Yourself
A Guide to Great Embouchure...
CLARINET
Embouchure Formation
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Properly assemble the mouthpiece, reed ligature and barrel.
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Remember to have good Posture and Air Support.
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Roll your bottom lip slightly of your bottom teeth
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Bring the mouthpiece about one half inch into your mouth.
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This can vary, but the point of pressure should be where the reed meets the mouthpiece.
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Touch your top teeth to the top of the mouthpiece and form the syllable “wee”.
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This will firm up the corners of your lips.
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Then form the syllable “too”. This will draw your mouth around the mouthpiece.
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Think of what your lips look like when you have to suck a milk shake through a little straw.
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Think about pointing your face muscles so they point towards the bottom of your chin, creating what feels like a “V”
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Your “soul patch” zone should be flat and smooth.
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The mouthpiece should be at about a 45Ëš angle to the body.
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The back of the tongue should be in the position of the syllable “ee”
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Imagine the back of the tongue is the top of a slide that the air will travel down.
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Think about blowing across the mouthpiece, not down it.
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Click on the SEE YOUR EMBOUCHURE button to check your embouchure.
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Watch the Video for this formation in action.
Embouchure Issues
When the embouchure is incorrectly formed, you can hear some distinct sounds. Click on the buttons here to see causes and solutions to common embouchure tone problems. You can also compare your sound to the listening examples next to the buttons.
Assembling The Clarinet
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Familiarize yourself with the different parts of the clarinet.
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Put the bell on to the lower joint by gently twisting it as you push it in.
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Make sure that you are gently holding the tone hole keys as you twist.
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Put the upper joint onto the lower joint onto the upper joint by gently twisting and pushing them together.
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Make sure you are pressing the bottom tone hole key on the lower joint so that the bridge key is raised. Align the bridge key.
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Add the barrel with mouthpiece, reed and ligature to the the assembled clarinet.
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Make sure to no squeeze the rods and keys too hard as this will bend them.​
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Holding The Clarinet
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Sit towards the front of the chair with your body balanced over your sit bones.
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Do not lean too far forward or back as this will create tension in your back and your abdominal muscles respectively.
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Your back should be straight and tall with legs out in front of you with either your feet flat on the floor or slightly tucked under your body ensuring that your chest and abdomen have enough room to expand without creating tension.
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When holding the clarinet, your left hand is closer to your head and your right hand is further away.
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Your hands should be slightly curled around the instrument with your fingers stretched to touch each of the tone holes.
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Think of making the letter “C” with your hands and then pretending that it has been sat on and squashed.
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The clarinet should sit in the center of your body and be at about a 45Ëš from your body.
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Your left thumb should be pointed at the 2 o’clock position and your right thumb pointed at the 10 o’clock position.
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The clarinet should be anchored on your right thumb, with most of the weight sitting on your lower lip. The thumb rest in your right hand should sit at the base of the right thumbnail.
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A neck strap should be avoided if possible so that strain is not put on the neck, and therefore create tension.
Front View
Side View