Klarinet Archive - Posting 000835.txt from 1998/06

From: Simon_Aldrich@-----.ca (Simon Aldrich)
Subj: [kl] Mouthpiece shortening
Date: Thu, 25 Jun 1998 02:03:37 -0400

In reading the postings to Klarinet I have become aware that not everyone
realizes
that mouthpieces can be shortened. People say they have had to abandon
good mouthpieces because they played too low.

When playing with les Vents de Montreal (the oboes, bassoons and horns of
which are
from the Montreal Symphony) I have to be able to leave the 441 of my
two orchestras and go up to the pitch of the Montreal Symphony (442 on paper,
at least
443 in reality). In fact at one point both the guys in the MSO were playing
on shortened
Vandoren 13 models.

As a result I have had a lot of experience getting mouthpieces shortened so
that they play
at 440 or 441 with a longer barrel and up to 443 with a shorter barrel.
The general rule with a shortened mouthpiece is that proportionally
the throat tones rise more than the top of the clarion register (a, b,c).
I f your throat tones sagged in proportion to everything else a shortening
might
actually improve the relational pitch of the mouthpiece.

A competent repairman puts the mouthpiece on a lathe and with a cutter takes
the
necessary material off the two areas that need to be shortened. Make sure you
cover the
mouthpiece window with tape just in case.

Bye for now,
(Still looking for a good edition of the Crusell quartets.)

----------------------------------------------------------

Simon Aldrich

Principal Clarinet - l'Orchestre de l'Opera de Montreal
Principal Clarinet - l'Orchestre Metropolitain de Montreal
Nouvel Ensemble Moderne
Quintet Pentaedre
Les Vents de Montreal

tel/fax: (514) 843-7550
simona@-----.org

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