 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Merry
Date: 1999-03-01 09:54
What is the correct orientation for a ligature? I always thought that the correct position of the screw(s) was to the right when the reed was facing you. Hence if a metal ligature is meant to be placed in the inverted position (ie the screws on the opposite side to the reed) when the clarinet is in the playing position the screws will be on the right. Please tell me if this is correct. I have always taught my students this but when another local music teacher takes them for school band she tells them to turn their, what I think are non-inverted ligatures, around into an inverted position. She flatly told my students I was wrong. Am I?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Karel
Date: 1999-03-01 10:08
Generaly i thing you are right, but i Think it is nt important at all. It realy doesnt metter if you will turn ligature anyhow. For the sound I think no different.
Karel
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Jim Carabetta
Date: 1999-03-01 10:57
I agree with you, Merry, unless the ligature is one of those low-end jobs that only have threads on one side (The screw passes through the first unthreaded hole and the end of the screw catches the threads on the 2nd.) Even Rovner suggests turning the screw around when using theirs in an inverted position.
As a right-handed player, if I needed to make a quick adjustment, I'd do it with my right hand so I'd expect the screws on my "master" side -- also, a can still keep playing a range of notes with my left-hand without stopping, while I make a quick tighten/loosen with my right. Try to do that by removing your left hand..
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Arnold the basset hornist
Date: 1999-03-01 11:22
I didn't like the marks the metal ligature of my alto sax pressed into the reeds so I turned the ligature around the screws to the top (and "left hand operation"), to prevent the moutpiece to be scratched I glued some cork at this section of the ligature - the area where the sockets for the screws are soldered on the legature is quite curved, not plane at all.
What did I win? At least I could modify the position of the ligature to the reed even after playing with a reed a while.
I own a CD of Sabine Meyer, at the booklet is a picture with a metal ligature turned screws up. On other pictures she uses a cord ("shoestring ligature"). I can't remember having seen her with a metal ligature 'screws down'.
So, the metal ligatures are (normally) designed to be used 'screws down', but manny people use them 'screws up' to prevent the reed heel to be harmed.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Dee
Date: 1999-03-01 12:01
Ligatures are designed that the screws head should be on the right when the mouhtpiece faces you. This is true for both inverted and non-inverted ligatures.
If you put a ligature on wrong (i.e. non-inverted as inverted or vice versa), the clamping on the reed will be all wrong and could cause tonal problems. Metal ligatures especially will fit poorly if you put them on backwards.
I don't believe that there are any commercial "left handed" ligatures although there are a few people who have done custom modifications to their own ligatures to end up with one (or so I have read).
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Dee
Date: 1999-03-01 12:04
Two suggestions.
1. Have a tactful talk with her about the effect on fit of putting the metal ligature on backwards. Take a couple along and show her how badly they fit that way.
2. If that is not possible or doesn't work, have your students buy an el cheapo non-inverted ligature at the band store to use in her band class. Use this as a teaching opportunity to show the students the difference in equipment that is available.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Dee
Date: 1999-03-01 12:24
What I should have said is have your students by a cheap inverted ligature to use in her class. The Luyben is quite inexpensive and is really quite good. It is what I got for both of my daughters to use.
Also if you talk to the teacher be very tactful. Students do get mixed up and it is possible that what the teacher really wants is for them to get inverted ligatures. You don't know how many times I have had to call a teacher and find out what they really meant when my kids came home from elementary or junior high and said their teaching required something that made no sense to me. It always turned out to be a misunderstanding in what was being requested.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Daniel
Date: 1999-03-01 19:56
Actually, i can think of only one ligature that regularly had screws on the left side. That was the old Kaspar ligatures. My teacher has three of them and each of them are left-side screws. I've seen one that was right-side before though.
As to why they are like that, i don't know. Maybe Kaspar was left-handed himself... or maybe he just had a great sympathy for left-handers. Who knows...
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Hiroshi
Date: 1999-03-01 21:11
I think you can recognize the alignment of upper joint and lower joint is not "straight" in design.I think this is same with barrel and mouthpieth.I set their position as just my mouth position.
We have right hand thumb to raise the clarinet,it has an impact of royation countrecockwise seen from the player.
This makes uneven pressure on reed.Therefore,synmetrical dimmension does not necessarily good.Right hand side of the reed should be very very sightly thinner than the left.
Just like this, I am seeking eft hand screwed inverted ligature.It will compensate the unbalance.But I think the real answer will be upper screw right and lower left.
I am serious.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Mark Charette
Date: 1999-03-01 21:18
Hiroshi,
I think you may be snark* hunting here :^)
(* From a poem by Lewis Carrol - "The Hunting of the Snark" - an imaginary animal).
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
