 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: krainbow921
Date: 2006-01-13 02:46
Hi,
I'm a beginner for this instrument and I'm learning it as a leisure. I've taken group lessons for about 2 months now and planning to change to individual lessons soon.
I currently have a Yamaha YCL-250 (full original set) with #2 Mitchel Lurie reeds, but from time to time I have trouble playing some notes and the sounds are not consistent overall.
I don't get to practice the clarinet much due to other work/family commitments, so is that why I cannot get the sounds to play consistently?
Or would a change of mouthpiece/ligature be recommened? If so, which mouthpiece/ligature would you recommened?
I'm from Hong Kong so I can only purchase online as alot of products will not be available here.
Thanks alot!
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Author: Bnewbs
Date: 2006-01-13 06:24
Practice will help more than anything, but a new mouthpiece would probably help you all around (yamaha like most other manufacturers stocks crap mouthpieces with their instruments). Depending on what you are using, I would suggest a Vandoren 5RV for softer reeds.
I don't like Mitchel Lurie reeds at all, but that is just me. I recommend trying Oliveri's, they are consistent and dark (They are a much thicker blank reed than Lurie's, which I like and far more consistent).
Ligatures make a smaller differance, but can't go wrong with a Bonade inverted mode or a VD Klassikl if ask me.
Ben
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2006-01-13 07:56
(the Yamaha 4C mpc isn't soooooo bad, at least better than what Buffet is shipping)
I second Ben's suggestion re practicing - there's no way past that.
I got myself a Hite Premiere with a Rovner Dark ligature from 1stopclarinet; they have very reasonable overseas shipping rates. Works fine with Mitchell Lurie #3. Very happy with it.
--
Ben
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2006-01-13 10:51
Clark Fobes Debut mouthpiece is an amazing mouthpiece for the price. Almost all of my students switch to it in the course of early studies. I also recommend Bonade's ligatures, regular or inverted.
Fobes' mouthpieces can be bought at WWBW or Muncywinds.com
Consistent practice is important. Try beginning with 15-20 minutes EVERY day.
Good luck,
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: Tyler
Date: 2006-01-13 20:57
Get a reasonably priced ligature which holds the reed on the mouthpiece and does nothing else (or as little as possible). Something metal which contacts the reed is the best for minimal "damping" of the reed's vibrations.
-Tyler
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Author: Ed
Date: 2006-01-13 21:04
Fobes debut is a great choice. There are a lot of good choices for ligatures. Bonades can be good. I find that the Luyben ligatures are inexpensive and play great. Since they are plastic you won't have to worry about bending it out of shape or distorting it in any way. Good luck.
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Author: krainbow921
Date: 2006-01-14 01:45
Thanks alot for the suggestions. I will look more into the mouthpieces/ligatures that you guys have suggested.
But more importantly, I will try to schedule a practice session each day first!
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Author: Chalumeau Joe
Date: 2006-01-14 02:08
Fobes is a good choice, but I'd recommend the Morgan Protone over it (reasonably priced too, at ~$25 USD).
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Author: Dan Shusta
Date: 2006-01-14 06:27
I would never recommend the Morgan Protone as a beginning mouthpiece. With a 0.045" tip opening and a facing length of 32 (16mm), for me this was a very resistant mouthpiece to play.
The Fobes Debut, on the other hand, has a 0.039" tip opening and a slightly longer facing of 34 (17mm) which, IMHO, makes it a far easier mouthpiece to play.
I've played then both and the Fobes Debut won easily.
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Author: bcl1dso
Date: 2006-01-14 21:21
I would say that practice is the most important thing. If you are only putting in 10-20 minutes a day, then you will not get too far with a vintage Cheddeville. But, for now till you have the thousands of dollars to shell out, I would suggest a Pyne, Sinfonia mouthpiece, with a Rovner Light ligature. It will give a bright sound, and have very nice responce. Another very important thing is to have a good embouchore. My teacher wouldn't even let me start playing till I had a perfect embouchure. I went to a lesson and he would immeditatly tell me to go home and work on my embouchure and come back next week. FOR 3 MONTHS!!!!! Boy was that fun. But it worked, so when in doubt go back to the basics.
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Author: clarinetgirl09
Date: 2006-01-14 21:53
Yes. The embouchure is a very important factor. But no one has the same embouchure. When someone knows how to form the clarinet embouchure, they need to find the right mouthpiece to suite their embouchure.
For a beginner I would use a Hite Premier, but since those are almost impossible to get anymore. and if you CAN get them, the newer ones aren't quite as good as the older ones. I had a VERY good Premier, and I was letting a friend look at it, and I turned my back to talk to someone, and they came up to me, and I saw my mouthpice, and there was a HUGE DIP in the tip. Very sad. And that was the week before All-Region Honor Band auditions. I loved the Hite Premier. People were shocked at the sound I could get out of it. It's a very "reed-friendly" mouthpiece. And to top off the Hite Premier, I used either a BG Tradition ligature, a Rovner Dark, an Original Harrison ligature Gold plated (they don't make those anymore, but there are replicas of them made by Rico), a BG Super Revelation, or a Vandoren Optimum. I personally liked leather or other fabric ligatures on it.
A reasonably priced professional mouthpiece (the Hite professional line of mouthpieces are great, too..but, like the Premieres, are EXTREMELY hard to find nowadays) might do you some good. And make sure that you have the right reed strength for your mouthpiece.
Good luck!!!
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