Larry Guy has played on Broadway, with the New York Philharmonic, NYC Opera, and as principal clarinet of the Joffrey Ballet. But what makes this conversation truly valuable is Larry's incredible body of pedagogical work—books on embouchure, articulation, and definitive editions of the Rose 32 Etudes and Complete Daniel Bonade works.

In this episode, Larry reveals why traditional embouchure teaching often makes students look perfect but sound worse, shares the simple coffee cup lid trick that fixes articulation problems instantly, and explains why the "tip of tongue to tip of reed" directive doesn't work for many players (including himself and Robert Marcellus!). We dive deep into his study with legends like Anthony Gigliotti, Dave Weber, and Cal Opperman, and Larry shares fascinating stories about Daniel Bonade that you won't hear anywhere else.

If you're an adult clarinet player, you'll especially appreciate Larry's insights on why adults can actually learn clarinet MORE efficiently than children—and how to leverage your adult brain for faster improvement.

Key Topics:

Why embouchure training must include air flow work

The upper lip pressure technique from Gigliotti Double-lip embouchure as daily tonic Articulation without closing your throat

How jaw anatomy affects tonguing placement

Teaching adults vs children effectively

What Rose really intended in the 32 Etudes Daniel Bonade's photographic memory and character

Resources mentioned:

Larry Guy's books (available through Camco Publishing):

The Complete Embouchure Book

The Complete Articulation Book Rose 32 Etudes Study Guide

The Complete Daniel Bonade

Join the Clarinet Ninja Dojo for systematic adult clarinet education: Clarinet Ninja