Klarinet Archive - Posting 000458.txt from 1999/02

From: morgan@-----.com
Subj: Re: [kl] Guy Legere reeds
Date: Thu, 11 Feb 1999 23:15:55 -0500

I used a Legere bass clarinet reed at community band rehearsal last
night. At the end of the evening a I showed it to one of the
professional players that comes and play with us. He said the bass
sounded good all evening and was extremely surprised that I was
playing an artificial reed.

In Prince George the temperature was -21c last night and right now
it is melting outside. With this monumental swings in temperature
and humidity, it is really difficult to maintain a stock of playable cane
reeds. I would rather play on a consistent good sounding reed that
spend my time scaping and adjusting reeds. As a serious non
professional player who works full time at other things, my practice
time is precious, and the more time I can spend playing, the happier
I am.

I sincerely hope that professional and influential members of the
clarinet community will consider this development as a new
challenge. As I become more familiar with the recent history of the
clarinet, it seems to me that tradition is more important than anything
else. I purchased a pro model bass this year and it is made of
grenadilla. I would have preferred to buy a greenline or similar
material, but the quality of construction is not available in these other
materials, simply because of the stigma of playing any thing but
African blackwood at the pro level.

I think it is time that we look at what we are doing and carefully
consider the implications of our decisions. Making music should be
the only test of these new opportunities, not whether or not it fits in
to the accepted mold of what has been done before. I would like to
see the major companies such as Buffet, Selmer, Leblanc and
Yamaha develop new ideas on clarinet building such the the Benade
RX clarinet, for example, so that we can progress and not be stuck
in the past. There was a bass developed years ago that evidently
was much easier to play, but its evolution died with its developer , Mr
Mazzero, (sp?). I hope we do not continue to miss opportunites
such as this.

John Morgan

> Guy Legere Reeds
>
> These Legere reeds have been mentioned quite a bit lately.
> I've known Guy Legere for many years.
> He was always into scientific things and helped me with some listening
> device to tell the quality of my throat Bb invention.
> He was interested in making some durable reed and worked incessantly at
> it.
> Since he was a scientist he was able to devise some sophisticated
> machines for this purpose.
> That's apart from investigating the various materials that would give
> him the results he sought.
>
> Yesterday, Guy came to visit me and left me some of his reeds. The one I
> liked most was a #3 1/4.
> It played well. I didn't play it too long.
> But this morning a pupil came in and I let him play this reed for the
> whole lesson.
> He sounded great.
> It sounded as if he had suddenly come across one of those fabulous
> "dark" mouthpieces.
> This, is for me still in the early stages.
> I have to say, though, that the reeds are surprisingly good. Just pick
> one and play.
> Bravo, Guy Legere!
>
> --
> Avrahm Galper
> TONE TECHNIQUE AND STACCATO
> THE UPBEAT BAERMANN MELODIC SCALES AND ARPEGGIOS
> http://www.sneezy.org/avrahm_galper/index.html
>
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