Klarinet Archive - Posting 001127.txt from 1998/12

From: SDSCHWAEG@-----.com
Subj: Re: [kl] To Oboe or Not to Oboe....
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 22:21:06 -0500

In a message dated 12/29/98 3:04:02 PM Central Standard Time,
mbassman@-----.com writes:

<< A couple of years ago, there was a reference
on this mailing list to playing the oboe (and bassoon) with a
clarinet-style mouthpiece and single reed. I've
never seen one. Has anyone on this list ever used such a crutch to double
on oboe or bassoon?>>

I doubled on bassoon in junior high and high school, and one of the school
instruments I used had one of those in the case - a tiny little thing that fit
on the end of the bocal. I played around with it for a while, but gave up on
it in the end. I never could find reeds for it, and had to cut down clarinet
reeds without a lot of success. Because it was so small, it didn't really feel
like a clarinet mouthpiece at all. I found it easier to move back and forth
between the two instruments using completely different embouchures, instead of
trying to modify my clarinet embouchure so radically. Also, I agree with
other comments that it just didn't produce a sufficiently characteristic
bassoon sound - not that my bassoon playing was terribly characteristic in the
first place!

Susan Schwaegler

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