Klarinet Archive - Posting 000454.txt from 2000/10

From: rgarrett@-----.edu
Subj: RE: [kl] Mouthpieces
Date: Mon, 9 Oct 2000 17:53:13 -0400

At 02:23 PM 10/9/2000 -0700, you wrote:
>Most of Jim Pyne's that I have seen/owned are
>"crooked." Dan Johnston makes them both ways, as does Richard Hawkins.
>Greg Smith just posted that his are symmetrical. I don't know about
>Roger's.

I use symetrical facings.

>Greg Smith mentioned that the asymmetry will do a number of things. He'd
>know better than me, but in general an asymmetrical facing will be more
>resistant for the same tip opening. I find that my articulation is cleaner
>on a symmetrical facing -- but won't state that to be a generality. There
>are strong feelings on both sides of the issue. I used a "crooked" facing
>Dan Johnston for years, but later switched to a "straight" facing model
>(which happened to be Dan's personal facing). Today my personal preference
>is a Greg Smith 1*.

The list may recall the discussion of asymetrical vs. symetrical a couple
of months back, and Mark C. clarified for us that he was sitting next to
Jim Pyne who makes, primarily, asymetrically faced mouthpieces. His are an
example of very, very good mouthpieces with that facing. However, the
approach a person uses in clarinet playing with this mouthpiece is much
different than an approach used by someone with a more closed tip and a
symetrical facing.

I read Clark's description, and for the most part agree with it. However,
my understanding is that Jim Pyne did quite a bit of research into tonal
colors and how they are affected by an asymetrical facing. Therefore,
given the success of many players who use his mouthpieces (David Shifrin,
Bob Spring, Morales does doesn't he.......?), I would venture that perhaps
there is more to asymetrical facings than simply "good" or "bad". Rather,
the resistance ("stuffiness") realized by one person is simply a tonal
color realized and incorporated into the sound by another person. It takes
a long time to learn how to blow on a Pyne mouthpiece with an open facing,
but, in my opinion, it is well worth the effort.

Sincerely,
Roger Garrett

Roger Garrett
Professor of Clarinet
Director, Symphonic Winds
Head, Recording Studio
Illinois Wesleyan University
School of Music
Bloomington, IL 61702-2900
(309) 556-3268

"A man never discloses his own character so clearly as when he describes
another's."
Jean Paul Richter (1763-1825)

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