 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: timg
Date: 2010-12-14 01:17
A little while ago I moved up a step in reed strength, and it has been a small revelation. Suddenly I can feel when my embouchure, air-support or voicing is wrong, and that has unleashed a cascade of changes in my technique. I can identify reeds which are too-new or too-old. In short, the instrument and the instructions of my teacher have become much more understandable.
Even this small change wasn't easy: for 2 or 3 weeks my sound was pretty awful, and I really thought I was barking up the wrong tree. But when I got used to the harder reeds, I was very pleasantly surprised by the improved feel and control.
Now that my technique is starting to stabilise again, I'm wondering if it's worth investigating other mouthpieces. I have tried, briefly, a couple, but am not sufficiently experienced to draw any conclusion without a more prolonged try-out.
So when do you think it is time for a player to try out new mouthpieces?
I'm an adult, and have been playing for 3 years. I have an E13 clarinet, M30 mouthpiece, and am now using Vandoren Traditional 3.5 reeds.
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Author: CarlT
Date: 2010-12-14 13:58
Tim, I am glad you started this thread. You've been playing just a few months longer than I have, but it's very interesting that I have also just gone through this stage.
Back in July I purchased a better clarinet but still played on a #3 cane reed and the same mouthpiece. About 2 months ago I bought a Legere "Signature" 3.25 reed, and at first, I thought it to be way too strong for me; however, I pressed on with it at first using it for the first third, or so, of my practice until I got so tired that I had to revert to the cane #3's. Well, just this past week I have been 100% with the Legere, and as you said, I can feel so much more control over everything.
BTW, people tell me that my sound is very good with that reed (I play in the local town band now), so I do recommend that particular reed. One should not give up on such a reed until he/she had really given it a chance though, as it does take time to adjust to it.
Now I will be interested to know what others say about taking the next step with a better mouthpiece (I now use a Vandy 5RV Lyre, along with a Vandy M13L at times). I suppose what I'll do before long is to order about 3 different "advanced" mp's and keep the one that works best for me if there is any improvement.
CarlT
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2010-12-14 15:19
Not for nothing, but the M30 in my opinion the M30 is a really good mouthpiece. I haven't played any that I haven't liked.
Really the best answer depends on your budget and what you and another advanced player (teacher if you have one) feel might be improved with another mouthpiece.
Mouthpieces are VERY varied and you'll find a HUGE amount of choices. Almost overwhelming if you just start point blank. And the worst part is, there's some great sounding professional clarinetist that plays almost every one, so you can't use "____ plays one one" as a starting point.
That being said... if you would like to try some mouthpieces to see what can happen for you, here's the route I would take. I would pick a few makers that allow mouthpiece trials, returns, will personally talk to you about your wants/needs, and might send out multiple mouthpieces on trial at once so you have a few to compare, and would be willing to tweak a mouthpiece a little bit for you if you generally like it but maybe want it a little more open/closed, whatever. The ones that come to mind, in no particular order, are WALTER GRABNER, CLARK FOBES, CHRIS HILL, and GREG SMITH. I'm sure there are more, but I know these makers have a VERY good reputation, have a great following, and I believe all those makers will work with you to find what's best FOR YOU, with no hard feelings if their mouthpiece doesn't agree with you. Most of them (if not all) can be found under the sponsors of this board.
Pick one and give him a call, discuss your options and current mouthpiece, and give the mouthpieces a trial. FOR EXAMPLE, I've worked with and found a great Walter Grabner mouthpiece. I didn't like any of his models, but I knew he's a great mouthpiece maker and wonderful technician so pretty much every time he came out with a new model I tried on. one of his latest models (the K11*) just hit home with me and it's awesome. I tried Clark Fobes mouthpieces, but didn't like any of them. However my friend (a GREAT clarinetist, much better than me) swears by them and (funnily enough) didn't really care for my mouthpiece. So one may not work for you, but all are great at what they do.
And these aren't the only ones, but if you're looking to get a good mouthpiece, the FIRST time, find someone that will work with you and allow trials. I'd rather pay 10 bucks in trial fees + shipping to try a mouthpiece than pay 200 dollars for a non-refundable mouthpiece that I end up not liking.
And when you try out the mouthpiece, play as much varied music as you can/would normally. jazz, classical, soft, loud, low notes, high notes, staccato, legato, and every combination thereof. And give it a good few days. Your embouchure will subconsciously adjust to the mouthpiece over a few days and your initial impression may change after a few days.
But all that is just how I would do it if I was looking for one.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: BartHx
Date: 2010-12-14 16:47
I was brought up in the school of use harder reeds to develop your embrouchure and control. Once you have accomplished that drop back a bit in reed strength to round out your tone. This may be an old fashion approach, but it worked for me both initially and when I picked up my horn again after forty years off.
When there is a question about a mouthpiece, we hear about Vandoren, a few others, and lots of custom makers, but it is rarely that I hear anyone mention B. Portnoy. They don't seem to make a huge variety of styles, but my favorite mouthpiece is a BP02. It is very forgiving and responds nicely with a variety of reed strengths and works well on a variety of instruments.
For those without extensive reed adjusting experience or who do not want to invest in an adjusting system, there is a handy little booklet ("Clarinettist's Reed Doctor") in the Dr. Downing's series from England (Dr. Downing Music, 66 Eastleigh Rd., Heald Green, Stockport, Cheshire, England, SK8 3EJ). With text and diagrams it identifies specific reed problems and shows where and how to sand or scrape the reed to correct them.
I start with a glass plate and fine sandpaper to make sure the back of the reed is absolutely flat. Then, with a single edge razor blade (or reed knife) and the booklet, make necessary corrections. I use backlight, the thumb nail, and test playing to evaluate the balance of the reed. Yes, some do get the wall test, but I get a high percentage of decent to outstanding reeds.
Disclaimer: I have no connection what so ever with the above mentioned vendors.
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2010-12-14 17:17
I'm thinking that, just as Dorothy had to leave Kansas for a while in order to appreciate it, sometimes it's good to change our setups just to get some perspective on what we've got and what we're doing -- even if we return to the original setup afterwards.
Sometimes, though, we discover that we've been fighting (and unconsciously compensating for) an equipment problem or characteristic that has been holding us back without our knowledge. In which case, a change of setup can revitalize our playing, maybe bring the fun back to practicing if that has turned into a chore.
Also, I think it's worthwhile to have some flexibility in our use of equipment, so we can adjust more easily and with less stress when Stuff Happens (reeds breaking, instruments going out of adjustment, mouthpieces getting dropped, etc. etc.).
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Author: timg
Date: 2010-12-15 20:33
It's interesting that I'm not the only one to have this experience. It seems that trying something different from time to time can lead to new insights.
I don't think I want to trial a bunch of mouthpieces, because when the maker asks "so what did you think?", I don't think I'll be able to answer very well. Not within a reasonable time anyway.
So I think I'll ask my teacher to suggest a second mouthpiece to buy, and see where that leads. At worst, I'll have a much better idea of what I want in a mouthpiece.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2010-12-15 20:58
The epiphany is a good feeling, but I would caution against trying to replicate that with stiffer and stiffer reeds or more open mouthpieces. There are so many other things with which to experiment now that you have good basic equipment such as air focus, or more and more lip muscle engagement and less and less jaw pressue (biting is NEVER a good thing).
That said I have alwaysa played Vandoren #4s. And only for the simple reason that 3 seemed a little weak and 5s were rumored to be the #4 rejects (too strong to make the #4 box cut). This reed and reed strength have been my ONLY consistant piece of equipment through the ages. I only wish I had spent less time trying out every mouthpiece under the sun and more time developing good air support and steady rhythm.
....................Paul Aviles
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2010-12-15 21:42
You should change mouthpieces when you're no longer satisfied with the results you're getting from the one you are using. I would suggest that unless your teacher suggests you try some other MPs you should stay with what you are using, which is a good mouthpiece. At some point you might find that you want a different feel or different quality and that's when you should experiment but only when you think you are able to tell the differences. ESP http://eddiesclarinet.com
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