Klarinet Archive - Posting 000016.txt from 1997/06

From: "Todd and Lynnette Staley" <nette@-----.net>
Subj: Re: Mouthpiece Table Concavity and Ligatures
Date: Wed, 4 Jun 1997 20:50:26 -0400

Several of those that I spoke with last week were playing on Vandoren 5RV.
I myself am considering a new mouthpiece/ligature for my Eflat and was
concerned with the slippage issue because I am leaning toward the Vandoren
mouthpiece. Should one have to do major surgery on a ligature just to get
it to hold the reed in place (which is the purpose of the ligature in the
first place) or should the manufacturer make these adjustments? Any
input?
--
Todd & Lynnette Staley
email: nette@-----.net

----------
> From: Jrykorten@-----.com
> To: klarinet@-----.us
> Subject: Mouthpiece Table Concavity and Ligatures
> Date: Wednesday, June 04, 1997 7:19 PM
>
> 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