Klarinet Archive - Posting 000683.txt from 1998/05

From: "JW <VZ2@-----.COM>
Subj: [kl] why EIGHT(8) barrels ?? and why not separate mthpces on A/Bb clar. ?
Date: Wed, 13 May 1998 10:38:33 -0400

No, i don't have a barrel fetish, here's the scoop:

* the closer you get to the player, the more the equipment matters - i.e.,
barrels make a difference, mthpces make a bigger difference, reeds make
an even bigger difference, with the player making the biggest difference
of all...

* with above in mind, i wanted to make sure i had a variety of barrels, as
there IS some noticeable variation in barrels...plus, they didn't cost
that much extra, and i thought it'd be easier to order all of this
together, rather than separately.

* Selmer used to make a clarinet with a mechanism that allowed for another
harmonic series usage of more or less basic fingerings...this supposedly
allowed one to play extreme altissimo w/more normal fingerings...this
mechanism used another vent hole, located in the barrel(!) to do this...
so, i thought i'd chew up a barrel or two(of the least favorite barrels)
seeing if i could come up with something here(haven't yet tried, so
don't ask me how it turned out).

* as for 1 mthpce vs. 2 on A/Bb setups, in dry parts of the U.S., one's
reed dries out if you use 2 mthpcs/reeds, plus is easy to swap mthpce/
barrel/reed/ligature in one fell swoop, rather than messing w/two setups.

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>> From: "Buckman, Nancy" <nebuckman@-----.us>
>> To: "'KLarinet@-----.org>
>> Date: Wed, 13 May 1998 08:48:40 -0400
>> Subject: [kl] Barrels and mouthpieces
>>
>> I can understand extra equipment, but 8 barrels (I have 5 and thought I
>> was over stocked) seems excessive to me. Another thing I don't quite
>> understand is why one would have all those barrels and not have a
>> mouthpiece for each clarinet , so as not to have to be switching
>> mouthpieces between instruments all the time. My section mates do this
>> all the time and end up trading who plays where at the changes just so
>> they can change mouthpieces from one clarinet to the other. It can't be
>> a money thing because they both own extra mouthpieces and don't use
>> them. If they don't like the way the mouthpieces play, then why do they
>> have them. I asked why they did this and their answer was " I don't
>> know". Would someone please explain? Maybe there is a reason I never
>> considered.
>>

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