so grateful to have this information.
I appreciate you answering my question in such depth.
Of course! It was a great idea for a video!
You are correct it is air pressure. Not speed. "Speed" of flow through the mouth is irrelevant. You are misunderstanding Bernoulli.
Reducing the flow path ALWAYS reduces total air energy. The state of the reed determines the frequency, not the speed of air through the mouth.
I thought you said pressure is irrelevant on my other video?
Can you elaborate on what you mean by the state of the reed?
@@QuickStartClarinet "air speed" as a term is a trendy and faddish verbiage among musicians. The embouchure controls the state of the reed which directly controls rhe pitch played. The acoustic space of the oral tract possibly makes a weak contribution as well but it still has nothing to do with air speed over the tongue. The flow of air is quite low when playing and so is the flow velocity through the oral space. Even for more raised tongue position. Supplying air pressure to a musical instrument is NOT the same as blowing air into the ambient atmosphere. There are completely different dynamics occurring.
Ok. I feel like you are saying that any air stuff involved in playing is determined by the air interacting with the reed which is mostly impacted by the embouchure. If that is the case, then if you were teaching clarinet, how would you teach air? Would you talk about it at all?
@@QuickStartClarinet air pressure is the energy required for the sound. It varies with dynamics. Pressure is simply controlled by the intensity of the action of exhalation. That is, the exhalation effort. It is gentle for soft tones, and more intense for progressively louder tones. To apply power there is also air flow but it is not something to obsess over. And air speed? It varies widely within the system with time and location. There is no THE AIR SPEED, and it is of no concern.
Interesting. How do you account for the issue of playing really soft especially in the upper registers with enough air support that there are no undertones?
By "engaged," do you mean tense the gut and back muscles? Also, when I studied dance, I learned that one can increase lung capacity by expanding the ribs to the sides. I use that to get more air sometimes.
Kind of. I don’t like using the word tense because I think tension is general bad. But it is sort of tense or there is tension like as if you were flexing your ab and back muscles.
Maybe another way to think about it is keeping your core pulled or pushed down. Think about how your belly and back move down and out when you take a deep breath and then keep them there as you exhale.
what? there ain't no gut muscle (unless you mean your intestines which technically are muscles ) lol, it's called Rectus abdominis (your six packs) and abdominal external oblique (your waist muscle if you will)
And I don't think your back muscles are engaged during diaphragm breathing and support.
I think gut muscles refers to the abs and such. For me I do feel like the back is engaged. All the muscles around the core area.
@@PinacoladaMatthew I believe the back muscles behind the guts expand to some extent when relaxed breathing happens.