Klarinet Archive - Posting 000518.txt from 1998/09

From: ROBERT ABRAHAM <rkabear@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] ligatures
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1998 19:03:12 -0400

I have also previously made a ligature out of 1 inch wide elastic (without the tube) overlapping it three times, then stitching it along one side all the way to the inside of the tube it formed. This gives me a great freeblowing sound, but...your worries are why I don't use it anymore. It is very impractical to pull the mouthpiece off to switch from Bb to A, plus getting the reed back off the mouthpiece can sometimes be a hassle. String can be a nightmare in these respects. So can rubber bands. I suppose you could even use strapping tape, but *I* wouldn't.

I guess my point is that we as clarinettists do need to get the sound we want, but if there is a more maneuverable way to accomplish this reed-holding thing, I think the negligible difference in one of the new ligature types and the string/elastic doesn't outweigh the fact that these ligatures are not practical in most situations. If the string/elastic feel is what you're looking for, try luyben or one of the lighter rovner ligatures. You'ld be surprised how free-blowing they are. :)

Kelly Abraham
Woodwinds/Computer Geek
New York City
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I use an inch-wide piece of black elastic sewn into a tube that slips over the reed and mouthpiece. Works fine -- easy to apply, easy to move the reed around, never slips. I would be worried about slipping, however, if I had to move my mouthpiece back and forth between A and Bb clarinets. I figure this kind of soft, minimal ligature allows the reed to vibrate as freely as it can.
--Doug

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