Klarinet Archive - Posting 000372.txt from 2004/08
From: CBA <clarinet10001@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] C Clarinet Mouthpiece -- Shortening Tenon (Ken and Nancy)
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2004 01:08:43 -0400
Ken (and Nancy Buckman,)
I think I have actually figured out something I hadn't put
together before ClarinetFest this year.
I had the tenon reduced because it didn't quite go all the way
into the barrel (very slightly) and the reduction *may* have
left a small gap inside, but not much...the gap *inside* the
barrel wasn't the incentive, getting rid of the gap *outside*
the barrel was, along with the intonation problems.
I believe Nancy mentioned that the Patricola brothers did
something to fix her C while she was at ClarinetFest, right
Nancy? What was done again, Nancy? I actually got a new C barrel
from Clark Fobes, which is AMAZING, and thought about all of
this today. I placed my Chadash-Hill mouthpiece on the new
barrel, and got great intonation and response. I also put other
mouthpieces on my instrument with similar response. I thought I
was just crazy, but when I had the mouthpiece reduced, I had *3*
(yes, 3) Patricola barrels of different lengths to choose from,
and they didn't work very well until the mouthpiece was
shortened. I then got a Chadash barrel, which I like a lot
better than the stock barrels. I then went for the Fobes barrel,
which I am quite enamored with. But until today, I had not put
other mouthpieces back on the other barrels. I am still not as
fond of the stock barrels, but I believe I am now a convert back
to having one mouthpiece for all three (A, Bb, C) instruments,
even though the shortened mouthpiece is a bit better in tune for
many notes for the C clarinet. I would say the better barrel
using the same mouthpiece, if possible, is the best scenario,
and even though I get slightly better intonation trends with the
shortened mouthpiece on C, having the feel of the same
mouthpiece for all three does have a great appeal.
Anyway...thought I would share the revelation.
Oh, and Ken...I did computer work for over 40 law firms in New
York...law is NOT where I am going with my life...WHEW! I am
back doing a Woodwind Pedagogy Masters (Clarinet, Oboe,
Saxophone, and Flute performance and teaching practices) and
then on to a DMA in Clarinet, and possibly a double (or triple)
in oboe and sax, when the time comes, if I can get away with
only doing an additional year for each DMA after the first DMA
is finished.
On another note: To all of you who knew Abe Galper, I wish I had
the chance to meet him. I am truly sorry for the loss of such a
wonderful person, teacher, and performer. I will miss his posts,
and his wisdom that has trickled down to me through the list.
I went to Mississippi Music today and found out if I buy the
*whole* box of Vandoren V12s, it is *only* (lol) $31 after
tax...YIKES! If I buy two boxes, I could have the two boxes
*overnighted* from WWBW, Muncy, Weiner, or IMS cheaper than
buying it locally! Also, no Rue Lepic reeds, and no ZZ reeds for
sax...I miss NYC already! I will be doing LOTS of mail order
this year, I guess, because I am NOT going to pay over $3 a
reed...PERIOD.
Also...if anyone is in the Hattiesburg, MS area, and feel the
need to meet another lister...drop me a line...it's lonely out
here! (((culture shock from NYC crashing in))) I am 100 miles
from New Orleans, so I am not TOTALLY in the Styx, but it's
close. Now I remember why I always gravitated towards larger
cities!
Kelly Abraham
Woodwinds - Computer Geek
Hattiesburg, MS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
--- "Shaw, Kenneth R." <krshaw@-----.com> wrote:
>
> Kelly Abraham wrote:
>
> >>My assertion previously about Bb mouthpieces on C clarinets
> is less
> relative to this instrument than most I have played. I am
> playing on a
> Clark Fobes San Francisco mouthpiece on my C and love it,
> although I did
> have the end tenon on the mouthpiece cut down (professionally)
> by 1/16
> inch to even up all the oddities about the long notes (low E,
> F, and F#
> and long B, C, and C#) and the throat tones.<<
>
> Kelly -
>
> Welcome back to the list. What are you studying? I hope it's
> not law
> school. If it is, get in touch with me, since I been dere,
> done dat.
>
> I'm interested in the possibility of shortening the tenon of a
> Bb
> mouthpiece for use on the C clarinet. Was the socket at the
> top of your
> barrel too short (so that a gap showed between the outside of
> the
> mouthpiece and the top of the barrel)? Or did you create a
> gap between
> the end of the mouthpiece tenon and the bottom of the socket?
>
> As it happens, my C clarinet (a Buffet from 1929) plays in
> tune with a
> standard Bb mouthpiece and the barrel pulled out at the bottom
> by about
> 2 mm. However, it plays better with tuning rings filling the
> gap.
> Bernard Portnoy told me any kind of gap in the bore caused
> loss of
> resonance, and he could hear the difference with his back
> turned. Does
> your mileage vary?
>
> Best regards.
>
> Ken Shaw
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