Klarinet Archive - Posting 000344.txt from 2005/01

From: Tony Pay <tony.p@-----.org>
Subj: Re: [kl] Ligatures--Important?
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2005 11:51:47 -0500

On 22 Jan, Jane Hur <janemail100@-----.com> wrote:

> So, it snowed and auditions got pushed back! I now have an extra week and
> a half to practice (and search for a new ligature) :-D I got a chance to
> call Sam Ash---they have regular Selmer metal ligatures, like the kind that
> I have, and Vandoren Rovners. How, exactly, do the Rovners affect sound (I
> think that they're leather ligatures; I know some people on this thread
> mentioned them)? Someone said that plastic ligatures create a "live,
> bright sound", while leather ones give a "dark" one (while metal ones are
> neutral). Does this mean that the upper register will be unpleasantly thin
> or shrill with a plastic ligature, and low notes will be dampened with a
> leather one? I'd like a more resonant tone, especially on the higher
> notes... if this is something that a mere ligature can help me achieve.
> Thanks for all the advice!

Jane, because different reeds have different sounds, any given ligature makes
some of those reeds better and some of them worse at doing the different
things that you need to do in order to play a piece effectively. And you may
not be quite clear yet about what all those different things are.

So, as many people including myself have remarked, there is no 'best'
ligature, even though there may be a best ligature for a given reed. In my
view, the differences between ligatures are quite small compared with the
differences you can produce by using slightly different 'addresses' to the
instrument (embouchure, tongue position and so on), and you can wind up
confusing yourself if you try to swap around too much.

So my advice is, pick one that works well mechanically, and stick to it --
unless you like the idea of falling in love with the latest new gadget just
to amuse yourself. See:

http://test.woodwind.org/Databases/Klarinet/2000/02/001130.txt

Of course, the manufacturers pretend their products are magical in order to
make money, and even get some players endorse that magic for their own
purposes.

Tony
--
_________ Tony Pay
|ony:-) 79 Southmoor Rd tony.p@-----.org
| |ay Oxford OX2 6RE http://classicalplus.gmn.com/artists
tel/fax 01865 553339

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