In 1965 when I, as a high school junior, began study with Joe Allard, I used excessive pressure and did bite down on the mouthpiece to a point where my teeth left indentations on the mouthpiece. The first exercise he used with me was the one you featured first on this video (inverting the reed, lip on top). It did take a while before I reduced the pressure. I still use this with my students.
@@dl8h5654 , I studied with a former student of Joe Allard, and it took me some months to adjust to using this embouchure. Experimenting with double-lip embouchure, even if you plan to continue with single-lip, will give you the idea of what you are going for with Allard's approach.
People bite to start, sustain, or clarify the sound because they have to. Why? Their reeds are poorly balanced. When a reed is badly balanced it will produce uneven response, and a breathy sound, especially at softer dynamics. Biting has nothing to do with air pressure. The issue is fine reed balance, period. Further, they must add a certain pressure control to the reed, but not by clamping the reed (biting) with the lower jaw. Using the friction rather than the clamping method yields the best results by far. I describe this in my book, The Educator's Guide to the Clarinet, but even then when the reed is poorly balanced you will be forced in some degree to use upward jaw pressure to force the reed into responding or producing a clear sound. Learn to test for and balance the reed. Then playing will be a whole lot easier and less taxing on the embouchure. If you don't you will be FORCED to bite to start, sustain, and clarify the quality of the sound. Just as a closing remark, you should know over 90+ percent of reeds are poorly balanced out of the box.
Very nice tips, Dale. Here are my tips to help sax players with their embouchure. I used too hard reeds when I was young because the intonation seemed so much easier with the harder reeds. I noticed how saxophonists that use softer reeds have much more expression in their sound, so I learned to use softer reeds. When I started playing softer reeds, it was difficult at first, but this helped me to use much less pressure. This helped me to play all of the saxes (soprano, alto, tenor, and bari) with a much more beautiful and expressive sound. When I was young, I learned the jazz embouchure by accident (I was taught the classical type embouchure). When I practiced my extremely loud long tones, this forced me to push by bottom lip out more to get that powerful sound. I didn't even know there was a jazz type embouchure. When I saw saxophonists teaching the jazz embouchure on UA-cam in recent years, I realized that is the embouchure I use. I only play jazz and dance club music now, so I never use the classical type embouchure anymore. Jazz saxophonists can avoid the biting by using the jazz embouchure instead of the classical embouchure. If you play in a concert band, you should keep using the classical type embouchure... you just have to learn to use your muscles around your mouth to support your mouthpiece and not your bottom teeth. A big thing that can help you get the correct mouthpiece placement in your mouth is being able to play the whole range without moving your embouchure. You have to get the point where the reed separates from the mouthpiece (towards the tip) over your bottom lip. If you get the mouthpiece in the correct position, you can play quick octaves (even 16th notes) without changing your embouchure. Most people have a slight overbite, and it is recommended to sax players to move your bottom jaw forward, if it is comfortable to do so... if not, you might have to move your mouth over the mouthpiece a little more. I've seen a guy on UA-cam ("Get Your Sax Together" channel) now teach a third type of saxophone embouchure (very close to the jazz embouchure), where you make both lips pucker out a little (like a kiss). I think Michael Lington uses this embouchure.
In my view, Joe Allard's techniques are the way to go for single-lip embouchure and solve all the problems of excessive biting and inefficient air. It gives all the benefits of double-lip embouchure, without the discomfort for those with sharpish upper front teeth. Provides more tonal flexibility too.
It's funny, when I first made this stream-of-conscious video two years ago, I intended to discuss three schools: McLane/Hamelin/Wright double-lip, Montanaro, and Allard. I only made it to the first two. I have found Mr. Allard's techniques have transformed my playing but I find there are multiple wars going on between some of his students as to what he really meant, what is the proper way, etc. and I felt then, as I do now that it wasn't my place to cover it. I do hope in time to more fully comprehend and apply his practices, taken from many of his students and share at least a brief snippet to a larger audience. In the meantime there are other videos and resources about his pedagogy. I absolutely agree with you of course. I have unintentionally told half-truths in my videos before and I NEVER want to do that.
@@DaleFedele I'm very glad this came up. I am just starting out on clarinet. I was aware of Allard from being interested in the saxophone, and going into the clarinet I want to apply his ideas from the beginning. Unfortunately I also know that finding a suitable teacher, or trying to learn that way without a teacher, is pretty difficult to put it mildly.
There are a few players who use some kind of jaw force, like Steve Williamson and Marcellus, as you pointed out, though perhaps it isn't the best for students to begin with, even if that want that kind of sound. Great video! I love these exercises.
I studied with Robert Marcellus and I don’t remember him having any biting problem. He emphasized a very fast, intense air stream, very well focused with a high tongue position in the mouth, and well supported with the lower abdomen flexed outward. He used pretty heavy reeds, but they always were beautifully balanced and responsive.
1972-73 was weekly in Cleveland, and after I got a job in Miami and then Atlanta I continued to study once a month and later maybe every other month for 3 or 4 years.
Hi Dale. I found your clip Stop biting really helpful for all of us. You said something interesting about the old teacher Donald Montanaro. I've watched all his clips on UA-cam. You said that he was able to set the right placement of tong for student for just about one hour lesson. Honestly, I've got a long term problem with my tonguing. No matter how hard I've tried to fix it, anyway, I still can hear some little air interval between my tong attack and the actual moment of beginning of the sound. Any idea how can I fix this? Would be nice also if you'd explain the Montanaro tong method with your own words. Many thanks for all your lessons on UA-cam. Alex.
I don't understand the steps of the exercise. The description went by too fast for me. Start on which note, and change to which note? Thank you, at least I can try turning my clarinet over.
@@DaleFedele Why not make it a descending F scale instead, using 1/1 high Bb (and later on regular throat and chalumeau Bb). That way, the tonality of the exercise would be firmly locked down in the key of F - high F being the central note overall. This way or the other, I'm going to incorporate that in my daily routine. I already switched to double lip but alas I'm far from getting rid of my biting habit that has grown over decades (over 30 yrs since I started playing).
Hi, thanks for these great exercises! I was wondering how long were supposed to do the first backward mouthpiece exercise tho? Like for the whole session or just a part of it? I noticed I do it correctly but then when I go back to the mouthpiece being in position, I bite again... what do you recommend I do?
Thank you for this!! I truly appreciate it! I tried this exercise and my E came out just fine with a slur, but my lower lip always ends up some teeth mark. It doesn't hurt as much as it used to but is it alright, or am I still biting? I played with french embouchure for a couple of years (exclusively just that) but I switched back because it was hard to perform standing up, so the double lip sound and single lip sound are very similar sounding but still there's a teeth mark. I must be doing something wrong but I don't know what. Would you please help me with this?
Thank you for writing! Let me ask you a question: what comes first? Your voicing & air & air pressure into the instrument, or your embouchure fully formed?
@@DaleFedele ok, so here's how it goes. I form the embouchure, insert the mouthpiece, close the mouth, and air goes in. (sorry if I'm not understanding your question!) I knew how to form a correct embouchure, but it would collapse after I started blowing, and I never really realized it but I knew it was wrong because I couldn't play without a cigarette paper over my teeth. My professor suggested the double lip, and I liked the free sound so much I was terrified of going back to single lip. I use the single lip now without the aid of cigarette paper, but the teeth mark makes me wonder if I'm still doing it wrong over so many years:'{
Switching from biting to this method, does this require a lower/higher reed or should everything remain the same? I've never been able to get a good sound without biting :/
IF YOUR AIR IS RIGHT YOU DON'T HAVE TO BITE! #merch #tshirt #catchphrase #trademark
Is this on a T-shirt? If so, I WANT IT!!:)))
A fact that is missing: the reed must be well balanced...you can use well air but with a bad reed... you'll bite
@@djcbeatle seee....MORE MERCH!
@@floridaclarinetstudio2338 Great! How do I see it? Thanks!:)
In 1965 when I, as a high school junior, began study with Joe Allard, I used excessive pressure and did bite down on the mouthpiece to a point where my teeth left indentations on the mouthpiece. The first exercise he used with me was the one you featured first on this video (inverting the reed, lip on top). It did take a while before I reduced the pressure. I still use this with my students.
Hi, did it get fixed in one session? Or various sessions?
@@dl8h5654 , I studied with a former student of Joe Allard, and it took me some months to adjust to using this embouchure. Experimenting with double-lip embouchure, even if you plan to continue with single-lip, will give you the idea of what you are going for with Allard's approach.
People bite to start, sustain, or clarify the sound because they have to. Why? Their reeds are poorly balanced.
When a reed is badly balanced it will produce uneven response, and a breathy sound, especially at softer dynamics.
Biting has nothing to do with air pressure. The issue is fine reed balance, period.
Further, they must add a certain pressure control to the reed, but not by clamping the reed (biting) with the lower jaw.
Using the friction rather than the clamping method yields the best results by far. I describe this in my book, The Educator's Guide to the Clarinet, but even then when the reed is poorly balanced you will be forced in some degree to use upward jaw pressure to force the reed into responding or producing a clear sound.
Learn to test for and balance the reed. Then playing will be a whole lot easier and less taxing on the embouchure.
If you don't you will be FORCED to bite to start, sustain, and clarify the quality of the sound.
Just as a closing remark, you should know over 90+ percent of reeds are poorly balanced out of the box.
This is a great video! Very helpful, thank you
Very nice tips, Dale. Here are my tips to help sax players with their embouchure. I used too hard reeds when I was young because the intonation seemed so much easier with the harder reeds. I noticed how saxophonists that use softer reeds have much more expression in their sound, so I learned to use softer reeds. When I started playing softer reeds, it was difficult at first, but this helped me to use much less pressure. This helped me to play all of the saxes (soprano, alto, tenor, and bari) with a much more beautiful and expressive sound. When I was young, I learned the jazz embouchure by accident (I was taught the classical type embouchure). When I practiced my extremely loud long tones, this forced me to push by bottom lip out more to get that powerful sound. I didn't even know there was a jazz type embouchure. When I saw saxophonists teaching the jazz embouchure on UA-cam in recent years, I realized that is the embouchure I use. I only play jazz and dance club music now, so I never use the classical type embouchure anymore. Jazz saxophonists can avoid the biting by using the jazz embouchure instead of the classical embouchure. If you play in a concert band, you should keep using the classical type embouchure... you just have to learn to use your muscles around your mouth to support your mouthpiece and not your bottom teeth. A big thing that can help you get the correct mouthpiece placement in your mouth is being able to play the whole range without moving your embouchure. You have to get the point where the reed separates from the mouthpiece (towards the tip) over your bottom lip. If you get the mouthpiece in the correct position, you can play quick octaves (even 16th notes) without changing your embouchure. Most people have a slight overbite, and it is recommended to sax players to move your bottom jaw forward, if it is comfortable to do so... if not, you might have to move your mouth over the mouthpiece a little more. I've seen a guy on UA-cam ("Get Your Sax Together" channel) now teach a third type of saxophone embouchure (very close to the jazz embouchure), where you make both lips pucker out a little (like a kiss). I think Michael Lington uses this embouchure.
At first I thought your sub count was 768k. wow. You make great videos!
In my view, Joe Allard's techniques are the way to go for single-lip embouchure and solve all the problems of excessive biting and inefficient air. It gives all the benefits of double-lip embouchure, without the discomfort for those with sharpish upper front teeth. Provides more tonal flexibility too.
It's funny, when I first made this stream-of-conscious video two years ago, I intended to discuss three schools: McLane/Hamelin/Wright double-lip, Montanaro, and Allard. I only made it to the first two. I have found Mr. Allard's techniques have transformed my playing but I find there are multiple wars going on between some of his students as to what he really meant, what is the proper way, etc. and I felt then, as I do now that it wasn't my place to cover it. I do hope in time to more fully comprehend and apply his practices, taken from many of his students and share at least a brief snippet to a larger audience. In the meantime there are other videos and resources about his pedagogy. I absolutely agree with you of course. I have unintentionally told half-truths in my videos before and I NEVER want to do that.
@@DaleFedele I'm very glad this came up. I am just starting out on clarinet. I was aware of Allard from being interested in the saxophone, and going into the clarinet I want to apply his ideas from the beginning. Unfortunately I also know that finding a suitable teacher, or trying to learn that way without a teacher, is pretty difficult to put it mildly.
There are a few players who use some kind of jaw force, like Steve Williamson and Marcellus, as you pointed out, though perhaps it isn't the best for students to begin with, even if that want that kind of sound.
Great video! I love these exercises.
I studied with Robert Marcellus and I don’t remember him having any biting problem. He emphasized a very fast, intense air stream, very well focused with a high tongue position in the mouth, and well supported with the lower abdomen flexed outward. He used pretty heavy reeds, but they always were beautifully balanced and responsive.
What years did you study with him?
1972-73.
1972-73 was weekly in Cleveland, and after I got a job in Miami and then Atlanta I continued to study once a month and later maybe every other month for 3 or 4 years.
I have a problem where when I use more air my biting increases and I don't know why.
Hi Dale. I found your clip Stop biting really helpful for all of us. You said something interesting about the old teacher Donald Montanaro. I've watched all his clips on UA-cam. You said that he was able to set the right placement of tong for student for just about one hour lesson. Honestly, I've got a long term problem with my tonguing. No matter how hard I've tried to fix it, anyway, I still can hear some little air interval between my tong attack and the actual moment of beginning of the sound. Any idea how can I fix this? Would be nice also if you'd explain the Montanaro tong method with your own words. Many thanks for all your lessons on UA-cam. Alex.
This is MIND-BLOWING!!! Great tutorial... What exercise is good for training air pressure / support?
Wondering if there is any difference between a "quality superior" Lelandais and one that does not have the etched on the side?? cheers
This is amazing!!!!
I really enjoy your videos, thanks. I sure wish in this one I could see your hands however. Have you considered showing the fingers?
Dear Dale, can you do a video explaining how you work ok your reeds? I listen to your videos and I assume you work the tip of your reeds
Montanaro was a student of Gigliotti & Serpentini!
Very Arnold Jacobs 🤓
I don't understand the steps of the exercise. The description went by too fast for me. Start on which note, and change to which note? Thank you, at least I can try turning my clarinet over.
I will re-record this with better audio. Descending C scale, but play altissimo covered F between every note
@@DaleFedele Why not make it a descending F scale instead, using 1/1 high Bb (and later on regular throat and chalumeau Bb). That way, the tonality of the exercise would be firmly locked down in the key of F - high F being the central note overall. This way or the other, I'm going to incorporate that in my daily routine. I already switched to double lip but alas I'm far from getting rid of my biting habit that has grown over decades (over 30 yrs since I started playing).
🥇Sir,Thank you very much : )
Hi, thanks for these great exercises! I was wondering how long were supposed to do the first backward mouthpiece exercise tho? Like for the whole session or just a part of it? I noticed I do it correctly but then when I go back to the mouthpiece being in position, I bite again... what do you recommend I do?
Very good!!!! Maestro!
Are you actually claiming that you play the whole range of the instrument using the tongue position for high F? Or have I misunderstood your video?
LOL I can see his throat moving... I mean I get the exercise can be helpful but don't claim that your voicing EVERY note like high F hahah wth
hello, i'm feeling pain in my teeth, do u think this can help?
That's what's happening to me too 🤔 I have sensitive teeth, and my top teeth were hurting when I played. Because I was biting too hard 😧
👍SIR,,,Can you add some scale to this contents?
Thank you for this!! I truly appreciate it!
I tried this exercise and my E came out just fine with a slur, but my lower lip always ends up some teeth mark. It doesn't hurt as much as it used to but is it alright, or am I still biting? I played with french embouchure for a couple of years (exclusively just that) but I switched back because it was hard to perform standing up, so the double lip sound and single lip sound are very similar sounding but still there's a teeth mark. I must be doing something wrong but I don't know what. Would you please help me with this?
Thank you for writing! Let me ask you a question: what comes first? Your voicing & air & air pressure into the instrument, or your embouchure fully formed?
@@DaleFedele ok, so here's how it goes. I form the embouchure, insert the mouthpiece, close the mouth, and air goes in. (sorry if I'm not understanding your question!) I knew how to form a correct embouchure, but it would collapse after I started blowing, and I never really realized it but I knew it was wrong because I couldn't play without a cigarette paper over my teeth. My professor suggested the double lip, and I liked the free sound so much I was terrified of going back to single lip. I use the single lip now without the aid of cigarette paper, but the teeth mark makes me wonder if I'm still doing it wrong over so many years:'{
Switching from biting to this method, does this require a lower/higher reed or should everything remain the same? I've never been able to get a good sound without biting :/
My god what a technic
What's the name of school, after double lip? Can't hear
Donald Montanaro of the Curtis School. I also wanted to mention Joe Allard...that's for another video!
@@DaleFedele thanka :)
Awesome
👍Teacher, please explain more slowly.....
I wish your hands and fingers could be seen while you were playing!
I'm working on setting up two angles!
guisganderie!
Just stating the obvious 🫤
I'm sorry?