 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: sonicbang
Date: 2011-09-23 20:10
I started to play the bass clarinet 2 months ago on a daily basis, because the Dante symphony by Liszt will be performed by the University Symphony here at Szeged, and I have to play the bass clarinet in this performance.
I bought a Vandoren B50 3 years ago because I loved it's big, robust but flexible sound. The only issue seems to be the articulation. Although there aren't speedy staccato passages in that work, I feel the articulation is not clean enough.
I'm almost sure this is because the thick tip rail of the mouthpiece. Everything else is wonderful, things like sound, register change, intonation are superb. I have tried Vandoren 2.5 . 3 and 3 and 3.5(I had to shave them down a bit) blue box reeds, but all the same regarding this problem.
I have to mention that I have no problem with articulation on Bb clarinet, and I have tried all kinds of tongue positions while playing the bass clarinet.
Should I try to sand down the tip rail by 0.2-0.3mm with 1500 grit paper or not? Thanks for any advice.
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2011-09-23 20:27
I'm not familiar with that facing but I suspect it's an opened facing, am I correct? Unless you're an expert with adjusting mouthpieces I'd be very careful because you have to do a very even job. It sounds to me like it may just be too opened a facing but it's possible the rails are to thick. I'd take it to an expert mouthpiece tech if it were mine and play it for them and ask them what they recommend, then stay there while they work on it so you can keep trying it after every adjustment. ESP eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: sonicbang
Date: 2011-09-23 20:55
You are correct, this type has open and long facing. Just for the record, I use open/medium long-long facings on Bb without any problem. There are not a single mouthpiece expert in Hungary, and I have no time to send the mouthpiece to the USA to my favourite refacers because the concert is coming.
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Author: sonicbang
Date: 2011-09-23 21:00
What could be the side effect of this adjustment? I guess the overall resistance would decrease, articulation would be cleaner, and maybe the sound would be a bit brighter. Opinions?
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Author: alanporter
Date: 2011-09-23 21:01
If the tip rail is wide, try placing the tip of the reed at different positions on the rail. I use a wide tip rail on my Bb soprano for use with Legere reeds.
If I place the reed tip in line with the end of the mpc, the reed seems harder than it's number would indicate, but if the reed tip is lower on the mouthpiece rail, it seems softer. I have no idea if this makes sense or not, but it works for me.
tiaroa@shaw.ca
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Author: Chris Hill
Date: 2011-09-24 06:41
The area you're talking about adjusting is a critical area of a mouthpiece- if it is not shaped exactly right, it could cause more articulation problems and possibly ruin the sound. The facing itself could be causing your articulation problems.
I don't have time to take on more mouthpiece work right now, but there are others on this list who can help you.
Chris Hill
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2011-09-24 14:09
Chris, he lives in Hungry. He's better off trying to make adjustments on his reeds at this point. ESP
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