Klarinet Archive - Posting 000241.txt from 2002/11

From: "Roger Benson" <rbenson@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] The dynamics of mouthpieces (and on fixing reeds)
Date: Tue, 5 Nov 2002 10:35:19 -0500

Pomarico Mouthpieces, Crystal Pete Fountain, Open/Soft reed setup
www.pomericompieces.com

-----Original Message-----
From: William Semple [mailto:wsemple@-----.com]
Subject: Re: [kl] The dynamics of mouthpieces (and on fixing reeds)

No! I ran across a crystal mouthpiece called the "Pete Fountain," I
believe
manufactured by Selmer, that is of the facing I describe (I think),
and is
the only facing offered. I did not buy it. But if you know
differently, I
would love to have the facts.

Van Doren offers a "jazz" set-up (the 5JB) that has a facing of 22.5
mm and
a tip opening of 1.47mm with a reed strength recommendations of 1 to
2, as
opposed to my 5RVLyre, which has an opening of 1.09mm, a facing of
20.5mm,
and reed strength recommendations of 3 to 5.

I play a 3.5 V12, which works well in my cross-over work. It also
helps the
transition to my A.

Also, I do not play much in the altissimo or upper altissimo
registers
because I do not generally LIKE the sound of the clarinet altissimo,
although some players can work magic up there with some of the
modern works
that concentrate on exploring that register.

But I defer to those technical geniuses. The only top top note I
have ever
TRULY loved is the one Benny Goodman hit at the end of his famous
Carnegie
Hall solo in Sing Sing Sing.

I have bought crystal mouthpieces in the past because I think they
look
"cool," but my 5RV simply clobbers them.

I am interested in understanding the rationale in mouthpiece design,
as much
as a theoretical inquiry than in changing my own set-up, but I am
thinkin' I
need to add a bit more center and focus to my sound, which is quite
cultured, if not especially penetrating.

Some clarinetists have such a presumably centered focus that they
sound like
the clarinet stop in an organ. I don't find that as appealing as a
sweeter
sound, but I am also not sure whether "sweetness" and "center" are
mutually
exclusive.

Other clarinetists have remarked on my "cultured" sound, whatever
the hell
that means. All I know is that my fellow musicians really seem to
like it.
They usually look at my clarinet. Hah! Nice horn, they say, as I
look at
them quizzically. Hey, dude, what about the guy standing here.

I have always worked on the assumption, however erroneous, that

1) the harder reed has better cane in the heart and can always be
worked,
whereas a softer reed has to be played more or less as it comes out
of the
box.

2) the harder reed-closed tip short faced mouthpiece inherently
produces a
more focused, classical sound than the longer lay, open "jazz"
set-up.

I am not a great reed fixer, and ultimately I seem to ruin them. I
first
hold the reed up to the light to see if the cane is clear and the
heart has
a nice regular shape that evenly disperses. The better reeds seem to
have a
translucent look with less fibre in the tip.

I start with checking to see if the reed is warped by placing it on
glass
and having my wet.dry sandpaper at the ready.I do not sand every
reed, as
some players do. I then work on the rails. I use a reed knife; for
light
touch ups I use rush.

I avoid the heart, front and back, with all of my heart. There have
been a
few occasions that I have delicately taken wood out of the vamp, to
good
affect. And sometimes from the back near the tip. But usually the
reed falls
apart rather quickly after I do that. I save the reeds anyway. Who
knows
what a slightly different mouthpiece might do someday.

I don't spend much time working on reeds. I'd rather play.

I don't know how double-reed players do it. Hats off to 'em.

p.s. In my concert band, one of the players showed up with a bluish
plastic
reed. She was very proud of it. She sounded horrible. Almost every
one of
the players in the band has a Buffet or a Selmer. It is amazing to
me what
lousy tones they ALL have. Dull and hard. Yet many have played for
years.

----- Original Message -----
From: <A4ACHESON@-----.com>
Subject: Re: [kl] The dynamics of mouthpieces

>
> In a message dated 4/11/02 1:14:11 pm, wsemple@-----.com writes:
>
> << the very open "Pete Fountain" softer reed set-up >>
>
> I have read all your very informative posts with great interest
but I had
> always assumed, with some evidence, that Fountain did indeed use a
fairly
> soft reed, but not an open set up.
> As opposed to what advertisers may tell us, have you evidence to
back up
the
> open m/p suggestion?
> Arthur Acheson
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
---
klarinet-help@-----.org
>

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