 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: shadow1
Date: 2014-02-17 06:16
This has been driving me crazy for about a year. I have a Bb and an Eb clarinet, but my parents bought them because I am a Junior in HS who can't afford to buy much. This is why I need your help with a clarinet reed chart that accurately represents the strengths of reeds for both Bb and Eb Boehm system clarinets. I use an M13 Lyre. Online charts tell me that V12's should be softer than Traditional blue box reeds, but in my experience that is just far off. Also, Rico Grand concert Size Select reeds size 4.5 (only ones iv'e tried) are NOT as strong and as hard to play as the charts online say they are compared to other brands. With that, Iv'e become skeptical of the fact that it is time to buy a new box of reeds. My parents will buy only one box, but it can be up to $50. I have never actually tried Gonzales FOF reeds or their new ones, but I am currently on my last SIZE 4 V12's and feel that I want to move up in strength, so I wonder if size 4.75 will be a major difference on FOF's. Furthermore, I have in the past used V12 and Traditional size 5 reeds but found them to be to unreliable because they vary too much. I have heard great criticism of the FOF's, and the reviews have prompted me to want to try them. As for my Eb clarinet, I currently use size 4.5 V12's. I use an M15 mouthpiece. My throat tone A is extremely sharp as well as my C5. However, my throat tone G4 is extremely FLAT! Does anyone recommend a barrel? I am currently playing an E11 eefer. I Do have a Fobes extension on, and my lower notes are perfectly in tune.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Wes
Date: 2014-02-17 11:48
My guess is that you may be working too hard in playing the clarinet by biting too much. Everybody is different, however, and I wish you good luck. I never buy any Vandoren reed stronger than a #3, for Bb or Eb mouthpieces. I just opened a box of Eb V12s #3 and they needed to be sanded down to really sound good.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-02-17 16:21
I have to agree with Wes, you are probably biting. This is a problem for ALL the reasons that are already becoming frustrating to you....... need harder reeds (on an M13 a strength 4 reed should be about max), throat tones are sharp, higher altissimo is sharp.
First let's address the charts. I never really pay much attention to them, they are only helpful (only slightly) within one manufacturer, and even with that the set-up they use to determine that is unique to the French (as far as I am concerned). Also I am pretty sure that when reeds are manufactured, the run is not designated a certain strength but rather the resulting reeds are sorted by their strength outcome. This is why reeds in boxes of a certain strength at either extreme end of the spectrum tend to be more inconsistent.
I use strictly Vandorens but have never been able to get much out of the V12s which ARE more resistant than their other cuts. Personally I prefer the strength no. 4 Rue Lepics which work great on the M15 and M13 mouthpieces (though again I never use anything more than a number 4 strength).
A colleague of mine uses an almost identical strength set-up and does so with strength 4 1/2 Grand Concerts (he swears by them) with wonderful results so I know they are equivalent in strength to the Vandorens I use.
As for the main problem here, you need to concentrate on making the musculature AROUND the mouthpiece firm (upper lip, lower lip, chin area, and cheek muscles about a half inch out on both sides). This does NOT equate to pressure inward mind you, just a really firm, solid aperture into which you PLACE the mouthpiece. If you are using any (and I MEAN ANY) conscious pressure with your jaw, then that is TOO MUCH pressure!!!
I suggest tuning with your open "G" mostly as you get your embouchure set better. And check the "A" and "Bb" above too while you are at it. So keep this area of you clarinet as your "world" until the pitch starts to settle down.
If you fall into the "barrel solution" on this one, the gap in intonation that you already find frustrating will only grow larger.
...............Paul Aviles
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: shadow1
Date: 2014-02-17 19:32
thank you. I Will try to see if I am still biting, however I am sure that I am not. That seems like a problem from centuries ago. I have however noticed that a V12 4 does sound really good on my M13 Lyre, but it sometimes gets too weak. I would like to know which Gonzales FOF Reeds size is equivalent to the V12 size 4.5. I was thinking the 4.75 because I read on here that from V12 to FOF , it is pretty consistent. But that was just one post.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: William
Date: 2014-02-17 14:52
You might try some double lip embouchure playing to counteract your tendency to overbite. Lots of very good pro's use this technique full time, but most of us tend to use what I call a modified single lip. For me, that is putting a double lip "feel" into my upper lip while actually using single lip--that is lower teeth covered as usual and upper teeth on the beak but with considerable upper lip support, not just a wraparound to prevent air leaking. Modified single lip, for me, equals "half and half" double/single embouchure. Start by doing full double lip and go from there......
Also, my old clarinet professor used to observe that most professional players use reeds that are too stiff. In other words, rely more on the strength and development of your embouchure for tone production than on your equipment--that is, reed (strength), mouthpiece, ligature, barrel, bell, etc.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: shadow1
Date: 2014-02-20 06:01
I have in the past used both my lips for some time, and although I know of several professionals like Rid. and Morales who advocate and swear by this method, I feel that the modified single lip embouchure prevails simply because I feel more versatile in playing. I also know that no matter how good the embouchure, A size 2 1/2 reeds will be bright when played at volumes consistently called for in band and orchestra. I am going to use my Bb in a play, and I am i the pit. The music is very staggered in the sense that I play isolated eighth notes everywhere i compound or polymeter. I am the only clarinet and therefore need to be a bit louder as I consistently have solos and I can't be bright because I do not currently have my A clarinet and the play calls for it. The A clarinet is not bright, so I need to find a way to get a very dark sound. This seems to come from harder reeds. I of corse don't always want harder reeds however.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
