Klarinet Archive - Posting 000984.txt from 1997/10

From: Dee Hays <deerich@-----.net>
Subj: Re: bad tone
Date: Sat, 25 Oct 1997 11:45:54 -0400

Charles wrote:

> At 09:45 PM 10/24/97 -0500, you wrote:
> >I teach woodwinds in a middle school and am lucky enough to have the
> >beginner clarinets all by themselves. I always seem to have one clarinet
> >player who plays very flat. The embouchure looks good and when I play with
> >the student, she matches my pitch after some work. What is she doing to
> >play so flat in the first place? She is on a normandy clarinet, a B45 mpc
> >and size 3 Vandoren reeds( I didn't recommend the size, the music
> >supervisor does that). They have all been playing for 10 weeks now.
> >
> >TIA
> >
> >Pat
> >
> >I think a Van Doren 3 on a B45 is much too hard for a student playing only ten weeks.
>
> The local middle and high school teachers (husband and wife) INSIST on a 4.5 for ALL
> students. What can one do without offending them? (neither one plays clarinet!)
> >
> Charlie

Wow. Although I am sure that there are adults who play that reed strength successfully.
The ones with whom I am familiar don't. What mouthpiece are they using? Also there have
been European orchestral players on this list who have remarked on the high reed strengths
used in the US. Apparently it is the practice to use softer reeds there.

Dee Hays
deerich@-----.net
Canton, SD