Klarinet Archive - Posting 000097.txt from 2003/05

From: EClarinet@-----.com
Subj: [kl] outgrowing a Concerto/was "Silly question"
Date: Mon, 5 May 2003 18:59:20 -0400

At 01:05 PM 4/11/2003 -0400, Samantha McDaniel wrote:
>My instructor and I actually had a long discussion about my
>clarinet. It's a good clarinet, but we both felt like that I've
>"outgrown" it. The particular instrument that I have does not respond
>well at all, and I have tried different mouthpieces testing this. The
>Concerto is a fine instrument, but it's not for me. I'm keeping my
>options open. I would like to try as many clarinets as I can until I find
>the right one.

I just saw this post too (Yes, I'm catching up) and it's an interesting
coincidence that I just had an experience that I think can help you, Samantha.

I tried out a Selmer Signature at a dress rehearsal of my wind ensemble, and
I noticed that I really liked how my solo in the Strauss Don Juan sounded on
the Selmer much better than I liked my sound on my Concerto, which I've had
since 1992. Several friends at the rehearsal also commented on this, and
some suggested I had 'blown out' my clarinet.

Well, I was thinking that perhaps I needed another clarinet, although I have
always liked how well my Concerto plays. In the past year I had noticed the
need to play harder and harder reeds to get the blowing resistance I was
looking for. The Signature was quite good in the upper clarion register
(although I did not care for the altissimo register response), allowing me to
'play with' my sound, to 'color' it and do more expressively. When I played
the same solo on the Concerto after I had just played it on the Selmer, there
did not seem to be enough resistance up there.

Before I decided to chuck away my top-of-the-line clarinet, I called Tom
Ridenour, and he gave me some very good advice about the relative merits of
those 2 clarinets. As you may know, he designed the Concerto, and was a
consultant on the Signature. He understood what I was saying about the
resistance in the upper clarion, and I am sending my Concerto to him this
week to have him make adjustments to it to fix the problem.

I highly recommend that you contact Tom and tell him what your problem is
with your Concerto before you go spend a lot of money in a perhaps futile
endeavor. His website is <A HREF="http://www.ridenourclarinetproducts.com/">
Ridenour Clarinet Products - Welcome to our H...</A> or
www.ridenourclarinetproducts.com

Hope this helps!

Elise Curran
Orlando
EClarinet@-----.com

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