Why is it important for clarinet players to a. open their throats? and b. use force from the tummy?

Question

Why is it important for clarinet players to a. open their throats? and b. use force from the tummy?

Answer 1

getting sound out of a clarinet uses alot of different muscles. Opening your throat allows for the tonal quality of the air blown over the reed to ring true (assuming your instrument is in tune, of course) and the lung capacity to sustain longer notes. This is why they say to hold the clarinet away from yourself instead of having it held closer to your body. Force from the diaphram muscles (not really abdominal muscles) again will increase capacity to get the notes out of the instrument especially when tongueing is involved. It's not from your mouth that gives the best sound, it's from the diaphram pushing the air through the clarinet. AND remember to never puff out your cheeks and breathe at the right places.

My HS band conductor used to say if your jaw isn't tired after playing then you aren't trying hard enough to get the full quality of sound and staccato out of the instrument.

Answer 2

I'm going to answer your questions in reverse, if that's ok? :)

You need to force air with your tummy to support your tone and intonation, as well as better control your dynamics.  This is true with ANY instrument- including voice.  You can also use it to create certain types of vibrato (although there are better ways to do so).  

If you aren't supporting your air, your tone will be weak and dull... there will not be that beautiful resonance that clarinet is known for- in any octave.  Also, if you do pop out the high notes, they will sound squakish and you will have a hard time tuning them (which is not a good thing if they are already sounding bad!).  With the proper air support, you also have more control over dynamics.  Most instrumentalists have to kill themselves for loud louds and soft softs... clarinet does this more easily than any other instrument IF you have good support.  It actually takes more work to control dynamics if you don't have good air support, and your projection will be nill if you don't... even when I play at lower than ppp you can still hear me- because I have good air support.  It also keeps my tone pure when playing at fff... it is a natural defense against overblowing.

Think of your tummy as being a rock solid floor- a foundation for you to build all of your breath related technique from.

Now as for the throat... it can change your timbre, give you vibrato (with the help of the tongue), adjust tuning, allow high notes to pop,  and keeps low notes from sounding choked.

Here's an exercise for you...

Finger a middle line "B natural" (it doesn't matter which B key you use- Right or Left).  Cross your legs like a man (left ankle on right knee) and push the bell of your clarinet against the fatty part of your calf to seal the one end.  Now blow... you will get a strange sound from the mouthpiece, almost like a synthesizer... it shouldn't be a squeak though- if it comes out as a squeak, check that it is sealed at the bell or change your tongue position (try long "aaa" as in "day" or "eee" as in "tea").  Once you have this sound, DO NOT move your tongue... but try to open your throat a bit more, like you're yawning... the note will change.  Now tighten it up a little... the note will change.  You can play Revelry (the bugle wake up call for the Army) by adjusting your throat.

See how this may be useful?  Now, get a tuner and pick a note... any note.  Try "E"... start on the lowest "E"... tune it with ONLY your throat... don't change ANY part of your embouchure.  Now do the next octave "E" the same way, etc.

This technique also allows you to do the famous opening slide from "Rhapsody in Blue"... it's not all fingers you know! (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=yiyc9Ak3Et...

Anyways, I hope this answered your question and gave you some things to work on!  :)