Klarinet Archive - Posting 000089.txt from 1994/05

From: Tom Ascher <U15310@-----.EDU>
Subj: novice A clarinet question
Date: Wed, 4 May 1994 16:14:35 -0400

Well, I'm still struggling with my recently acquired Buffet R-13 A
that I acquired, used, a few months ago. It seems SO MUCH harder to
play than my Bb, both in terms of air pressure required and difficulty
of getting open, non stuffy tone. I wonder if this is because I'm a
novice player and haven't developed a very strong embouchure yet. I've
been playing a little over 1 year, about an hour a day. I'm comfortable
using a 2-1/2 Vandoren reed on my Yamaha YCL-62 with a Selmer B* mouthpiece.
I get a very clean, open, easy tone from my Yamaha Bb, but really am not
doing well with the Buffet R-13-A. I thought for awhile that using a
Selmer HS* mouthpiece with only a #2 reed was solving the problem, but
not really. It sort of seems that I can use the A as a sort of training
clarinet to build up the embouchure, but not really have much fun with!
Should I maybe just give up the A for a few years until I'm further along
with the Bb?! Thanks.

Tom Ascher Internet: u15310@-----.edu
University of Illinois at Chicago Phone: (312) 413-3665