Klarinet Archive - Posting 000035.txt from 2004/11

From: "Karl Krelove" <karlkrelove@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] Does size matter?
Date: Mon, 1 Nov 2004 22:50:26 -0500

One of the most obvious possibilities is that something in the equipment
chain is not responding, causing wasted energy somewhere that isn't doing
anything (except making the student dizzy). The most likely possibility, if
this is the case, is reed strength that doesn't suit the mouthpiece facing
well. Is someone telling them to play #10 reeds because - well, just
because...? It's hard (and eventually becomes impossible as the reed's
stiffness approaches total rigidity) to get sound from a reed that won't
move. Or on the other hand, are they trying to get a musical sound out of a
"standard" student mouthpiece with the 1-1/2s that some manufacturers pack
in the cases for beginners? A kid who just wants to make noise can be loud
on almost anything, but if he is trying to do everything "right" the tension
on a very thin reed (unless it's covering the equivalent of the Lincoln
Tunnel) will stop the reed from vibrating. Either too much or too little
resistance can, for different reasons, limit sound (volume) output from a
beginner.

Karl Krelove

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Nicholas Yip [mailto:clarinets21@-----.com]
> Sent: Monday, November 01, 2004 8:07 PM
> To: klarinet@-----.org
> Subject: [kl] Does size matter?
>
>
>
> I have a saxophone and clarinet students that are both small and
> claim that
> they cannot blow alot of air through the horn. I had them play a
> forte on a
> space 'c' on saxophone and clarinet and the loudest they could get is in
> between a mp/mf. Now, I am not small, I am big, and I could blow
> a massive
> amount of air through the horn. I don't know very many small people that
> play sax or clarinet. Any help would be greatly appreciated on
> how I could
> these students. Thanks,
>
>
> Nicholas Yip
> Clarinetist and Music Teacher
>
> Is your PC infected? Get a FREE online computer virus scan from McAfee®
> Security. http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> Klarinet is a service of Woodwind.Org, Inc. http://www.woodwind.org
>

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Klarinet is a service of Woodwind.Org, Inc. http://www.woodwind.org