Klarinet Archive - Posting 000184.txt from 1998/01

From: "Edwin V. Lacy" <el2@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: KLEENEX
Date: Tue, 6 Jan 1998 08:17:49 -0500

On Sun, 4 Jan 1998, Dee Hays wrote:

> > ... If to talk about abrasives on a mouthpiece, how about the pupils (and
> > many pros also) who slide the reeds on and off the mouthpiece, without
> > removing the ligature first. Imagine trying reeds like that.
>
> The astonishing part is that many beginners band books teach the student to
> do exactly that to minimize the chance of breaking the tip of the reed when
> the put the ligature on !

I don't find that so astonishing. Young beginners _will_ break reeds when
trying to place the reed on the mouthpiece and then slide the ligature
over it. For that reason, placing the ligature on first and then
inserting the reed under it makes good sense to me. If they get serious
about the clarinet, they will before long get another mouthpiece, anyway.
So, compared to the problem of many broken reeds, any changes that would
be caused to a student-quality mouthpiece over a period of perhaps a few
years would seem to me to be insignificant.

I teach my woodwind techniques class to place the reed in just the manner
described above, and recommend that they start young students that way.
Later, I show them other ways of doing it, and recommend that they watch
professional clarinetists to see how they do this.

Ed Lacy
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Dr. Edwin Lacy University of Evansville
Professor of Music 1800 Lincoln Avenue
Evansville, IN 47722
el2@-----.edu (812)479-2754
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