 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Exiawolf
Date: 2017-05-02 09:29
Attachment: IMG_4957.JPG (1649k)
Dear BBoard,
During one of my orchestra concerts I accidentally bumped my teeth into the tip of the mouthpiece while performing a fast switch from Bb to A clarinet. There is a minuscule mark on the very tip of the mouthpiece from the bump. Is it worth sending in for repair, or should the mouthpiece be fine? Thanks!
(Also, does this happen often? I feel like I'm the only one who is this clumsy!)
Post Edited (2017-05-02 09:30)
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2017-05-02 10:40
I doubt that it will make any difference. The best test is to play it. If it works as usual then it's OK. If not, you have your answer.
Tony F.
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Author: thereallukasj
Date: 2017-05-02 21:07
You could buy a mouthpiece cushion/pad to apply to the mouthpiece and it would prevent it from happening again as well as be more comfortable.
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Author: GenEric
Date: 2017-05-04 07:18
I have used a mouthpiece cushion but I personally don't like it. Although it protects my mouthpiece, sometimes when I am playing, my teeth would move and "grind" against the soft rubber. It's an unpleasant feeling and I try to avoid it. However, After using 2 hard rubber mouthpieces, there were no indents from my two front teeth like there were on my plastic mouthpiece from marching band. If you're not biting that hard on you're mouthpiece, you don't need a mouthpiece cushion but it's only a $10 investment. Just try and see how it works for you.
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Author: rdc
Date: 2017-05-05 20:25
Years ago I hit a David Hite mouthpiece I was using against my teeth and did some damage to the tip rail. I tried to fix it with sandpaper, and inevitably ended up sending it back to David to repair my botched attempt.
He told me about a technique to use if it ever happened again that I have used countless times since with great success.
Rubber mouthpieces have a "memory" in the material, and if you heat the rubber very slightly, it will spring back to its memorized shape. In this day of CNC-created mouthpieces, I'm not sure if this still applies, but I would try it even on one of them.
Caution: the heat must be very slight. I have a friend who holds the mouthpiece close to a 100-watt light bulb. I use an alcohol lamp and just pass the tip of the mouthpiece through the flame, not keeping it in or over the flame for any length of time. Several passes are usually required, checking the mouthpiece after each pass to see if it is getting a little warm. You will see it returning to its shape after a couple of passes through the flame.
Of course, if any of the material of the mouthpiece is missing, it won't be completely restored, but if the hit was light enough, you have probably only pushed some of the rubber to one side much as a car tire creates a rut if the ground is very wet. I can't tell the extent of the damage to your mouthpiece from the picture you posted.
Another caution: if you tell your students about this technique, be prepared to have them return to their next lesson with a ruined mouthpiece. Ask me how I know!
Best wishes, and I hope this helps.
R. Chest
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