Klarinet Archive - Posting 000941.txt from 2000/03

From: "Karl Krelove" <kkrelove@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Re: specific mouthpieces for reeds?
Date: Tue, 28 Mar 2000 23:03:21 -0500

> -----Original Message-----
> From: N. Jayne Marquess [mailto:njmarque@-----.edu]
> Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2000 8:19 PM
> To: klarinet@-----.org
> Subject: [kl] Re: specific mouthpieces for reeds?
>
>
> [snip] ...He was saying if you
> slip a piece of paper between the reed and mouthpiece you can tell where
> your lip should be. For me this would be about an inch of mouthpiece
> Is something wrong with my mouthpiece? I think it sounds fine with less,
> but??????
>

The general rule, as I heard it as I was growing up, is that your lip ought
to contact the reed at the point where the reed and mouthpiece separate. You
can approximate that point by slipping a piece of paper between the reed and
the mouthpiece.

There are a couple of problems with this.

One is that you don't necessarily feel the true amount of reed that is in
your mouth, because your lip is not a thin line. The fleshy part that ends
up inside your mouth (however much or little your particular embouchure
style allows) will make it feel as if there is less reed length inside than
there really is. When you say less sounds fine, you may be closer to the
point indicated by the piece of paper than you think.

The other is that it's really hard to tell visually from any point of
observation how much reed is in your mouth - you can't really see it clearly
in a mirror, and it's hardly practical to routinely put a ruler inside your
mouth.

So, the best way to tell if you're taking the right amount of reed is - by
the sound. If it sounds good, it's probably a good amount. If you take a
little more and the sound gets harsh and prone to squeak, you've gone too
far. If you take a little less and the sound gets thinner and the pitch gets
insecure, you've gone too far the other way.

The best amount of reed to take into your mouth is the amount that gives you
the most control and the best sound. The ideal amount may change with
specific facings. It also may change with specific reeds on the same
mouthpiece. The rule of thumb (or of lip) isn't necessarily wrong, but its
practical usefulness is limited.

Karl Krelove

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