My two front teeth aren't the same height. One of them extends lower than the other by about 2mm. I've noticed recently that my mouthpiece patch on my clarinet mouthpiece shows two marks (from my teeth) way off center. However, If I try to correct this, only one of my teeth is actually touching the mouthpiece which makes it really uncomfortable. Should I worry about my teeth not being centered on my mouthpiece? If so, how can I mitigate this problem?
5
-
1How long have you been playing clarinet, and what level of music are you playing?– Heather S.May 22, 2018 at 2:45
-
@HeatherS. About 2 years. I'm at about RCM level 4 (in Canada)– ErikMay 22, 2018 at 3:05
-
2Nothing much to worry about, provided the notes come out fine in your normal way of playing. It's a bit like Django asking if he could still play guitar with only a couple of fingers.– TimMay 22, 2018 at 7:42
-
Tim said it. My front teeth are worn down asymmetrically, they make funny marks on my saxophone mouthpiece, but that doesn't affect my playing one bit.– Scott WallaceMay 22, 2018 at 8:31
-
If you have not had a problem so far, it is unlikely you will going forward. If the airflow into your mouthpiece is right and your sound is good, don't worry about it. If you find your sound is not focused or you squeak a lot, then it would be best to talk to a dentist.– Heather S.May 22, 2018 at 10:17
Add a comment
|
1 Answer
I dunno why you use a patch but that's more or less beside the point. My teeth are uneven as well; my correction was to let the mouthpiece "settle" into my embouchure. The most comfortable position was with the mouthpiece offset in my mouth by a millimeter or so -- which means I (or you) have to take care to keep the pressure on the reed side even across the reed.
If you have money :-), an oral surgeon will happily grind your incisors to an even level. I know - I asked one once.
answered May 22, 2018 at 13:34
