Klarinet Archive - Posting 000903.txt from 1998/04

From: "David B. Niethamer" <dnietham@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: couple questions
Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 06:05:24 -0400

on 4/16/98 12:03 AM, Scorp1014 wrote:

>I have Vandoren reverse
>ligature and it seems loose on the Morgan mouthpiece. When I try to switch
>mouthpieces between my Bb and my A clarinet, the ligature always comes loose
>(the screws are tightened all the way). I've put tons of cork grease on so
>that the mouthpiece comes off easily, but the ligature still slides around a
>lot. Is there anything I can do ?

I'm not sure which problem you're having from the description, so I'll
answer both.

If your ligature is tightened so that the screws are pulling both sides
of the ligature completely together, and the ligature is still loose,
then you need a new ligature. They do tend to stretch over time, even if
one is careful about not over-tightening the screws. Also, if you have a
new mpc, a new ligature may be in order. Ligs conform to the particular
mpc, I find, and a new one usually works better.

If your ligature is tightened with some space between the two sides, and
is sliding up on the mpc when you attempt those clarinet changes, then
the solution is to roughen the inside of the ligature slightly with some
very fine sandpaper. that should allow it to remain in place.

HTH

David

David Niethamer
Principal Clarinet, Richmond Symphony
dnietham@-----.edu
http://members.aol.com/dbnclar1/