Klarinet Archive - Posting 001007.txt from 1997/03

From: Lord Rob <rteitelbaum@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Ligatures
Date: Mon, 31 Mar 1997 17:57:43 -0500

Yes, ligs can make a big difference in sound, to the point that I had a =
bassoonist ribbing me the other day about how to be a "real" =
clarinetist, I had to show up at every rehearsal with a different =
ligature that my teacher told me to use. Of course, it's not as =
important as a solid mouthpiece/reed combo, but it's still a big part of =
the setup. I personally advocate the German "shoestring" method (look up =
"string ligature" in the Klarinet archives on Sneezy and you'll find =
extensive info on it, or e-mail me privately), but many find this to be =
a pain. I think the Rovner's good, too, and I use it occasionally, but I =
find that it stretches out and becomes too loose over time. Supposedly =
it gives you the tone of a string lig. without the hassle, although I =
don't find it as much a hassle to tie the shoestring as might be =
thought. Other popular brands include the Luyben, Bonade (regular or =
inverted), and the expensive Winslow (that seems to make things much =
more complex than they need to be, with all its pesky grommets), but I =
don't know much about them. My suggestion would be to shop for a lig. =
the same way you would shop for a mouthpiece: walk into a music store =
and try them all out. (Or a WalMart, if you want to go string.) Happy =
hunting!

Rob Teitelbaum