Embouchure in Woodwind Instruments

The word embouchure has two meanings in music. One is the mouthpiece of a wind instrument. The other is the manner in which the lips, tongue, and teeth use the mouthpiece to produce tones.

Embouchure was borrowed into English from French, where it had the same meaning. The French noun comes from the verb (s')emboucher ("to flow into"), which consists of the prefix em- ("en-," meaning "put into") and the root bouche ("mouth").

In all woodwind instruments, the mouthpiece is the apparatus through which the player's breath induces sympathetic vibrations by resonance in the air column of the instrument. Studies of embouchure as a technique focus especially on the most effective methods for achieving musical results and on the differences between types of wind instruments.

The discussion below focuses on the four main categories of band and orchestra woodwinds. The paragraphs labeled (1) pertain to mouthpieces, while those labeled (2) pertain to techniques.

Flute
(1) The flute is unique among woodwinds in that the player does not insert a mouthpiece into the mouth. The flute embouchure is an oval side hole surrounded by an oval metal overlay (plate) near the upper end of the instrument.

(2) To produce tones, the player blows air across the top of the hole, causing the air column inside the tube to vibrate. The player must use the lips carefully to project a concentrated stream of air at the opposite end of the hole to produce effective tones. Air even slightly misdirected may cease to produce a musical sound.

The flute has two close relatives that produce tones in a similar way: the piccolo, a small, high-pitched flute; and the alto flute, a lower-pitched instrument.

(The standard flute of bands and orchestras is often described as a "transverse flute" because the air is blown across the hole. The recorder, often called an "end-blown flute," is technically a fipple flute, or whistle flute, having a fipple mouthpiece. The upper end of the recorder is largely stopped by a plug called a fipple, leaving only a narrow slit called a flue. The player inserts the flue into his or her mouth and blows to produce tones.)

Oboe
(1) The oboe mouthpiece consists of a double reed (i.e., two thinly scraped reeds bound together). The two reeds are fixed to a small tube that is fitted into a hole in the top of the instrument. Because the reeds function alone, without any other "piece," some authorities prefer not to call the oboe double-reed embouchure a "mouthpiece."

(2) While all woodwind players use the tongue to initiate sound, the oboist's need to start a tone with careful tonguing is especially acute. Because the oboe reeds are so delicate, any initial flow of air directly on the reeds will have an unpredictable effect on when and how the tone will sound. Therefore, when the flow of air begins, the player must steady the reeds momentarily with a careful tonguing stroke.

The player must hold the ends of the delicate reeds gently between the lips, taking care not to touch them with the teeth or to squeeze hard enough to close the reeds and thus shut off the sound. Because of the reeds' responsiveness to the slightest pressure, the player must constantly hold back the flow of air.

The oboe also has a popular alto version called an English horn or, in French, a cor anglais. The bass of the family is the bassoon.

Bassoon
(1) The bassoon has a double-reed system similar to the oboe's but with much larger reeds. The reeds fit onto the crook, which is a narrow, curved metal tube attached to the upper end of the instrument. As with the oboe double reed, some authorities do not use the term "mouthpiece" for the double-reed embouchure of the bassoon.

(2) The basic technique for playing the bassoon is similar to that for the oboe. However, because of the bigger, heavier reeds and instrument, much more breath is necessary, especially for loud or long tones.

A deeper version of the bassoon is the contrabassoon, also called the double bassoon.

Clarinet
(1) The clarinet is the best-known example of the single-reed instrument. The mouthpiece is shaped like a beak, rising to a sharp edge at the top. The single reed (a thin piece of cane) is held to the open underside of the mouthpiece by a metal ligature.

(2) The player holds the reed against the lower lip, which covers the lower teeth. The upper teeth rest on the beveled top of the mouthpiece.

The clarinet player has some advantages not afforded most other wind players. For example, many players find the single reed of the clarinet easier to master than the delicate double reed of the oboe or the tricky across-the-hole blowing of the flute. Unlike many wind instruments, the lowest tones on the clarinet are easily produced even by beginners.

The clarinetist also has great latitude with respect to the amount of reed within the mouth and the range of pressure exerted by the lower lip on the reed. Both features give the player added control over tone quality and volume.

The clarinet in B-flat is by far the most common type of clarinet. However, it heads a large family of single-reed instruments, including the clarinet in A, the bass clarinet in B-flat, and many saxophones.
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The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. 2nd ed. London: Macmillan, 2001.