 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: ClarinetLuv
Date: 2017-10-15 21:30
So I’ve been using a vandoren optimum ligature on my Yamaha 450 clarinet and the vandoren B45 mouthpiece and I was wondering what the Vandoren LC21P would be like. I’ve been trying to get a darker tone as I tend to have a really bright sound so my high notes come out really piercing. Also I’m always extremely sharp so I’m wondering if this would help with that. Thanks
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Author: mtom
Date: 2017-10-15 22:26
If you haven't already, try out the different plates with the Optimum. The 1st plate has the most contacts and I get a darker sound with that one, the 2nd is between the 1st and 3rd, I use this one the most, and the 3rd plate has only 4 little areas where it touches the reed, allowing for a more free, bright sound.
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2017-10-15 22:30
The B45 tends to have a brighter sound. I'd switch mouthpieces. I like the new Selmer model and you if money is not an issue try an old Chedeville. Maybe the Vandoren BD5, but it is very open. The tip opening is about 1.20.
A ligature can help, but if you really want something dark, maybe the Greg Smith mouthpiece. The key to dark is in the baffle and the chamber. The deeper the darker.
Warning - Be careful not to mix dark with warm. A warmer mouthpiece will always project nicely. A dark mouthpiece can sometimes suffer for projection and you won't be heard, thus DARK can be DEAD sounding.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2017-10-15 22:41
It is very interesting that the German mouthpieces usually do not have deep baffles and chambers. Yet the mouthpieces are considered darker. I disagree. I think they are warmer because they project really well. The facings are very long and the tip opening are usually under 1 mm. Players use very strong reeds and the German reeds are cut differently. All of this together, plus the instruments having smaller bores, produces a warmer sound.
So, I continue to ask why did Buffet make their R13 bores bigger? Why do some mouthpiece makers make the baffles way too deep? These are serious mistakes. They've killed the sound, mixing up dark with warm. But thankfully there are people out there demanding warmth to the sound. Hopefully we will soon see a change and see some really amazing mouthpieces and some new horns come out in the next few years.
By the way, Yamaha I feel is really on track giving players a really nice sound. It's still not there yet, but Yamaha is a big company. Hopefully they will hear us and give us that smaller bore.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
Post Edited (2017-10-15 22:54)
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Author: ClarinetLuv
Date: 2017-10-16 07:06
I usually use the first plate as I feel it makes my articulation really easy to do, however the 3rd plate ends up making my clarinet +5-8 cents sharper than normal which is a no from my already sharp sound.
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Author: zhangray4
Date: 2017-10-16 09:11
I think it isn't the plate that makes you sharp. More of you biting too much or using too much pressure I think. Because the metal plate gives a focused, edgier sound, while the rubber/leather gives a rounder, wide sound. So my theory (and this happened to me as well) is that you are pinching a little because you want your sound to be more focused, which is making your sharper. As I said, it happens to me sometimes.
-- Ray Zhang
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Author: Klose ★2017
Date: 2017-10-16 10:56
Bob,
Your post is quite interesting to me. As a German clarinet player, I think most players use quite soft reeds (2 to 2.5).
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Author: ClarinetLuv
Date: 2017-10-16 15:08
Well how would I go about giving less pressure? My embouchure can produce a clear sound usually but if I soften it up I get a muffled, unclear sound that’s in tune. Should I stay sharp with a clear sound or have bad tone in tune?
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2017-10-16 20:13
I get a very nice dark sound with the masters vandoren ligature in gold..M/O is what is called...no problems with projection etc.
David Dow
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Author: TomS
Date: 2017-10-16 20:31
Warm and clear. I think that's how Clark Fobes describes the sound he strives for in his equipment.
I hear dark and fuzzy nowadays, too often.
Dark and fuzzy, IMHO, usually means poor response, projection and more work.
I like a haunting hollow (resonant) ping, covered with a light wool sweater.
Tom
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Author: J. J.
Date: 2017-10-17 00:13
Can anyone tell me if the plates are interchangeable between the leather ligature and the Optimum? Do they use the same attachment mechanism?
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Author: zhangray4
Date: 2017-10-17 02:51
J.J. they do not use the same attachment. The Leather ligature uses velcro to stick on.
ClarinetLuv: Regarding the fuzzy sound, it is my belief that the B45 tends to give a fuzzy sound up close, but when standing 20 feet or more away, it will be clear and bright. Bob told me this concept, and he is right. I didn't really buy it at first, but Bob is a genius.
If you really don't like the fuzzy sound, try a different mouthpiece maybe? I always find that the B45 gives me a fuzzier sound close up but a brighter, edgier sound at a distance, but other mouthpieces are not as fuzzy close up and not as bright and edgy at a distance. An example is a mouthpiece Bob made for me. Or even the M30, although I highly prefer Bob's mouthpiece over the M30.
-- Ray Zhang
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