Klarinet Archive - Posting 000010.txt from 2004/01

From: "DWH" <dhatfield@-----.org>
Subj: Re: [kl] 5rv tone color
Date: Thu, 1 Jan 2004 11:55:21 -0500

Just to toss out a small reflection, and I see and agree with Dan's thoughts
and statments. The principal trumpet of our local symphony walked in my
music store one day and saw those 'wonderful' colored-lacquer trumpets King
tried to market at the time. He asked to see one out of curiosity, and said
"let me play it a minute."
As I turned to grab a mouthpiece, he started playing using only the
leadpipe! He ripped off two or three passages of orchestral stuff, and then
asked for a mouthpiece, and played awhile longer...there was no difference
in his sound, tonal color, etc., with or without, so I asked him to try yhe
test with a Bach Strad....same thing. I had a room full of witnesses at the
time and we all agreed on it, amd Dave himself said that he considered a lot
of the things we're discussing here as 'voodoo', in that each person and
their 'sound' is unique because of the oral cavity, sinuses (I KNOW that
plays a big part in my tone production, and having major dental work did as
well), teeth, etc.
He also said it was easier to play the leadpipe but tough on his chops. And
he offered to try a length of copper tubing with a funnel attached if we
wanted to really see what he was talking about. Gotta love brass players.

Two cents more added to the pot.

> > Your substantive point, that the player and the production of the
airstream
> > are absolutely critical, and the stuff that we all should concentrate
on, is
> > of course perfectly true. But you, Forest and I can do a blind test in
Santa
> > Fe next month, and see if we and others can tell any difference between
the
> > sound of ours and his basset horns when played by the same person. If we
> > can, you owe me a pizza.
> >
> > Cheers
> >
> > Keith Bowen
> >
> You get no pizzas from me. See my response to this very issue, and
> start saving your money!! I hear that Santa Fe has very expensive
> pizzas, many of which you will to buy for me when we are there in about
> 6 weeks.
>
> Dan
>
>
> >
> > [snip from Dan Leeson]
> >
> >
> >>Mark, if you believe that the mouthpiece and the clarinet are the
> >>principle ingredients to creating a pleasant sound, in tune and
> >>pleasing, then I guess we have not reached you with the various
> >>assertions that, all things being equal, the moment the air column
> >>leaves the mouth, the sound character has already been formed and there
> >>is little you can do in terms of mouthpieces and clarinets to affect
> >>that sound character.
> >
> >
>
>
> --
> Dan Leeson
> leeson0@-----.net

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