Feel it in your nose!

“Your whole cranium is your embouchure!” That’s a popular bit of advice from Richard Killmer, the oboe professor at Eastman. It’s sort of a hilarious statement, but, when you think about your whole head (not to mention your body) being involved in your sound, all of the sudden there is so much room for experimentation! 

 

Let’s focus in on one part of your cranium today: your nose! 

 

Ever think about “using” your nose when playing the clarinet? I mean, it’s right by your mouth, it’s part of your breathing mechanism, and if you just wiggle it around right now… your whole face moves! 

 

Here are a few ways to imagine your nose being involved when you play: 

 

  1. Feel the sound in your nose. This may help you engage the upper lip, or aim the sound to a higher place in your mouth. Maybe things sound a bit more focused, or, maybe it just feels plain old strange! 
  2. Feel freedom in your nose when you’re playing. Then, feel the opposite and contract it. How does the sound change? 
  3. “Wasabi nose!” Imagine you just took a big ol’ bite of wasabi. Yikes! The nose clears right up, there’s FREEDOM in there now! (Sure, you may be crying but who cares.) What would happen if you mimicked that feeling when playing? 
  4. What happens if you try to wiggle your nose when your playing? Reveal some unwanted lack of flexibility anywhere? Reveal a shocking amount of flexibility? 
  5. Let your nose vibrate. So often, we stop the resonance before the clarinet has a fighting chance. How does this directive change things? 

 

We talk about it a lot, but it’s worth repeating: the importance of experimenting with directives like these in your practice room is essential to your growth. You never know what little realization will change things for the better, or what experiencing a new feeling may do to recalibrate your baseline. 

 

Trying new things, engaging different parts of your body, thinking about a different analogy - these are all practice techniques that do not necessarily take more hours of practice. They require you to approach your practice with an open mind, one where you’re embracing new feelings and paying attention to your body. 

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Co-directed by us, professional clarinetists Ixi Chen and Dr. Tiffany Valvo, the Digital Clarinet Academy has become the most trusted place to take your clarinet skills to the next level with world-class digital content and virtual training. Welcome to our virtual home!