Klarinet Archive - Posting 000935.txt from 1997/03

From: Jacqueline Eastwood <eastwooj@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: questions
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 1997 10:03:03 -0500

On Sun, 16 Feb 1997, Douglas Barton wrote:

> Greetings.
> I have a couple of questions that I hope people won't find stupid.
>
> When I got home, I was of course excited about the purchase and starte
d
> playing. Well, kind of playing. I found that with the Luyben ligature,
> I had to use much more air support to produce the same sound on the same
> reed. In fact, I had to drop to a 2 1/2 initially. I'm now back on a
> 3. A 3 1/2 is at best difficult for me to play and at worst impossible.
> Any comments or thoughts on what the difference is? Why does the
> Luyben require so much more support? Am I going to find the same
> difference if/when I switch to a Rovner as most people on the list seem
> to advocate? Just curious.
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Doug Barton,
> St. Louis
>
Is the Luyben ligature you are talking about made of slightly opaque
plastic? I always felt that this material would not clamp the reed to the
mouthpiece very well -- that soft, thin plastic is too flexible!

I have used a Bonade inverted ligature for YEARS & YEARS (not the same
one, of course!) and have always preferred it to others that I have tried.
They're not at all expensive ($10 or less, I would guess, from a
mail-order outlet). For the price, I think you'd do well to make the
investment and see if it helps.

This reminds me of the time my "spousal equivalent" went shopping for
jeans -- I told him to make sure to try them on before he bought them.
Ignoring my sage advice, he plunked down about $60 for 2 pair of Levi's in
a "stock size" (men just look at the size on the label; women know this
to be pure folly!). About two weeks later, after both pairs had been
washed and worn, he started to complain that they were too small!! Moral:
let the buyer beware!

Jacqueline Eastwood
University of Arizona/Arizona Opera Orchestra
eastwooj@-----.edu