 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Darrwall
Date: 2014-02-20 22:23
Aged 74, I have been teaching myself to play the clarinet for about 2 years
from a structured course. I am tackling grade 3 material with:
Clarinet: Boosey and Hawkes Regent, plastic - 1978 vintage but little used.
Mouthpiece: Vandoren M 15 (long lay; small tip opening = 1.035mm)
Ligature: Standard ligature supplied with clarinet
Reed: Rico Reserve Classic (strength 2); or Gonzales GD (strength 2.25)
The tone is improving but I should like it to be beautifully mellow and classical like polished marble. How can I achieve my objective without the hard blowing which is necessary for stiffer reeds?
It should be possible because two contributors, Roxann (10.1.2014) and Wes (5.2.2014) referred to such clarinettists who used reeds of strength #1.5 and #2.
Any advice about this would be most gratefully received.
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Author: BflatNH
Date: 2014-02-20 17:55
When I came back after 42 years away, what helped me was having an idea of what I want to sound like (which you have) and listening and discerning the difference of the sounds I make to what I want to make (standing in a corner with a table below to reflect the sound helped me). The next part for me was to move my embochure (tongue!), posture, hands (and everything else I thought I could affect) around to see how much I could change the sound in the direction I wanted. I was/am surprized at how many different things need to be done. And for me, wind support was even more important for softer reeds, especially in the throat tones. All this before I made important changes in my set-up.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-02-20 22:57
I would say you are always best served in pursuit of a solid sound by first engaging your core (pushing with your abdominal muscles) and then focusing your now supported air column as much as possible. The air is focused first by a natural tongue postion (or where it lies when you make the sound "EEEE"). The final ingredient to focus is using the tip of the tongue to the tip of the reed for articulation. As we all know, you keep your tongue poised just short of the reed when you are not stopping the sound. When the tip of the tongue hovers just shy of the very tip of the mouthpiece/reed combo the concentration of air is EXACTLY where you need it. The end result is much better control over articulation (obvious) but also a much bigger sound (most obvious in clarion) and longer phrasing capability per breath.
That said, I'd say that personally the reed strength seems just a tad on the weaker side for that mouthpiece (I am NOT saying that it makes the task impossible just less likely). And I would quickly add that I am NOT an advocate for harder reeds making for better sound, only that this combo strikes me as a bit "light."
....................Paul Aviles
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Author: Ed
Date: 2014-02-20 18:57
The M15 is designed for somewhat harder reeds. You might try some other facings which will give you the sound and feel you want but allow a lighter reed.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-02-21 00:32
Although Ed, the issue is not so much the reed as it is the combo. A more open mouthpiece or one with a shorter lay will only make the "work load" greater with exactly the same reeds.
..................Paul Aviles
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Author: Ed
Date: 2014-02-21 02:22
Yes, it is all about balance and the combination. There are mouthpiece/reed combinations that will enable a player to get a good sound without a lot of resistance.
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Author: Bruno
Date: 2014-02-21 03:02
No matter what MP/reed you play, here's a good exercise to help achieve good tone, better wind, and a smoother, mellower clarion register:
1. Blow a steady mezzopiano run from open G down to the low E, on the slow side, so as to hear the best version of each note as you descend. When you get there, WITHOUT CHANGING ANYTHING press the register key, and keep the sound you get going for a long tone. If it gets harsh, you changed something. Analyze and begin again. You can tongue or not, as suits you. If you do tongue, make it the smoothest entry your tongue ever did!
2. Repeat, going down to low F.
3. Repeat, going down to low F#
4. And so on until you play only the open G, press the register key and a sweet, pure clarion C emerges.
4. Try to make the clarion tones match in sweetness. You accomplish this by keeping your embouchure steady. Forget where the tongue is. Moving it around only makes the tone worse. If you concentrate on making a sweet clarion in tune, your tongue will automatically know what to do.
Get the drift? Each clarion note will be higher and you will be playing them without biting, squeezing, pinching, or getting apprehensive before playing them. And after a couple of weeks the clarion register will be yours - sweet, pure, and easy.
Do it every day a couple of times. It's time well-spent. Some clarion notes are hard to control, like E. Repeat the run on it until it sounds as sweet as the neighboring D and F.
Bruno>
Post Edited (2014-02-22 03:12)
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2014-02-21 03:35
The M15 mouthpiece is designed by Vandoren specifically to use harder reeds.
The range they quote for their standard (Blue box) reeds is 3.5/4/5 and for the V12 and Rue 56 is 4/4.5/5
So in reality you are highly unlikely ever to get the sound you strive for with a 2 reed on the M15.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-02-21 03:50
While Vandoren suggest the reed strength they consider suitable for any given mouthpiece facing, that purely serves as a guide and doesn't necessarily mean you HAVE to use the suggested reed strength for whatever mouthpiece it is you have as everyone's embouchure and experience will be different.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2014-02-21 04:10
Of course you don't "have" to follow the VD recommendation but it is highly unlikely that anyone can expect reasonable success if they deviate widely from it. Why give a recommendation otherwise?
If your car manufacturer recommends 5/40 oil for your engine you don't HAVE to use it - but it would be rather unwise to deviate far.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2014-02-21 05:45
definitely a light reed for the M15.
That being said, when playing with a light reed, to get a sweeter non-harsh tone, you want your embouchure stable, but very very VERY loose. VERY VERY gently take the mouthpiece in and blow while thinking of your lower lip just "touching" the reed. The softer the reed, the less squeezing is necessary to reach a harsh point. The thicker the reed, the more squeezing you need to get past that "fuzzy" sound, and you need a lot more squeezing to reach "harsh" type sound.
You need to find that size reed for you that allows your natural squeezing tendencies (your natural embouchure pressure) to be just over the cusp of it sound fuzzy (which would be too hard of a reed for your embouchure pressure), and it sounding overly bright (which would indicate too light a reed for the pressure you're using).
Of course, it's hard to tell your embouchure and whatnot, but in general, harsh sound, too light a reed, fuzzy sound, too hard a reed (if everything else is constant and stable)
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-02-21 18:06
Ah the "squeezing" again.
We are about to converge three recent threads. There is a recent reference to the video with Eddie Daniels speaking about finding a mouthpiece where the opening was equivalent already to where he pushed the reed on a former mouthpiece. This allowed him much less stress and much greater endurance (we all need to watch that video). I also mentioned this approach being similar to the talking to I got from Brad Behn where he explained the main focus of his mouthpiece design. Though I have fought being a bit of a "pincher" myself, I try as much as possible to achieve this ideal of only PLACING the mouthpiece INTO the embouchure which is where double lip players have been all along. Ideally the ONLY stress (if you even want to call it that) in a clarinet embouchure is maintaining firmness in the musculature all around the mouthpiece.
.............Paul Aviles
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Author: TAS
Date: 2014-02-21 18:42
Your reed/mouthpiece setup seems a bit odd to me.
Of course, Pete Fountain played on a reed strength #2 on his crystal mouthpiece - perfect for his style and genre.
We all know that the mouthpiece, breath support and embouchure pressure dictates the strength of reed. Without getting too embellished, you generally want a dark and resonant sound playing clarinet. And this sound sound should be clear and effortlessly articulated in all registers.
A stronger reed with the right tip for flawless, rapid articulation is the ticket.
I am a symphony clarinetist and soloist. After playing clarinet since 1960, I am still looking for the truly perfect reed !
TAS
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Author: Brad Behn
Date: 2014-02-22 00:07
Hey Paul, I don't recall giving you a "talking to". I recall a lovely conversation which was two-way, at both the Symposium and then continued with a lengthy email discussion. If you ever felt I was coming to the conversation from a place that would make you feel I was lecturing, I do apologize. I always enjoy talking WITH my clients, and try to set the table for a two way discussion whenever communicating.
Brad
Brad Behn
http://www.clarinetmouthpiece.com
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Author: sdr
Date: 2014-02-22 21:38
Imagine the clarinet sound is your voice and sing the piece.
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Author: Darrwall
Date: 2014-02-24 22:12
Thank you all for your advice. It is extremely helpful, to have such a variety of approaches from experienced players which I will try out in due course. Just being conscious of one or two of them has already led to some improvement in the quality of sound especially in the clarion register.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-02-24 23:46
No, no Brad I don't mean a lecture. I am still (after months !) processing all the NEW things I learned in that brief meeting.
My recent chat with my friend over your mouthpieces stirs the pot again.
Bottom line, I am happy to admit I am still learning a lot about the clarinet. My latest retooling has me rethinking even more basic ideas I have had about mouthpieces. We may see each other again sooner than later.
...........Paul Aviles
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