Klarinet Archive - Posting 001413.txt from 2000/06

From: Karel Vahala <vahalakv@-----.au>
Subj: Re: [kl] ligatures
Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 23:09:12 -0400

Bill's experience must be pretty universal. I have been playing (trying to
learn) for about 18 months now, and have done much the same , changing reeds
and mouthpieces and ligatures. I think that as beginners we wish to pass the
blame for our shortcomings on our equipment rather than accept that good tone
and skill are acquired by effort over a period of time longer than we want to
accept. New bits of paraphernalia allow us to blame "slow" progress on
equipment change, and ease the acceptance of it. But the exploration is all
part of the pleasure of clarinet playing, is it not?

Karel.

William Wright wrote:

> <><> Jonathan King wrote:
> Does gold or silver plating dramatically affect your tone?
>
> I've been playing for 10-11 months now, Jonathan, and I've come
> full circle. In the beginning, I purchased a plastic student clarinet
> and then I proceeded to buy various mouthpieces, reeds and ligatures for
> the next 10-11 moths.
> There's no question that the reed makes a difference (I ended up
> most recently with V12 and I expect to stay there), and there's no
> question that the mouthpiece makes a difference (I ended up with B45),
> and there's no question that the reed must be appropriate for the
> mouthpiece.
> ....but where the ligature is concerned, I finally returned to the
> cheap and dirty 'hose clamp' metal ligature that came with my clarinet
> in the first place. I've been the full route of inverted vs upright,
> fabric vs. metal, rails vs. no rails, pressure plates vs. no plate,
> cocking the ligature vs. not cocking it, and so forth. All of these
> 'special' ligatures and adjustments just didn't make any difference that
> I could detect, and the ligature that came with my clarinet fits easily
> into the storage pocket in my case (the others don't0 and it doesn't
> slip and twist while I'm playing.
> So I have a drawer full of ligatures (and caps for each one) that,
> over a period of time, I will donate to kids with tight budgets at the
> studio where I take lessons.
>
> That's my opinion.
>
> Cheers,
> Bill
>
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