John Kurokawa
Instructor of Clarinet, Wright State University
Principal Clarinet, Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra
john.kurokawa@wright.edu
Some Pointers for a Good Clarinet Embouchure
1. Why is having a good embouchure important?
a. A stable embouchure can assist in the following factors (all good things
for clarinet players):
i. Ease of response (being able to start the sound when you want),
ii. Stable intonation (being able to play in tune and make minute
adjustments on certain notes), and
iii. Achieving a good, characteristic clarinet sound.
b. A good clarinet embouchure is very important, but is only one part of the
total picture:
i. A good embouchure is very difficult to achieve if one is using a
reed which is too soft, too hard, or just plain bad,
ii. A good embouchure is almost impossible to achieve if one is using
a bad mouthpiece.
iii. On the bright side, consistently practicing good embouchure habits
(and practicing regularly of course) will help with the common
reed problems clarinetists have.
2. What are the two parts of a good clarinet embouchure?
a. The externals (what you see on the outside, or “embouchure cosmetics” as
Tom Ridenour calls it). This is what most people discuss when referring to
clarinet embouchure. Some pointers on the “externals”:
i. You can determine the amount of mouthpiece to insert in the
mouthpiece by placing an index card or piece of paper between the
mouthpiece to determine where your lower lip should be placed.
ii. The main points of control should be the upper lip and the corners
of the mouth.
1. The corners of the mouth should be firmed inward towards
the mouthpiece.
2. The upper lip should be stretched downwards to place
pressure on top of the mouthpiece.
3. The chin muscles should be stretched downwards.
a. A great way to firm the muscles of the upper lip and
chin in the right direction is to stretch the nostrils
down.
iii. There should be a slight pressure of the teeth on the lower lip as a
supporting structure for the lower lip, just enough to focus the
sound.
1. A good way to find this is to play an open G with a tuner.
Bite as hard as you can, going a sharp as you can, then drop
the jaw, going as flat as you can, then gradually add
pressure until you are in tune with a full sound.
1
iv. Excessive lower jaw pressure (biting) is bad, bad, bad.
1. Biting = a small, pinched sound.
2. Biting = sharpness.
3. Biting = a tendency to fatigue quickly.
4. Biting = a lack of ability to adjust the tuning of individual
notes.
5. You should be able to rotate your head from side to side
while playing. If you can’t, you are biting down too hard!
6. Bottom line- you must always feel a good downwards
stretch of the upper lip and chin muscles. If you don’t, you
are more prone to biting and inconsistent sound and
intonation.
b. The internals:
i. The “internals” of good clarinet embouchure consist of how we use
the tongue to assist the air flow, exerting a large influence over the
shape and focus of the sound. This is called voicing.
ii. This can often be much harder to check, since we obviously can’t
see the inside of our mouths.
iii.
iv. Hot air vs. cold air
1. Hot air leads to a slower, more dispersed airflow and a very
“spread” sound.
2. Cold air leads to a fast, focused, intense, compressed
airflow, leading to a characteristic clarinet sound.
v. Ways to assist blowing cold air:
1. Blow with the “HEEE” syllable or
2. Hiss like a cat.
3. How to practice good embouchure habits:
a. Octaves with a tuner and metronome
b. Slow scales with a metronome aiming for a consistent embouchure
throughout.
4. Some good reference materials to consult on this topic:
a. Daniel Bonade: The Clarinetist’s Compendium (now released by Larry
Guy in a compilation entitled The Complete Daniel Bonade)
b. Keith Stein: The Art of Clarinet Playing
c. Tom Ridenour: An Educator’s Guide to the Clarinet
d. Larry Guy: Intonation Training for Clarinetists
