Klarinet Archive - Posting 000152.txt from 2009/03

From: Jennifer Jones <helen.jennifer@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Sqeaking
Date: Sat, 28 Mar 2009 18:52:26 -0400

Hi.

I am also an amateur that has been away from the clarinet for several
years and am getting back in to it. I played from grade school
through college and took lessons for several years. I remember
something like this from that time.

Is this sort of a chatter or is it the squeak you expect from a beginner?

If it is a sort of chatter that occurs when you tongue, i find that
often occurs when I've used a reed for a long time, (the edge gets
kind of frayed and will develop small splits. There may also be small
chips.) This would usually happen when I found a reed that I really
liked. On a few occasions I didn't give up on the reed until the edge
was almost a fringe. When this happens, picking up another reed will
usually solve the problem. Though the chattering is sometimes not bad
enough to justify changing reeds for a short practice session.

Sometimes I get a reed that chatters straight out of the box, in which
case, again picking another reed solves the problem, (especially if I
have one that I've used a few times and has been reliable).

It also might be related to the brand and quality of reed. Some
brands may have more problems with this. I play(ed) mostly on
vandoren 3 1/2s, but if I used Mitchell Lurie, I often used a 4. Rico
is the inexpensive brand that I started with in grade and middle
school and I don't remember having problems with them. This was in
the mid 90s. My clarinet instructor in high school had me switch to
Vandoren. I think Mitchell Lurie reeds are softer than Vandoren; the
reed tended to collapse if I tried to play a 3 or 3 1/2 ML.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if the chattering occurred mainly in
the upper register, since that is often touchier than the lower
register.

Do you have any clarinet playing friends with whom you can exchange
washed mouthpieces to see if that is the problem? I am looking for
people to play with (duets etc.), but I guess you are not in the
southern california area. Your Clarinettist repair person may have
some ideas.

-Jennifer Jones

On Fri, Mar 27, 2009 at 6:30 PM, MICHAEL MARMER LINDA MARMER
<mlmarmer@-----.net> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I am amatuer in the clarinet world, as I have a question about a weird
> sqeak.
>
> I have picked up the clarinet the last several years in attempt to play
> again. =A0I have been going strong since January. =A0 I took professional
> lessons as a kid from 1963 to 1973. =A0I have a R-13 from 1970 that is in
> great shape, as I had it in the shop this January, had some pads replaced=
,
> keys checked out, etc.
>
> I use Mitchell Lurie premium reeds. =A0 When I was a kid, I use number 5.
>
> I went from 2, to 3 now 4 this year.
>
> With the 4's, I get this weird squeak, like it is internal, like a mouse,
> very short. =A0 =A0The more mouthpiece I put into my mouth, it is better.=
=A0It is
> mainly in the upper register. =A0 =A0I never had this problem before. =A0=
Do I
> need to bring it back in for a look over? =A0 Any suggestions will be gre=
atly
> appreciated.
>
> Mike Marmer
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>

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