Klarinet Archive - Posting 000356.txt from 1999/12

From: Shouryu Nohe <jnohe@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Should I buy a new mouthpiece?
Date: Mon, 13 Dec 1999 02:43:27 -0500

On Mon, 13 Dec 1999, Rhana Pike wrote:

> My teacher thinks it's the mouthpiece and has suggested I buy a new one
> (although some days she thinks it's just my technique).

I would tend to agree. Yamaha tends to include not-so-bad mpcs with their
beginner instruments. To be honest, I'd rather have a beginner with a
Yamaha stock than a Bundy, Vito, Artley, or Buffet stock mpc. To be
honest, Buffets kick-aspartame clarinets, but their mouthpieces seriously
bite (sorry, Francios).

(Once refaced, Buffet mpcs play nicely though. Or so I'm told.)

> Does anyone have any advice? Is this a common problem, and what kind of
> mouthpiece would you recommend?

It's a more common problem than a lot of band directors realize. Studio
teachers are probably more aware of it. The mouthpieces sold with
beginner clarinets are intentionally made lousy - it sells the horn.
Medium lay and medium opening allow for anyone to slap a reed on and make
a sound. It's not a good sound, but it's a sound, and the fact that John
Q. Public has just made a sound, he's ascertained that the clarinet works
and can be played, and therefore, he'll purchase that horn for Little
Johnny Jr.

Typically, to NOT get the shrill, thin sound, the mouthpiece needs to be a
little better. However, the closer a mouthpiece is to a symphonic
mouthpiece, the harder it is for Joe Schmoe to make a sound without actual
effort. (My setup doesn't get any sound with a lousy embouchure.)

The Yamaha 4C (if that's what they're still distributing) is an exception,
of course. I haven't taken a real close look at it's dimensions, but it
feels like the facing is longer, while retaining the medium opening.
(Again, I am speculating with that remark.)

I highly reccomend the Clark Fobes Debut. At just under or at $30, it is
an EXCELLENT mouthpiece that is easy to play on and gives a great sound.
Tom Ridenour's beginner mouthpiece (I don't recall the model name) is also
excellent, and retails for about the same.

Hope this helps.

J. Shouryu Nohe
http://web.nmsu.edu/~jnohe
Professor of SCSM102, New Mexico State Univ.
"If I wanted a 'job,' I'd have gone music ED, thank you very much!"

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