Klarinet Archive - Posting 000174.txt from 1997/09

From: Ian M. Dilley <imd@-----.uk>
Subj: Re: Tone Enhancers and reed pressure
Date: Thu, 4 Sep 1997 22:46:54 -0400

Avrahm,

Do you use them yourself?

Ian Dilley

>
> 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
>

   
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