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#1 2008-09-28 00:18:31

cricket
Member
Registered: 2008-09-18
Posts: 4

Teeth and Embrosure

Hi, I am a beginner player. I have taken some lessons and read some books. I have been playing for about six months.
My problem(one of many)is positioning my teeth. I use the Koga Sensei book which places a big emphasis on teeth position for proper tone. I can play the first 2 octaves correctly, according to my tuner. But my tone
is not consistent between octaves or even between Ro and Ri in the same octave. I don't know the right words but when I listen to Koga playing there is a thread that ties all of his notes together, they all share some color and holds everything he plays together. I feel that if I can get my teeth in the right position which seems so excruciatingly exact according to his book, I can attain this consistancy in my playing.
Right now I pretty much control my sound with the shape of my lips and moving my chin and changing my breath. Am I correct to assume I have to control millimeter distances between my teeth in order generate the kind of tone I am looking for?
Thank you anyone who can help.

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#2 2008-09-28 00:59:08

Larry Tyrrell
Moderator
From: Pacific Northwest
Registered: 2005-11-09
Posts: 73
Website

Re: Teeth and Embrosure

Hi Cricket,

I wouldn't have you worry at all about the position of your teeth. If you are getting a sound reliably it will improve and become more consistent and even from note to note the more you play. It's a good idea to get some live instruction if there's a teacher nearby. My one bit of advice to you would be to focus on consistency and volume in your flow of breath and view your embouchure as one small part of a larger whole. Good luck!

Larry

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#3 2008-09-28 11:51:43

philthefluter
Member
From: Dublin, Ireland
Registered: 2006-06-02
Posts: 190
Website

Re: Teeth and Embrosure

As Larry said, concentrate on the breath. The position of the teeth can affect tone but in a small way. I remember investigating it when an advanced flute student. However, it was only a small part of an exploration of tone colours. Other aspects such as posture, breathing and vowel sounds had a much more noticeable effect on changing tone colour.


"The bamboo and Zen are One!" Kurosawa Kinko
http://www.shakuhachizen.com/
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#4 2008-09-28 23:30:41

cricket
Member
Registered: 2008-09-18
Posts: 4

Re: Teeth and Embrosure

Thank you, very much Larry and Phil. I will continue with breath and posture practice. I really appreciate your help!

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#5 2008-09-29 04:33:58

Dun Romin
Member
From: Holland
Registered: 2008-04-19
Posts: 136

Re: Teeth and Embrosure

philthefluter wrote:

As Larry said, concentrate on the breath. The position of the teeth can affect tone but in a small way. I remember investigating it when an advanced flute student. However, it was only a small part of an exploration of tone colours. Other aspects such as posture, breathing and vowel sounds had a much more noticeable effect on changing tone colour.

From first hand experience I can tell you Phil and Larry are completely right. Some acrobatic cardriver presented me with a reconstruction and insensibility of a quarter of my mouth, but I can tell you that after 2 years of good excersice that doesn't affect my playing any longer. smile Just go on breathing, have patience and trust, one day you will get there.


Tomorrow's wind only blows tomorrow. (Koji)

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#6 2008-09-29 06:56:36

Justin
Shihan/Maker
From: Japan
Registered: 2006-08-12
Posts: 540
Website

Re: Teeth and Embrosure

Hi Dun
Could you elaborate on what exercises helped you after your accident?

Thank you
Justin
http://senryushakuhachi.com/

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#7 2008-09-29 18:52:58

cricket
Member
Registered: 2008-09-18
Posts: 4

Re: Teeth and Embrosure

Thank you Dun,
So sorry to hear a sad story like yours, however very inspirational in the long run.
I hope for the best in your future.
Trust and hope have become much more important themes to me as I grow older
and hearing inspirational stories like your own.
Thanks for sharing.

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#8 2008-09-30 17:40:31

Dun Romin
Member
From: Holland
Registered: 2008-04-19
Posts: 136

Re: Teeth and Embrosure

Justin wrote:

Could you elaborate on what exercises helped you after your accident?

Yes, I could do that, but would that be of much help to you? My starting point was a rather exceptional one. The lack of tension in my left corner, mostly lower lip.
Anyway here it comes: In the start I  tried to make the spot more movable by doing some mouth-gym every day, starting with massaging my left cheek and pul the moutcorner up by hand. Then tried to drink and eat without spoiling an drink through a straw. And I had a most diverting time trying to make all kinds of the most dirty sounds, more stronger all the time and blowing holes in water. In the mean time trying to say p, b and f using different spots of my lips to see what worked best and blowing flutes from different angels. Strange enough I could blow best lying down on my back.
If you see something usefull here, please let me know.


Tomorrow's wind only blows tomorrow. (Koji)

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#9 2008-09-30 20:55:29

Justin
Shihan/Maker
From: Japan
Registered: 2006-08-12
Posts: 540
Website

Re: Teeth and Embrosure

Hi Dun
Thanks for the description. I had a friend who also had an accident. Perhaps helpful. I'm glad it all worked out for you.

Justin
http://senryushakuhachi.com/

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#10 2008-10-01 12:13:11

lowonthetotem
Member
From: Cape Coral, FL
Registered: 2008-04-05
Posts: 529
Website

Re: Teeth and Embrosure

I have an overbite.  I find that after an hour or so of practice that my lower jaw moves forward somewhat, bringing my teeth into a more correct bite.  Just an observation.


"Turn like a wheel inside a wheel."

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