Klarinet Archive - Posting 000470.txt from 2003/02

From: "Bill Semple" <wsemple@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Legere Quebec Style Reeds
Date: Sun, 16 Feb 2003 20:35:39 -0500

You pose an interesting thought. Some of my students come with such bad
setups that I wonder they play at all. Generally, I convert them to a
VanDoren V12 and a 5RVLyre because I know this setup. But since I have also
become enamoured with Legeres, I wonder about taking that step, too. I get
such a great sound with the Legeres, though I still have not been able to
rid myself of my cane.

William T. Semple
Office: 202-364-2466
Home: 540-364-4823
Cell: 540-903-6645
----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Bush" <rbushidioglot@-----.com>
Subject: Re: [kl] Legere Quebec Style Reeds

> I think Kelly's take on Legere reeds is a good, open minded one.
>
> Where I think these reeds could do the most good, and I've mentioned
> this before, is with young players. I wouldn't dream of cultivating a
> beginner section of clarinet students without having a box of Kleenex, a
> jar of Sterisol and a Cordier reed clipper close at hand. You can't
> promote good tone, good embouchure and proper breath support when the
> students' set-ups are wrong. (I know of a lot of band directors who
> don't even know that there's such a thing as a reed clipper.) The
> problem, of course, in maintaining the students' reeds is the element of
> time. One cannot spend a lot of the class time monitoring the single
> reeds.....the drummers just don't understand.
>
> With the right mouthpiece and the right Legere reed and reed strength on
> EVERY student's clarinet, I would predict better sound, better tuning
> and a quicker advancement schedule. Is anyone doing this?
>
> CBA wrote:
>
> >Could just be the mouthpiece combination with the ligature that
> >wasn't optimum, instead of the Legere reed not being good. I can
> >use different reeds with different setups, and they don't always
> >mix.
> >
> >As far as the legeres, I love mine, but have been using a *5* on
> >my setups to get the altissimo I desire. I also recently tried a
> >few mouthpieces I really liked the sound of, but discarded the
> >thought of using them because I had to bite to get the altissimo
> >to come out. I think biting is one of the hardest habits to get
> >rid of, next to the "grip of death" with the hands (right hand
> >in particular) some people have (including myself) on clarinet.
> >
> >Try some other mouthpieces with the legere before casting them
> >off. I bet within the legere line, you might have to use
> >different mouthpieces for different cuts too. The Quebec might
> >work better with some, while the Ontario ones might work better
> >with others. After all, there are Vandoren blue box, Vandoren
> >White Master, Vandoren Black Master, and Vandoren V12s JUST for
> >Bb clarinet. There must be a reason for that, huh?
> >
> >Kelly Abraham
> >Woodwinds - New York City
> >--- Bruce McGarvey <infodev@-----.net> wrote:
> >
> >
> >>I haven't tried them, but I think I might now, given your
> >>experience with
> >>the higher alitissmo.
> >>
> >>On the regular Legere, I've had no problem with the G, but
> >>going up from
> >>there has been a real problem, and at least one friend of mine
> >>from the list
> >>has this problem too.
> >>
> >>Even if I put my teeth on the reed, I can't consistently get
> >>Bb, B, C, and
> >>above. Sometimes I get really weird pitches, lower and higher
> >>than the
> >>target pitch--or nothing at all. (The "A" is a real problem
> >>for me, even
> >>with "standard" fingering.)
> >>
> >>Maybe the Quebec model is the answer. Or maybe I just need
> >>more time on the
> >>Legere.
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >Do you Yahoo!?
> >Yahoo! Shopping - Send Flowers for Valentine's Day
> >http://shopping.yahoo.com
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
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>

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