Klarinet Archive - Posting 000053.txt from 2000/02

From: alevin@-----. Levin)
Subj: Re: [kl] Re: klarinet Digest 1 Feb 2000 09:15:00 -0000 Issue
Date: Tue, 1 Feb 2000 21:47:44 -0500

Don't be too quick to worry about losing the shoestring. Cut off one end
tip. Then sew that end into a loop that is snug - but not impossibly tight
- when stretched over the reed and the mouthpiece.

I've been using the shoestring since 1982 - in fact I'm still on my first
pair! The Pino book gave me the idea and I've never regretted it. Once you
get used to it you can switch horns without losing it. I've not lost a
reed to it that I can recall - and reeds play well much longer.

Sounds of Woodwinds (someplace in New England) markets (or did 20 years
ago) a plastic ligature with a half dozen braided nylon strings. It worked
as well in performance (perhaps better, since it wouldn't slide off when
changing clarinets) but the strings could catch on the reed tip when you
put it on or adjusted it. Moreover the tensioning screws were steel and
could strip the threads on the ligature body. This seemed to be a real
problem as the braided strings stretched over time.

I seem to recall that the ligature was awfully expensive for the time that
it lasted. The first such body I saw was machined metal, and it didn't
seem to have the problems of the later plastic ones.

Allen Levin

At 01:15 PM 2/1/00 EST, you wrote:
>I've been seeing a lot about ligatures here lately, but have not yet heard
of
>anyone doing what I am. After reading David Pino's book, "The Clarinet and
>Clarinet Playing" (Dover 1998, original copyright 1980) which I got from
B&N
>for under $10.00 +S&H, I decided it would be fun to try out the
"shoestring".
> I thought, if nothing else it would be a conversation piece.
>
>I liked it so well I have used nothing else since. For $1.69 or so you get
>two of them. They don't scratch the mouthpiece, they don't pinch the reed,
>and with a little practice you can get one on about as quickly as an
ordinary
>ligature. Pino says a lot of other good things about them, which I cannot
>corroborate, but it certainly has not hurt my playing any. One thing
though,
>it won't stay in place if you remove the mouthpiece, which, of course would
>not work for a quick change to the A in a concert. Anyway for what it's
>worth, that's my experience.
>
>Bill
>retired and regaining embouchure
>
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