 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2005-11-26 13:04
Is it wise to have a new mouthpiece bored up to size? I've always used stock mouthpieces without having them altered, but my new Vandoren M15 is playing slightly flat (and hasn't got the same degree of flexibility as my previous, but has a much better tone which I like), and I assume by enlarging the bore will sharpen it enough.
Should it be bored up to the same diameter of either the clarinet's minimum bore diameter (at the middle tenon - 14.9mm on mine, and the mouthpiece bore is the same anyway) or to the wider top tenon diameter, or to the same diameter as the upper barrel bore so there's no step at the joint?
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2005-11-26 13:22)
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Author: Chris Hill
Date: 2005-11-26 14:03
Enlarging the bore will probably change the sound, and will drop the pitch.
Chris
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2005-11-26 14:15
Dont do it!!!
Listen to Chris. (who, by the way, is a great repository of the best jokes on the internet)![[grin]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie5.gif)
If your Vandy is a 13-series, consider a switch to a regular series of the same facing. The bore (conical area beneath the throat of the chamber) is shorter in the regular series, I believe.
Former creator of CUSTOM CLARINET TUNING BARRELS by DR. ALLAN SEGAL
-Where the Sound Matters Most(tm)-
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2005-11-26 14:26
It's a shame the long facing and close tip of the M15 is only in the 13 series - but yesterday I tried my 5RV Lyre (that is my main one) and various other clarinets and they too were all a bit flat - but to be honest it was pretty cold.
I'll percevere with it, and maybe try reeds with a shorter, thinner tip (I'm using V12 strength 3 at present). If opening the bore mucks everything up then I won't waste a total of around £70 on that.
The tuning isn't drastically flat, only a couple of Hz at most, but with the long facing and close tip there isn't much give.
My clarinets should be warm enough to try now as I've had the heating on, yesterday they were a bit on the chilly side as I had them with me at work all day.
Have there ever been tests done on the effects of CO2 and pitch? As CO2 is heavier than oxygen this has a flattening effect on pitch. The best way I've demonstrated this is drink can of Coke quickly, then burp as you're playing a held note - the pitch certainly drops then! Even more disastrous on double reeds where the resistance is greater - the flattening lasts much longer, and a very long time if circular breathing.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2005-11-27 12:39)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2005-11-26 15:29
I've tried several different kinds and strengths of reed for the last half hour or so, and it's just a case of me getting used to the new mouthpiece. So I won't be doing anythng drastic as first mentioned.
The freebie 56 Rue Lepic 3.5 reed I picked up has a good sound, but it's a bit tiring on the old chops. I didn't know what strength it was before opening as it's all sealed up in foil, and the card that it was stuck on doesn't give anything away.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2005-11-26 15:30)
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2005-11-26 16:40
Have you tried a shorter barrel?
Someone who has a clarinet of the same make/model might have one you can try. See if it makes a difference.
CO2 will change the pitch....as will helium.
This method is not practical in most performance settings.
Of course, you could try neon or argon, or xenon, apply an electric current and find a rock band in need of a spectacle.![[hot]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/hot.gif)
Former creator of CUSTOM CLARINET TUNING BARRELS by DR. ALLAN SEGAL
-Where the Sound Matters Most(tm)-
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2005-11-26 17:19
I think Toyah Willcox once used helium to ermmm... 'enhance' her voice on one of her album tracks.
One of my Centered Tones (an early 17/6 N series) has a 65mm barrel and the tuning was very slightly sharp using my new setup.
I can get up to pitch on my Seires 9s using my 67mm barrel (the other one is 68mm), but it is a new mouthpiece with different characteristics and I will have to work at it and find the right reed(!) - I shouldn't have really expected things to be perfect from the word go, but I do feel there's plenty of potential there. I am using a completely different reed to what I use on the 5RV Lyre, as I have found by experience the same reed won't suit every mouthpiece on all single reed instruments, and it's always best to start from scratch when trying new mouthpieces.
Another factor being that I've only been taking to playing clarinet more seriously in the last few months after nearly 15 years of not playing it much, so I'm still in the process of picking up where I left off, so my embouchure is by no means fully accustomed to clarinet playing at present, and I have a fair way to go to get things as right as they can be.
The 5RV Lyre is more flexible in terms of pitch control, but it is easy to play sharp - the M15 is very stable.
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Author: pewd
Date: 2005-11-26 18:28
they make a 5RV-Lyre in 13 series, which plays flatter than the non 13 series one.
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2005-11-26 20:19
And after another 30+ mins. practice I'm getting better - I'm experimenting with a different and firmer embouchure and the needle on my tuner is almost spot on to slightly sharp +/- 1-2 Hz either way.
It's getting there!
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2005-11-27 12:38)
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Author: lowclarinetman
Date: 2005-11-26 21:13
The M15 is designed to be used with hard reeds.
I play on one now and i love it, but I have to play on V12 4's to keep it in tune, all reed sizes i have tried below that are flat. This is something I have seen in a number of different m15's. However, the number 4's don't feel any different than using a 3.5V12 on a 5rv lyre, what i moved from playing.
They are a very nice mouthpiece and cna really project with a great sound in an orchestral setting.
My advice is not to change the barrel length but play on the size of reed that is recommended for such a mouthpiece.
And if you are not doing any heavy duty orchestral playing or playing where you really need your sound to project, maybe it is better to stick with the 5rv lyre.
just my .02
bob
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2005-11-26 21:52
I was tending to sound a bit 'pinched' with the 5RV Lyre when playing loud and keeping the pitch up, and hissy/fuzzy with anything harder than a 2.5 in the lower register (especially the forked B, C, C#, Eb, E and side F# even with the wide ventings I have given all these notes), but this M15 and 3.5 Rue Lepic seems to work well, and the lower register is clear, the resonance and reediness on the low notes when played at ff is what I want, as well as the full and bright sound in the higher register - almost the German sound I want to create with the equipment I'm using (Selmer Series 9s), and with a bit more work and determination I think I'll have it sorted.
So a box of 56 Rue Lepic 3.5s is probably the next port of call.
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2005-11-27 00:08
Aha........The Selmer is a wider bore horn that the M15 was meant for.
You could try the HS* selmer mouthpiece.
I assume the 9s means series 9 and not 9* (star)
ps do not use the 85 series selmer mpx. Use the older lettered designation mpx.
Former creator of CUSTOM CLARINET TUNING BARRELS by DR. ALLAN SEGAL
-Where the Sound Matters Most(tm)-
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