I'm glad to find double lip is actually an advantage. Just received my first clarinet today, and I automatically started with double lip embouchure. In my case that's the only way, because I have severe problems with my teeth, and I my front teeth broke off for the most part. So playing with my teeth on the mouthpiece really doesn't feel good at all. And when I have dentures in a few months, I imagine the looseness of those won't help in getting control over the clarinet either. I actually find that I have MORE control when double lipping, because I don't have a fixed point to put the clarinet against. But maybe that's just my way of playing. (I play several instruments, and all are self taught, so I might be a bit odd in my learnings :p )

It's funny because I started playing clarinet with the double embouchure even though I was told to do single lip because I didn't like the vibration of the mouthpiece on my teeth, and now I always play double lip embouchure.

@NoName-xr6hh

6 жыл бұрын

amcheung10 same thing happened to be but my director told me to play it single

@alexcarter8807

6 жыл бұрын

I could play single and double lip from the start, plus since I had no band director, upside down with the reed against my upper teeth! I think double lip sounds better.

@MarilynCrosbie

5 жыл бұрын

I have also played double lip from the start and get a decent sound.

@jcsouthin1197

3 жыл бұрын

Me too!

@yvonnec2863

4 ай бұрын

Same thing here. I can't understand how others can stand that vibration on the teeth!

I started out using double lip embouchure in the seventh grade beginners band. I had no instruction and just assumed that using both lips was the way it was supposed to be done. The band director played the oboe; perhaps watching him was why I thought the double lip was the way to go. Three years later, when I finally started taking lessons the teacher told me, “Oh, that’s called the French embouchure,” and to change my embouchure to single lip technique. It was easy to change and I haven’t used it again. But with the recent encouraging reports showing up I hope (if/when I pick the clarinet up again) to go back to the technique I unwittingly used at the beginning.(1954).

I tried the double lip and wow, it sounds so much smoother when making a jump between C and G in the clarion register. It does hurt my mouth, especially for higher notes. Maybe I can use that to learn how to improve my single lip embouchure. Thanks!

I just wanted to add to this Double Lip Embouchure post, as I was a student starting on my first wind instrument (Bb Clarinet) back in 4th grade (1987) through half of my 7th grade (1989) school years, I would always play with double lip embouchure, not because of the training I was receiving. I naturally have sensitive teeth, since I busted my tooth on a wall in the gym during my 4th grade year, prior to starting band. Also, I sat right next to the oboe player and picked up some tips from her. So, I just wanted to bring to light for the beginning students, that they can absolutely start out with double lip embouchure from the beginning. I have years later found (not until actually this year, 2016) that you can purchase rubber stickers to place on your mouthpiece, to help with the sensitivity of having your bare teeth on the mouthpiece. If I could go back in time, I may have wanted to purchase some of those stickers, because over time, you wear into you embouchure, for which ever instrument you pick up... for example, I had to change over to flute, because I was cutting a line across the inside of my upper lip, from biting too hard. After 3 years of playing the clarinet, I took a rest, and started playing the flute. I played flute, until I was a Freshman in high school, where I switched over to the Tenor Saxophone. for the remainder of my adolescent years, where I also started playing a single reed instrument with double lip embouchure because, once again, of my sensitive top teeth. As of this year, I have become active again in a church orchestra, where I am playing the clarinet, and really having to relearn the key fingerings for the clarinet, because I keep getting confused, as the fingerings for flute and sax are the same system. But, not for the clarinet (lower register)... So, I keep messing up!!! I also want to thank you Michelle for these wonderful videos, because you've helped allot to reteach what I have lost over the years. Such as reed strength, and why I needed to change my reeds from 2.5 to something stronger for the higher register notes. I kept squeaking, or not getting any sound at all in the octaves. Now I know why. That was another reason why I quit the clarinet back in the 7th grade. I had enough of the squeak pinging through my sensitive teeth. So thank you again. How I have really missed playing (any instrument) in a group setting!

@ClarinetMentors

7 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your comments. It sounds like you are making a lot of great music these days. I really like the mouthpiece patches. Some people are able to play double lip with no discomfort, but I haven't trained myself to do that yet!

You were reading my mind ,That's was my next question...double lip! Thanks again very helpful video

Double lip is great. One needs to be careful not to overdo it at first as it's easy to bruise the top lip. The top lip is an absolute beginner, just as the bottom lip was when you first picked up a clarinet. 5 min/day is plenty for the first week, adding a few minutes each week from there. I find it much easier for beginners to understand and achieve good embouchure formation when started double lip. I do explain to them the difference and encourage them to experiment with both after a few weeks of doing double lip exclusively. In addition to all the good things you mentioned, I find that double lip raises the soft palate, which is useful in several ways. It also makes one more sensitive to how the fingers are moving. Any tension in the hands or slamming of the fingers is felt in the embouchure. Some well respected players who have used double-lip extensively or exclusively include Iggy Gennusa, Ralph McClean,, Tom Puwalski, Kalmen Opperman, and the great Harold Wright. If one has a very short upper lip, it may preclude the successful application of a double-lip embouchure. For most clarinetists it is a worthwhile pursuit, at least as a tool.

I've used it in 99% of my playing for years. I love it and my tone is much better than the rare occasion I decide to try single lip. That said, sometimes when I've had a very intensive practice session, my top lip will start to collapse, basically making my teeth bite the lip, which is very unpleasant. But that is rare and only when I've been practicing for hours without breaks. Also, the altisimo is more difficult on soprano with double lip, but that could also just be that I'm not used to it since bass clarinet is my main instrument

Very informative and helpful, Michelle - thank you!

I'm teaching myself the clarinet. I've started with the double lip because it feels the most natural. I'm 3 weeks into my practicing and switched to a number 3 reed and on the higher register i use my teeth because my muscles around my mouth are not strong enough yet. I think also that the 250 Yamaha student clarinet i bought from ebay leaks, so its not that efficient and I must blow harder at times. Funny how I'm really feeling that this is my instrument more than when I was teaching myself the guitar. Only if clarinets were not so expensive. Thanks for your videos. I have learned a lot from you. Be blessed, Leo

That was a fabulous lesson. I play the flute and I am now learning the clarinet. Wow they are different. But I am really enjoying the clarinet!

Thank you. You are really helpful and inspiring.

Thanks Michele, something to think about, everything is still four years with fourteen different brass and woodwind instruments. But, it's working and I'm learning everyday

Thanks for this. I’m coming from recorder where we don’t ever use our teeth. I tried to get myself to bite down, but I couldn’t remember to do it. Too much training not to. The one time I did bite down, I couldn’t get a sound out. I was afraid I was going to have to try to retrain myself until I saw this video. I’m going to keep playing double lip and not worry about it.

Interestingly, both my sister and I were trained how to play the clarinet in the same school, but by different teachers. My sister was taught without double lip, and when asked to play double lip, had a lot of trouble with it. At the same time, I was taught that double lip was the only correct way to play. It wasn't until a few months ago when I tried to get her back into clarinet that I found out there were different embouchure methods. It is possible that this is just simply a difference in playing style, but my sister always had trouble with higher notes, but had the ability to play fast, staccato passages without much effort. In contrast, I find higher notes easier to manage (most of the time), but also have difficulty keeping the clarinet from squeaking, or losing sound when playing staccato, and thus, do as much legato as possible. As for volume, my sister always used reeds at the strength of 5, and managed to make her low notes louder than anyone else in the woodwind section. Me, on the other hand, use a much lower strength, and find it difficult to play louder than many instruments, often needing everyone else to quiet down a bit.

I started with single-lip back in February when I first picked up a cheap-o clarinet-shaped device but after a week or so switched to double-lip and I've been using it ever since. My teacher told me that one of the drawbacks is that students tend to not have as much control over the movement of the clarinet, as in side-to-side, etc, and so it takes some extra concentration to keep it still. He also gave me a stick-on pad for the mouthpiece in order to aid with keeping it still. I don't think I've really had a problem and he assures me my embouchure is great. (For some reason he is continually amazed at my rapid progress) I owe a lot of my development to you, Michelle! Thank you so much!

@ClarinetMentors

8 жыл бұрын

+Alex Loranger That's great to hear. It sounds like you have made the switch thoughtfully, and it is working well. Keep up the good work, and thanks for the kind words.

This is great advice. Thank you

It is harder to get the A to C above staff up to tune double lip. On alto sax I don't remember having that problem - I got the mouthpiece/reed setup right so I basically just blow (that's a slight oversimplic]fication, but that's what it feels like.)

Bassoonist here. I wonder what would happen if you changed the angle of the reed with the double lip embouchure by holding the bell out more, would that improve the articulation?

@ClarinetMentors

5 жыл бұрын

Hi Patty - that probably makes a lot of sense. Then we become more bassoon-like, which is always a good thing!

I switched to double-lip a few years ago - and heard from somewhere that there are special mouthpieces in existence which are especially for double-lip method, but cannot find anything about this online

Michelle. I'm asking this out of curiosity. Is it possible for an oboist or clarinetist who plays for 10+ years to develop a permanent change to the shape of his/her upper lip and area below the nostrjls? I think this happened to my late husband. It's not something to worry about, but I do wonder.

So which embochure is best for intermediate players?

This is good advice for strengthening the sides. Thanks.

@ClarinetMentors

8 жыл бұрын

+Steve Norcross I'm glad this is helpful.

I have been learning the clarinet by myself, and since I get my clarinet, I have only used the double embouchure. I don't know how to use the single lip embouchure.

i love your videos

Is double lip embouchre good when you have no top teeth? Im having problems keeping tune and upper octives. Havent played in a long time

Bennie Goodman and Vincent "Jimmy" Abato were both double lip players.

@rayzhang5551

8 жыл бұрын

+mudsinkmayor yeah, but Benny did not start with double. he switched later because he liked it better

As a former oboe player double lip embouchure feels so much more natural 😊

my top lip is hurting a little after playing double lip. is this normal? if not, how can i fix it?

@ClarinetMentors

8 жыл бұрын

+Ann Martin This is normal. It usually means you are biting down a bit on the mouthpiece. Really rounding your corners in can help to fix this. Try this video as a way of testing your embouchure: kzread.info/dash/bejne/k2aIt6myhNbShbA.html - Embouchure Tester

Dear Michelle, I have a piece of music in which I have to tongue very quickly. Sometimes my fingers and tongue don't line up and sometimes my tongue just won't move fast enough. is there anything I can do to work on this?

@jharvey93

8 жыл бұрын

Michelle, I have this problem too. What technique do you suggest to improve on this?

@ClarinetMentors

8 жыл бұрын

+akshah753 +jharvey93 I will post a video soon on how to work on tongue and fingers when they are out of sync. I thought that I had put one on KZread, but I couldn't find it. The mini version is to play the passage ridiculously slow (such as each note at quarter note = 60 or slower) and practise moving your fingers in the space between the notes. Your fingers should move way before your tongue. If you do this a few times in super slow motion, and then try playing it normally, it almost always improves. The video will illustrate this in much more detail, but hopefully that will get you started.

@akshah753

8 жыл бұрын

+Clarinet Mentors (Michelle Anderson) thank you!

I just found out there's two ways haha. I've always done double so finding out the other, single, is so strange.

One solution I found to the quick tonguing issue is learning to double tongue with the double lip.

I prefer the clarinet double lip sound; it's noticeable even through the computer speakers. The sound is more open and resonant because there's more empty space inside the mouth when the tongue retracts. Maybe its ubiquitous 'ee' sound in classical music is the reason for the clarinet's being the least expressive of the orchestral woodwind instruments. (I'm wearing my flak jacket.)

Bonjour Michelle, Thank you for you excellent advices. Have you heard about LEGERE reeds, you can find all the information on thier site, legere.com. I have use 2 different levels for 6 months now with great sounds,

Michael from earspasm music mentioned having a wife that is a clarinet teacher and I also noticed that you used the same bass clarinet he plays in your video when you talked about the bass clarinet. Are you his wife? Just curious

@mikeprokop1175

8 жыл бұрын

Nevermind

@ClarinetMentors

8 жыл бұрын

+Spindrift Tutor Good observation on the bass clarinets. We do have the same model. However, although I have met Michael, and he is an awesome person, we are not married (to each other) and we live on opposite sides of the continent. I highly recommend his videos.

Double-lip embouchure can be a problem if you have sharp upper front teeth. Joe Allard's technique for single-lip embouchure will give all the benefit of double lip without the discomfort if you have sharp teeth, as I do. However, you need a teacher who really knows Allard's method well, which probably means someone who learned directly from Allard. I learned it from Victor Morosco, who unfortunately is no longer with us. Still, even if you have sharp teeth, it doesn't hurt to try double lip for short periods of time, just to see what it can do.

I saw a guy who curls his upper lip under on the outside of this teeth. Then pushes his lip onto the mouthpiece with it curled that way. I have no idea how to do that or if it is even helpful. I DO get how the real double lip embouchure would work and I will try that out. Thanks, Michelle.

Since I have been using single-lip embouchure, it is next to impossible to even feel good about the double-lip, especially now that I am playing lead clarinet in 3 ensembles. However, I am starting a New Horizons Band www.cornwallnewhorizonsband.org on the 14th of thei month and I will mention it to my clarinet beginners. I will also let them know about your KZread videos.

@ClarinetMentors

8 жыл бұрын

+Raymond Lacroix Thanks Raymond. I feel awkward with double-lip, but I am experimenting with it. It might be nice to let beginners try both ways and decide where they get the best results.

Hello good morning. ,Sr, please I'm like good and Ornijenal clarinet bikos how much Saudi Arabia riyal Sr please

Is it bad to use no teeth?

@avarmadillo

8 жыл бұрын

+Nick Boyd no

I was taught to use double lip, but it is harder for me to tounge faster

@ClarinetMentors

8 жыл бұрын

+Layla Benton That seems to be the only possible downside to a double lip embouchure. Having said that, there are people who do both really well. I think you just need to work with a more gentle tongue so that you are not pushing the mouthpiece around by tonguing with force.

The DE passage sounded stronger and more trumpet-like.

"Oh yes, another misconception is that double lip gives a fuller sound. Quite the contrary. It gives a smaller sound." -- Robert Marcellus Interview with Robert Marcellus by James Gholson Australian Clarinet and Saxophone Magazine

@ClarinetMentors

7 жыл бұрын

Great quote! Perhaps I was trained in single lip because most of my teachers were Marcellus students. Nonetheless, some players do sound great with it. It is just different from what I have learned for myself.

YOU FIXED THE LOW VOLUME!! er, I mean, you fixed the low volume lol

Perché non suoni…???

Articulation quality, which is far more important than speed, is far better playing double lip. Speed? It's largely a wash. Morales experiments with double lip and he said he can articulate faster. So there's that. Tone and legato--much better double lip.

WHAT IF YOU HAVE NO FROMT TEETH

@jackx4311

2 жыл бұрын

USE YOUR GUMS. And it's RUDE TO SHOUT!

single lip is better you have a better grip on tone duh

@ClarinetMentors

7 жыл бұрын

Many players have great tone with double lip. It is worth exploring, although I still use the more traditional single lip embouchure.

@jackx4311

2 жыл бұрын

@Cara J - how can you have a better 'grip' on tone? And "Duh" - is extremely rude!