Metal Mouth Message Board

Any instrumentalists, specifically of the "wind" variety out there? I don't have braces yet, but the one thing that makes me seriously consider not getting them is the effect it will/may have on my clarinet playing. Not only the pain, which I'm worried about but also know millions of junior high kids deal with every day ;), but also the effect it might have on my playing. I'm not a professional any longer, but I spent many years in music school refining my embouchure and I'm very scared of messing it up!

[quote="musicalme"]Any instrumentalists, specifically of the "wind" variety out there? [/quote]

Guess not! ;-) How about this...any musicians out there at all?

I play the clarinet as well. I couldn't play at all with the bite turbos but since I had them off I'm back to playing as normal. You do have to get used to a little more abrasion on your lower lip then usual but other than that no problems.

I'm a soprano going into the final year of my BMus and I can't roll my Rs because of my expander!!!!! I'm in complete panic. Sorry, I know that's not exactly helpful..! Your lips go around your teeth in clarinet, don't they? I think that'll be okay after the first two days. Maybe just don't play right after a tightening?

I play clarinet, I can't play for long for day or two after an adjustment but its not that big a deal. You adjust to it pretty fast. On the other hand I've pretty much stopped playing my flute because the whole I know how hard it was to change the way I played last time I had braces, and then have to change again when they come off.

Ouchies! wrote:I'm a soprano going into the final year of my BMus and I can't roll my Rs because of my expander!!!!! I'm in complete panic. Sorry, I know that's not exactly helpful..! Your lips go around your teeth in clarinet, don't they? I think that'll be okay after the first two days. Maybe just don't play right after a tightening?

R's are hard for me too, rolling them, I mean. I can't really do a tongue trill anymore, either. I can get one note but when I change pitches it dies. I've had my expander for 11 weeks. Do you find it affects your singing otherwise? I feel like my jaw is a little tighter.

Sorry I didn't reply sooner- I'm 'Ouchies!'. I forgot the pasword to that account so I just set up a new one! After about three weeks I managed to start rolling my Rs (my lecturer would have freaked out if I didn't!). I moved my tongue further up the palate which took a bit of practice. I haven't had any other issues- since getting my expander out my mouth feels enormous, lol, so I actually feel better singing than I used to! I hope you find it to be the case for you too!

Bach and Handel never had to contend with singers in orthodontics, did they? How times have changed! But no matter how they change, I still love BACH and Handel!!!

I play the flute. I played the flute before I got braces the first time. Having braces greatly affected my sound. When the braces came off, my sound went clear. Then I got a new, better flute and that, combined with my new clear braces-less sound landed me first chair in the illustrious Cooke Junior High Band

I stayed first chair in the high school years that I stayed in band. I also played piccolo. My band director said I was the loudest piccolo player he'd ever known. I don't know if everyone would take that as a compliment, but I did.

I played the flute at Michigan State University, where I learned humility. I could barely see first chair from where I sat.

I'm just now getting braces for a second time. I haven't tried playing the flute yet.

All this was a lot to write to say that it did affect my sound in junior high. When the braces came off, I couldn't stop playing because I sounded so GOOD!!! I'm not sure if it was the embouchure that changed so much...it could have been the metal braces vibrating off the metal head of the flute through my lip. Or maybe the air passing through the metal, getting defrayed (scattered?) before hitting the flute.

I guess the point of all this would be that even if your sound is affected during your braces time, it may go right back to angelic afterward. It might even end up better than before! (mine did)

Loved your story, amyhenna! My daughters are musicians but I have never thought about how braces might affect music, since they are pianists.

I play the clarinet and it is just fine with the braces, even my clarinet teacher thinks so. I've never actually played before the braces so I wouldn't know the difference myself. I used to play flute though and it's nearly impossible to now make sounds with it with the braces. Braces has affected my singing, which is also an instrument aha. I'm a classical singer, but luckily I get these bad boys off in 1.5 weeks though.

I am relearning the trumpet after a lapse of about 10 years. I took it up when my son, then in 8th grade, brought one home when he joined the school band. I had wanted to play the trumpet when I was his age, but the band director (this is about 1960) told me that "My mouth wasn't right for a trumpet." I ended up with a clarinet, because guess what he needed more claranetists! Didn't last too many years since football practice conflicted with band practice, and if I missed a football practice the reward was physical punishment.
At any rate, I found that my playing is rapidly improving because I don't apply press the mouthpiece into my lips as hard as I otherwise would be tempted to do to get the higer notes. It has caused my chops to get stronger quicker. I have Damon clears in the front, uppers and lowers if that makes a difference. No damage to my mouth either. I also have a cornet and flugelhorn for some variety.
What I lack in technique I make up for with volume!

I play shakuhachi but I have real problems getting my upper lip to cover my braces in a manner that allows me to make a decent sound. I get air escaping and too much air going over the utaguchi (bowing edge) rather than into the flute. You need a balance between the two to make sound and for "meri" and "kari".

Piano and guitar at not obstructed by braces.
However, being female I like to grow my nails out. They must be super short to fret chords on acoustic guitar, thus I have taken a break and started learning piano. Only recently picked up instruments this year as I never really playe anything when I was young.

Hiya!

I just got my bottom brace on (yay! Not) after I have had my top one on for about 6 months. Ever since I got it, I have had a really muffled sound/tone when I play, and I have my grade 4 exam coming up, eek!

If anyone has any tips for how to get clear sound, that would be much appreciated :-)

Thanks!