Klarinet Archive - Posting 000014.txt from 1997/06

From: Jrykorten@-----.com
Subj: Mouthpiece Table Concavity and Ligatures
Date: Wed, 4 Jun 1997 20:26:05 -0400

It is very interesing to read Dr. O. Lee Gibson's article on Zinner
mouthpieces in the current issue of Clarinet.

He makes a statement about the fact that table concavity was perhaps invented
by Oehler. This is important, because I think the motivation for this design
had to do with the ligature in current use (string) at that time. (String is
still used by some I know.) I think there is an interaction between ligatures
and mouthpiece table concavity that plays an important role in a succesful
mouthpiece/ligature combination.

While I agree w/Mr. Fobes that from a mechanical standpoint, it is far easier
to get a reed to seal against the table at the point the window opens with a
slightly concave mouthpiece table. Dr. Gibson points out that the design of
the Zinner mouthpiece actually acts to provide a "spring board" effect to the
reed. In fact pushing down at the point of table concavity (by the ligature)
has the effect of bending the reed up and widening the gap between the reed
and the mouthpiece at the tip of the reed.

I believe this is the instability that I feel sometimes when playing on
mouthpieces with table concavity (early post). (My Blayman ca 1975, and my
Kaspars ca 1970 were hand faced and have flat tables). I think that is there
is an interaction between ligature, table concavity and reed response.

I'll throw out a hypothesis that the original intent of concavity as
implemented on early German clarinets was to get a taughtness to the string
ligature. That is if you flex the reed while tightening, the string will
remain under higher tension than if one wound string around a non-flexing
reed.

I'll also bet that there are varying degrees of concavity that have different
purposes (eg Fobes assertion that the function is to better couple the reed
to the table at the point the window opens and the facing starts to curve
away from the reed).

But this is also probably the reason that people are resorting to cutting
their Bonade ligatures - allowing the upper and lower halves to follow the
bend in the reed as it flexes into the table concavity. It would be
interesting to know what mouthpiece design is used by the people who have
success cutting their Bonade ligatures.

Perhaps this is why so many people find that the impregnated fabric ligatures
perform so well?

Does anybody else have any thoughts on ligature and mouthpiece table design
interactions? Those of you who cut their Bonade ligatures - what type of
mouthpieces are you playing?

Jerry Korten
NYC