Klarinet Archive - Posting 000172.txt from 1997/09

From: avrahm galper <agalper@-----.com>
Subj: Tone Enhancers and reed pressure
Date: Thu, 4 Sep 1997 22:46:52 -0400

Tone Enhancers and Reed Pressure

Roger Garrett is correct in saying that one should have the flexibility
of pressing hard against the sides of the reed.

Here is a quote from Joe Allard, a well known clarinet and saxophone
teacher at Juillard:

"One big misconception that exists about embouchure is the idea that you
should use equal pressure with your lips around the mouthpiece.
This creates two hindrances for good tone.
1) We put too much pressure on top of the mouthpiece.
2) We create an upward curvature on the sides of the reed.
The reed should vibrate evenly on the three rails of the mouthpiece.
You can easily see that with the sides of the lips curving around the
mouthpiece, the sides of the reed are also curved upwards preventing an
even vibration against the mouthpiece". End of quote.
I discovered the Tone Enhancers by chance.
I was looking for a way to prevent air escaping from the sides of the
pupil's mouths.
Thus the Tone Enhancers were found. They gave a better tone, a bigger
tone and a better response.
One of the by products was, that since there is not so much pressure
against the sides of the reed, one could ALSO play on softer reeds.
It does not mean that the players have to play on softer reeds. One can
do as one wishes, play harder or softer reed.
As I mentioned in my first posting on the subject, the price is the cost
of two reeds.
Some of the users are Mitchell Lurie, Jim Campbell (and many pupils)
Gerry Errante and others.

Avrahm Galper