Klarinet Archive - Posting 000407.txt from 1996/02

From: EMILY MARLOW <002828M@-----.CA>
Subj: V-12's on Gregory Smith M.P.
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 1996 17:50:52 -0500

Hello Everyone
I recently purchased a Gregory Smith mouthpiece( the 1* facing)
and it's working great for me. It was recommended to me that I should
play V-12's with it for maximum results . Having tried these
reeds with my previous mp( Robert Marcellus), I found that they
"pooped-out" rather quickly and just plain wouldn't work at all after
that. I soon switched back to regular vandorens which for some reason
I was more comfortable with. However, with my new mouthpiece I decided
to give them another try and perhaps finally get to experience the
reed euphoria I've been reading about with regards to the v-12.
Ah! Same thing again. I bought a box, played them in orchestra
rehearsal that very day and they sounded awesome. They were so beefy
and resonant, I loved it! I was sure the reed gods had blessed me at
last. I even rotated the suckers, which is something I find hard to
do. Anyway, they have all died since then with minimal playing time
on them.
Is it just a coincidence or do v-12's not work for me in
genaral?
Also, anyone who plays my horn finds my reeds way too hard. My
teacher and a principal symphony player included. They're the regular
Vandoren 4's. Why do I feel I need so much resistance to control my
tone and how can I learn to play on a softer reed?
I can't stand playing on reeds that sound wanky when I play louder
than a mf.
I would love to be able to sound the way I want with less effort than
I am using now.
Does anyone have any commentssuggestions for any of my questions?
Thanks in advance,
Emily
P.S.If you wish, you can e-mail me directly at 002828m@-----.ca