Klarinet Archive - Posting 000202.txt from 1995/10

From: niethamer@-----.BITNET
Subj: Re: I Gave In To Temptation
Date: Mon, 9 Oct 1995 17:11:21 -0400

On Sun, 8 Oct 1995, Fred Cicetti wrote:

> I tried mightily for a long time to resist getting a different
> mouthpiece. I knew what had happened to others who had crossed the line
> and tried fooling around with more than one mouthpiece. They spent
> fortunes on their habit and eventually went insane.

This is called "latest and greatest syndrome", or "LAGS". I have it for
comp[uter "toys", and it is dangerous.

> A couple of days ago, I couldn't stand it anymore and gave in. I had been
> very happy with my Vandoren B45 DOT. Great sound. Blows freely. Speaks on
> demand. Why stray? But there was this Vandoren 5JB. Supposed to give you
> greater flexibility and a bright edge when that's what you want. So I
> bought the damn thing and tried it out.
>
> I know I should be punished, but just the reverse happened. I love this
> mouthpiece. It sounds brighter, which isn't always bad.
>
> Still prefer the tonal quality of the B45, but the 5JB is much easier to
> blow even with stiff reeds.
>
> Funny thing happened. Because of the freedom, I found myself relaxing
> more. This opened my airway and took tension out of my fingers. I started
> playing better than I ever had. And, playing better gave me more
> confidence, which made me more relaxed. I got into this great cycle.
>
> I'm so happy with the 5JB that I'm considering other possibilities.
> Oh, God, help me!

My serious suggestion would be to wait for about 4-6 reed fixing/breaking
in cycles before falling head over heels in love. I find that new
equipment has a "honeymoon" period where everything seems much better
than the old equipment. Then one starts to notice the little flaws - this
note sharp, that note doesn't have the same timbre as its neighbor, etc,
and at a certain point, it's the *worst* equipment in the world.

That's when it's good to compare again to your old equipment, and decide
which feels better.

Also, the temptation is great to find equipment which will "play the
clarinet" for you. But alas, there's no substitute for practice!

My undergraduate teacher would ask at every masterclass "But, what's the
*secret*!?!?" Not one single artist could/would tell him! Somehow, I
don't think the secret was (is) equipment.

> I'd be curious to know about anyone else's experience with this mouthpiece.

I've never played this particular Vandoren, but in general, they seem to
do pretty good work on their mpcs. Good luck!

=========================
David Niethamer
niethamer@-----.edu
dbnclar1@-----.com
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