Klarinet Archive - Posting 000471.txt from 2003/02

From: b1rite@-----. Rite)
Subj: RE: [kl] Legere Quebec Style Reeds
Date: Sun, 16 Feb 2003 22:06:17 -0500

<><> Karl=A0Krelove wrote:
Sorry, Bill, I'm completely missing your point.

I was trying (and failing....sorry) to point out the error (imo) of
assigning 'artistic priority' --- as opposed to budget priority --- to
one particular part of the system and then assigning all the blame (or
credit) to this one particular part.

For example, the player is part of the system. It could be necessary
to change the player, not some part of the instrument, in order to
obtain a desired sound. (weak attempt at humor, perhaps; but this
_does_ happen often enough, doesn't it?)

Money plays a role, of course. Assuming everything is in good repair,
probably you'll want to try different mouthpieces and barrels before you
abandon a clarinet body whose sound you don't like. And probably
you'll want to try different reeds before you abandon a mouthpiece or
barrel.... and so forth. But I can imagine a situation wherein the
mouthpiece or body is abandoned because no amount of fussing with less
expensive parts will solve the problem.

Thus when someone suggests that they may buy a different mouthpiece in
order to play a certain reed, I have no complaint. I was only
commenting about the logic of it --- namely, a person shouldn't assume
blindly that they _must_ start with a certain part of the instrument and
then choose everything else to fit it.

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