 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: vrufino
Date: 2004-10-30 17:09
Having played the clarinet for 45 years, I have collected many ligatures. I was lucky to study with Joe Allard for ten years, and it was his belief that the "cult" of ligtures was "snake oil". Never the less being 16 at the time, I did not pay attention to his advice, thus my ligature collection. Recently, I went back to play several of them and reevaluate the one I am currently using (BG Super revelation). On a Fobes CF+ facing using Gonzalez FOF 3.25, the winner was a Harrison ligature. In the test, was a Bonade inverted, Luyben (clear nylon 40 yrs old), stock Buffet, Portnoy, Rovner, dark.
I would suspect that a different reed, mpc. set up would yield different results as would what I would expect to hear, on a give piece on a given day. Would you clarinetists in cyberspace comment on your own experiences?
Dr. R
Dr. Vincent J. Rufino
Professor of clarinet and saxophone
St. Elizabeth University
Morristown, NJ
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Author: rc_clarinetlady
Date: 2004-10-30 19:57
I just commented on the "mouthpiece disease" and I think there's also a ligature and barrel "disease".
I think we are all searching for that perfect sweet sound, power when needed, articulation and intonation.
I been playng for 35 years and have gone through the Luyben, Harrison, and now have a Rovner ligature. I like my Harrison but it seems a little delicate when changing quickly from the Bb to the A clarinet in orchestra. I use the Rovner because it has only one screw and tightens down firm and quick. I play my Harrison when only the Bb is needed.
I'm sure there are all kinds of scientific articles written about the subtle changes the ligature makes but I haven't been able to really hear the differences as being monumental. I too had a teacher that believed in the "snake oil" theory of ligatures. "Hold the reed on and play" is what she would say. I seem to notice a bigger change in the articulation from one to the next.
Good Luck in your quest. Rebecca
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2004-10-30 21:10
When I found the BG Super Revelation I had tried dozens of other ligatures. There are pros and cons to all of them, but have found this the most reliable overall.
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Author: ron b
Date: 2004-10-31 00:39
So, why do you continue to ignor Joe's advice, Dr.? His sage observation is just as good today as it was then. Maybe you wasted ten years worth of good teaching if you chose to keep your mind closed to his other suggestions as well. What a sad thought.
Be that as it may, anything that will hold the reed in place, so the reed doesn't shift position or leak, is a great ligature. The rest IS snakeoil.
- ron b -
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Author: OpusII
Date: 2004-10-31 01:11
I believe that each mouthpiece needs his "own" ligature.... I've played several mouthpieces and tried many ligatures in the past and settled a very long time with the Vandoren Optimum Ligature. But recently I have reviewed my mouthpieces/ligatures and decided to settle with a standard Vandoren B40 and a BG Super Revelation. I love this setup because, they fill each other weaknesses in with their own strong points....Each mouthpiece/ligature/clarinet has his/hers weaknesses, you just have to find a good combination for yourself.
My current collection ligatures: BG Super Revelation, Vandoren Optimum, Rovner Dark, Buffet Standard, Leblanc Standard
But every human being is different and has to find his own setup . Wouldn’t it be easy if everyone needed the same setup….
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Author: 3dogmom
Date: 2004-10-31 01:12
I know this is heresy, but... here goes...
I use consistently an old Mitchell Lurie metal ligature (gasp). Own and have tried many others. I just can't seem to play well with the other ones. I know I must look very uncool. Everything else seems to sound stuffy to me. People keep asking me to play so it must not all be in my own head, I hope.
Sue
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2004-10-31 02:42
I incline toward the belief that there is much psychology [not exactly the word I want] in our feelings about ligs, it just seems that way for me. Not that we are "in any contest" , I have been playing cls, saxes, oboe/E H for some 75 years, but have tried-out a variety of ligs for only about half of it. For sop cl, I [seem to] have "settled out" with Luyben or a reversed [rods on reed edges] fabric for [my feeling of] dark, a Bonade [either way] or Harrison or reg. 2 screw, for "brighter" AND greater security. For alto cl, Bonades, for bass cl [glass mps] my M Lurie [2 bands, screws on back] seems best. For saxes [ A, T, B], Bonades if they fit the mps, otherwise what is supplied for them, have a couple of the OLD expandable Selmers for odd size mps. Gosh, I'm verbose, but "to each his own" ! Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2004-10-31 03:40
I did a "re-evaluation" just the other day using my Francois Louis silver plate, a Rovner MKIII Dark, a gigliotti, and a piece of velcro.
I decided on the velcro. The other ones all worked, but the velcro took nothing away from my articulation and response (whereas the rovner seemed to for me), it was SO easy to put on (ease of use is a factor in my evalutions, so the FL lig scored LOW in this area), and surprisingly enough seemed to sound a little freeer (spelling? - as in 'more free').
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Ed
Date: 2004-10-31 12:05
While I don't recommend getting crazy over them, ligatures do matter. I find that there is a difference in response and that some seem to offer more or less "coloration" to the sound.
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Author: William
Date: 2004-10-31 15:38
The way that the legature affects the vibration pattern(s) of the reed does make a difference in the "colorization" or tambre of the sound. This was proven by John Winslow when he tested his ligatures played by various local clarinetists with an ossilloscope. As the video graph showed, his ligs allowed a more complete upper spectrum of overtones in the clarinet sound. This was why his legatures produced an much richer and more resonant sound, especially in the lower registers where we can more readilly hear those upper overtones. He often referred to Rovner ligs as "sound curtains" because of their tendency to eliminate the upper overtones and, seemingly, deaden the sound.
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2004-10-31 16:31
It's whatever works for your Physiology, Reed, Mp, & Clarinet.
If you go nuts trying to find the next best thing than you will be wasting a lot of effort and practice time doing it.
Find what works for you and play your butt off with it.
I personally am in a constant search for a better reed. Ya see, I'll play a reed for a week or 3 and then it just doesn't seem right anymore. I don't know, maybe it "blows out" or something, but I really get the impression that it just doesn't work for me anymore so I again have to search for another reed. Yeah, I should probably just play the reed, but it's the sense of "perfectionism" inherent in me that continues to give me the psychoacoustical impression that the reed just suddenly doesn't play well anymore........
I remember once reading here that the reeds are somehow "disposable" but not sure about it
;)
 :
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Author: 3dogmom
Date: 2004-10-31 22:51
I have the same "dead" sound when I play with a Rovner or Rovner-style ligature. I get that they are very popular but it just doesn't work for me.
Sue
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2004-10-31 23:27
TKS, Wm, VERY interesting [at least to me], as I also view our cl sounds as a combo of "overtones" . Did J W publish his test-work?, I'd like to look at it ! To me, our ?desired? dark sound must eliminate the higher harmonics, so some ligs must do that, which could help explain results. HELP, Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2004-11-01 01:36
I prefer the Bonade ligature I bought in 1981 over all the others, although the Rovner is very good, it has a tendency to move a bit when I play on long concerts...
I also like the focus the Bonade brings to the sound. However, the Rovner Dark is my back up.
David Dow
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Author: Katfish
Date: 2004-11-01 13:59
Alexi; I agree, velcro is the best. Great tone, fast off and on, and so cheap I can take advantage of different "colorizations", red for hot jazz, black for formal, yellow for a bright sound, blue for the blues, and green for Saint Patrick's day. All for 4.95 at Home Depot.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2004-11-01 14:02
Katfish,
Yup. I use blue right now. Because it matches the color of the Home Depot Pencil grip that I cut and put on my thumbrest to make it softer (for 1.99). I figured I'd take the money I saved on ligatures and thumbrest cushions and put it into something NECESSARY. Like a Greg Smith Chedeville 1* mouthpiece.......![[rotate]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smiley25.gif)
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Tom J.
Date: 2004-11-01 23:56
There are two basic types of ligature: metal and non-metal. Metal ligatures tend to have more focus and non-metal tends to be less focused but more flexible.
The ligature does not have a "sound" per se, but the varying responses for the different types will promote a sound consistent with the ligature's effect on the reed's vibration. A more pliant leather or plastic lig gives the impression of a dark sound while a good metal lig won't let the sound spread.
For me the best soultion is a metal lig made of very soft silver or gold with thin bands for minimum binding of the mouthpiece and reed.
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