Embouchure collapse Embouchure collapse Embouchure collapse is a generic term used by wind instrument players to describe a variety of conditions which result in the inability of the embouchure to function. The embouchure is the purposeful arrangement of the facial muscles and lips to produce a sound on a wind or brass instrument. In brass playing, it involves vibration of the membrane area of the lips. Embouchure collapse in its various forms and extremities generally results in difficulty in playing for extended periods (especially if playing loudly and/or in the high register) or a complete inability to play. The former applies mainly
Mouthpiece (woodwind) mouthpiece by a ligature. Anything that can hold the reed on the mouthpiece may serve as a ligature. Commercial ligatures are commonly made of metal or plastic. Some players (including many German clarinetists) prefer string or a shoelace, which is wrapped around the reed and the mouthpiece, to commercially manufactured ligatures. The clarinet mouthpiece is narrow inside and typically has a square or rectangular cross section from the baffle through the throat. The bottom of the mouthpiece is formed with a tenon that is ringed with cork. Today, as with the saxophone mouthpiece, the reed is placed against the surface