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facings

Author: JOHN GIBSON
Date: 2000-12-14 14:46

Alright....I'd like someone to explain to me exactly what the facing on a mouthpiece is. Is it the width of the opening? The depth from top to bottom?
How long the opening is? What? I know about tip opening...just not sure about the facing....Reason I ask is, I have a Selmer Crystal MP with what they call a # 3
facing....and wonder if I buy another MP if I can equate the facing size from one to another? Tried a Portnoy # 3 and although it blew somewhat the same there was a difference in hitting notes in the upper register which I have no trouble with when using the crystal # 3.

Thanks for any and all response,
John

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RE: facings

Author: Jeff Gegner
Date: 2000-12-14 15:08

I'll give it a shot. I have been reading a lot lately.

The facing is the linear distance from the tip of the mouthpiece to where the reed and the mouthpiece actually meet. The longer the facing the stronger the reed you will need to play. Think of a bending a piece of wood. If you have a 2"x4" piece of wood 12 feet long anchored at one end you can bend it fairly easily. If you have a 2"x4" piece 2 feet long it is very hard to bend. The same analogy goes for reeds. A reed that has a long part unsupported can easily vibrate, therefore you need a stronger reed. A reed that has very short unsupported part needs to be soft so it will vibrate.

There are many different parts to a mouthpiece.
Table-where the reed is clamped to the mouth piece
Rails- run along each side of the mouthpiece opening
facing-length and shape of rails
tip- opening size at the tip of the mouthpiece
chamber-depth and shape of the opening

I am sure there are other parts, but these are the main ones that influence how the mouthpiece plays and sounds.
Most mouth piece charts will give you the facing length and tip opening. That seems to be pretty much how mouthpieces are compared.

Well thats the best I can do. I think I got it right if not let me have it.

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RE: facings

Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2000-12-14 16:30

John -

It's already on Sneezy -- a very full explanation by Clark Fobes, a top mouthpiece maker. Go to http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/Equipment/MBL/Mouthpiece.html.

Best regards.

Ken Shaw

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