Klarinet Archive - Posting 000014.txt from 1999/06

From: mike.strickland@-----.com
Subj: [kl] New member with a question
Date: Mon, 31 May 1999 12:05:37 -0400

Hello All,
I have recently joined the Klarinet mail list and wanted to introduce
myself and to ask a couple of questions.

I am an amateur clarinetist who wants to improve my playing and
performance as much as time and talent will allow. Since the matter of
earning a living takes quite a bit of both time and energy, I know that my
progress will continue to be limited. I am 52 years old and am an engineer
by training but have mostly been working in management roles. I played
clarinet through high school but then played only occasionally for a number
of years. I started back when a small church I was in decided to start a
small "orchestra". I played with them for several years and then moved to
a much larger church (Roswell Street Baptist in Marietta, GA) and joined
their orchestra (about 45 pieces when everyone is there). I have been
playing for Roswell Street for about 10 years.

I recently bought a Buffet R13 from Cindy Field (who I notice is on
this mail list) and am thrilled with it! I played my first solo section
with it last night at church and was extremely pleased with it. I also
played another piece that had a duet with our director on trumpet and
another duet with trombone. The clarinet did better than I did! At one
point, I was admiring its tone and lost concentration and bobbled a note.
Fortunately, it wasn't in a very prominent spot. Oops!

My question is on a topic that I am sure has been re-hashed in the
group many times, but perhaps not so recently that it will be boring to
most of you. I am playing on a Vandoren 2 RV mouthpiece and would like to
upgrade it. I have mostly been playing the Grand Concert 3 1/2 or 4
strength reeds. I sent an e-mail to Vandoren asking about the 2RV since I
can't find it in any of the mouthpiece charts and they told me that it is
very similar to the 5RV. They recommended that I could try the 5RV Lyre or
the B45.

I am looking for a really rich tone but also want to make sure that
the excellent intonation of my R13 is not degraded. Since I am an amateur,
I need a mouthpiece that won't be too hard to control. I would especially
like to find a mouthpiece that will give me good intonation and still be
easy to control up in the altissimo register. I am considering the
Vandoren 5RV Lyre, the Vandoren B45, and the J&D Hite D model or possibly
the M41. I have been reading about the mysterious "Dark Tone", and that
would be great, but I think what I need most is a rich, pleasing tone, with
good control and intonation throughout the clarinet's range inclusing the
altissimo. I plan to test play several models.

Any advice? Is anyone familiar with Vandoren's mouthpieces for the
R13 with the "Profile 88"? Are thay any better with the R13 than the
traditional design?

Mike Strickland
Marietta, GA

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