Klarinet Archive - Posting 000171.txt from 1994/10

From: Roel de Vrijer <rdv@-----.NL>
Subj: Re: Clarinet Ligatures for B-flat.
Date: Mon, 17 Oct 1994 10:17:39 -0400

> Old-fashioned clarinet ligatures were a kind of stiff thread, wrapped
> around the mouthpiece many times, then finished with a little knot. The
> mouthpiece actually had little grooves in it to hold the thread better.
> Some players in Germany and Austria still use this system today. The
> disadvantage is, of course, that it takes longer to put on than the
> screw-type ligature.

By the way, also in The Netherlands many professional players use
the string method. Especially those playing a German instrument.
My clarinet teacher uses a string, and she is as fast or even faster
in adjusting her reed than I am with my standard metal ligature.

Timothy Tikker suggests that the grooves on the mouthpiece are not
required for the string to hold. Did I understand that all right?

Roel de Vrijer
Amsterdam