Selecting The "Loose Lip" Or "Tight Lip" Playing Mode And Adjusting Lip Zero - Yamaha wx11 Product Manual

Selecting the "Loose Lip" or "Tight Lip" Playing
Mode and Adjusting Lip Zero
The WX11 has two basic playing modes: Tight Lip and Loose
Lip. The tight lip mode, which is the way most acoustic single-
reed instruments are played, simply means that a certain amount
of bite (lip pressure) is applied to the reed when playing at
normal pitch. Increased pressure on the reed raises pitch, and
decreased pressure on the reed lowers pitch. In the loose lip
mode, however, no pressure (or very slight pressure) is applied
to the reed when playing normally. Pressure applied to the reed
causes an increase in pitch. Thus, in the loose lip mode only
upward pitch bend can be applied, but the amount of upward
pitch bend that can be applied is greater than that available in
the tight lip mode. In the tight lip mode increasing lip pressure
can raise pitch over approxsimately 50% of the total pitch
range, while decreasing lip pressure can lower pitch over ap-
proximately 25% of the total pitch range. In the loose lip mode
increasing lip pressure can raise pitch over 100% of the total
pitch range.
• Tight Lip mode
Bend down
Pitch Bend down
·
Loose Lip mode
Normal
In the WX11 the tight lip mode is the "normal" playing mode,
and is selected automatically when the WX11 system power is
turned ON. The loose lip mode can be selected simply by hold-
ing down the WX11 setup switch while turning on the system
power.
8
Bend up
Normal
Pitch Bend up
Bend up
Pitch Bend up
Lip Zero Adjustment
The lip zero adjustment will vary depending on whether you
have chosen the loose lip or tight lip playing mode. In the tight
lip playing mode the lip zero control should be adjusted to
provide an intermediate pitch (halfway between the lowest and
highest pitch of the pitch bend range) when the reed is bit and
breath is applied to the mouthpiece as when playing normally.
If you selected the loose lip mode, the lip zero control should be
adjusted to produce the lowest pitch while the reed is not bit (01
only slight lip pressure is applied) and breath is applied to the
mouthpiece.