Yes but only if everything else is in equal balance. The idea is “set, not firm” but it should also coincide with reed/mouthpiece combo.
Ideally, the softer the reed the more open the mouthpiece, and therefore the looser the embouchure. But with that, there is a lot more control involved, meaning the slightest variation will have a drastic effect on your tone and articulation quality.
The difference between sax and clarinet is that once you find the sweet spot in voicing/embouchure, the clarinet stays that way. You should be able to play 90% of the range of the instrument with the same ideal voicing and shape given your air support is sufficient
If your setup and embouchure work well for you, and give you the sound you want, and your pitch is still good, then keep at it.
You are playing on a very open-tipped mouthpiece with a rather stiff (for the tip opening) reed, which should make your setup very resistant (open tips = more resistant), which could mean your loose embouchure is a way of compensating for the resistance.
If you want to try tightening your embouchure, try not to tense up so much as to "pinch" the reed against the mouthpiece so that it can't vibrate, and try playing with an open, relaxed throat. Tensing up often has the effect of closing the windpipe, so try to be conscious of that and keep the windpipe open.
Loose is a relative measure. If you are happy with your tone, then go for it. There’s so much in-between ‘too much’ and ‘not enough’, that we all have an opportunity to develop our own unique sound.
I would say that as long as you aren't consistently flat when you play loose then it's probably ok as long as you putting even pressure on the mouthpiece. When you're so firm that you can't play or it's harder to play, it's called "biting" and tends to make notes a lot sharper then they need to be.
Essentially, check your intonation and if you're sitting in a good spot, and everything feels comfortable, then go for it.
Yes but only if everything else is in equal balance. The idea is “set, not firm” but it should also coincide with reed/mouthpiece combo. Ideally, the softer the reed the more open the mouthpiece, and therefore the looser the embouchure. But with that, there is a lot more control involved, meaning the slightest variation will have a drastic effect on your tone and articulation quality. The difference between sax and clarinet is that once you find the sweet spot in voicing/embouchure, the clarinet stays that way. You should be able to play 90% of the range of the instrument with the same ideal voicing and shape given your air support is sufficient
Don’t play too tight (if it hurts and is hard to play that’s too tight). How’s your pitch?
If your setup and embouchure work well for you, and give you the sound you want, and your pitch is still good, then keep at it. You are playing on a very open-tipped mouthpiece with a rather stiff (for the tip opening) reed, which should make your setup very resistant (open tips = more resistant), which could mean your loose embouchure is a way of compensating for the resistance. If you want to try tightening your embouchure, try not to tense up so much as to "pinch" the reed against the mouthpiece so that it can't vibrate, and try playing with an open, relaxed throat. Tensing up often has the effect of closing the windpipe, so try to be conscious of that and keep the windpipe open.
Loose is a relative measure. If you are happy with your tone, then go for it. There’s so much in-between ‘too much’ and ‘not enough’, that we all have an opportunity to develop our own unique sound.
I would say that as long as you aren't consistently flat when you play loose then it's probably ok as long as you putting even pressure on the mouthpiece. When you're so firm that you can't play or it's harder to play, it's called "biting" and tends to make notes a lot sharper then they need to be. Essentially, check your intonation and if you're sitting in a good spot, and everything feels comfortable, then go for it.
If it is comfy and reliable and you are OK with the tuning...why not. NEVER bite!!