Klarinet Archive - Posting 000939.txt from 1997/03

From: Lord Rob <rteitelbaum@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: String ligatures (was Re: New member alert (from the Clarinet
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 1997 14:24:04 -0500

Wow, that's interesting...I've seen barrels get stuck, but never =
mouthpieces. Yes, I would say that had you been using string, you would =
have had even more problems. :) String does present some difficulties if =
you need to do a fast mouthpiece switch, I think, because the mouthpiece =
has to be handled rather gingerly, but usually if I'm going from A to Bb =
I switch the mouthpiece and barrel together anyway, so I've never had =
this problem. I don't know how this would work on C, I've never played =
one. As for the string coming undone, if it's tied properly there's no =
reason it should come undone. Also, I know that many people believe that =
a ligature should never be loose enough to enable a player to move the =
reed without loosening it, but this is precisely what I'm able to do =
with my shoestring ligature: I just move the reed a little, which sort =
of automatically loosens the shoestring enough for it to move, and then =
I simply pull the ends again to retighten it. I know it sounds like I've =
got it too loose, but it holds the reed firmly in place when I'm not =
trying to move it, and the tone is so great that I don't think I'll ever =
use anything else again...

Rob Teitelbaum