 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Zauberklarinette
Date: 2006-04-04 20:37
I currently play on a Vandoren B45 mouthpiece. Just as many clarinet players, a band director said to me, "Go buy a B45" so I did. I don't dislike the B45. It has its moments of being an okay mouthpiece. Sometimes it is just downright crap. I often wonder what else I could have spent $80 on. Maybe it is the Vandoren V12 3.5 reeds I use with my B45 but I sometimes notice air leaking out of the right side of my reed. Before I got my B45, I played on a generic plastic mouthpiece and I had the same air-leaking problem. It might be my embouchure but air leaked out of the right side of that mouthpiece as well. After examining it, I noticed that the right rail of the mouthpiece was noticeably higher than the left rail. I had to shave it down so that the problem went away. I cannot tell if this is the same problem and solution to my air-leaking B45. I have heard of how inconsistant many forum writers say the B45 is. I was hoping someone had a solution to my problem.
side bar: I recently played at an All-City concert and I almost had the oppurtunity of playing a teacher's one-of-a-kind clear Buffet clarinet with copper keys. Buffet was going to release this line of clarinet but instead they decided not to and gave the only one they made - the only one in existence to this guy i know.
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Author: hans
Date: 2006-04-04 21:54
Zauberklarinette,
If I recall correctly, the B45 has a relatively large tip opening. You may find it easier to play it with a softer reed.
Regards,
Hans
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2006-04-04 22:36
"side bar: I recently played at an All-City concert and I almost had the oppurtunity of playing a teacher's one-of-a-kind clear Buffet clarinet with copper keys. Buffet was going to release this line of clarinet but instead they decided not to and gave the only one they made - the only one in existence to this guy i know."
These clear plastic B12 clarinets with copper plated keys were a limited production run back in the late '80s (made by Schreiber who make the student Buffet clarinets from the B10 up to the E11) - they are rare but not unique. I kinda wish I bought one as I thought the B12 clarinets made at that time were the best ones.
Marigaux make a clear perspex oboes - the "2009 altu" model - but this isn't a new or unique thing as Moennig have made clear oboes, and Fox built a clear plastic bassoon.
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Author: clarinetist04
Date: 2006-04-04 23:22
I would bet that you have an embouchure leak. This is very common to clarinetists of all levels as far as my experiences can tell me. I would bet on this because you said you have had this problem with two mouthpieces. Did you buy this mouthpiece from your teacher or from a music store? It may be worth it to have it looked at. I play on a B45 and have excellent response and tone. I'm not sure what the others on this board have to say about this, but I would bet it's been touched upon before so you may get an answer that sounds like "do a search" or something like that. Good luck. I used to have a leaky embouchure but have since corrected this.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2006-04-05 02:02
Is the air leaking between your lips and the mouthpiece/reed? Surely an embouchure problem.
Is the air leaking between the reed and the rail that is not covered by your lips? Possibly a mouthpiece problem, but more likely the reeds are too hard for you.
IMHO
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Author: donald
Date: 2006-04-05 08:44
you say that sometimes this mouthpiece is good
sometimes it is "crap"
do you seriously imagine that the mouthpiece is changing?
just think about it for a minute.....
donald
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Author: BobD
Date: 2006-04-05 10:41
Dear Zauber....I think we have a consensus here....it's you and your reed.
My experience is that B45s don't respond equally in all situations i.e. with all clarinets and reeds. Additionally, our embouchure muscles aren't necessarily balanced. I even notice that my right arm is stronger than my left....and so on including my dental structure.
Bob Draznik
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Author: Zauberklarinette
Date: 2006-04-06 02:14
the leak is between the reed and the rail but its coming from... i don't know how to explain except, the air is coming out of me and into the mouthpiece but some air goes right back out through a leak between the reed and the rail of the mouthpiece.
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Author: Bassie
Date: 2006-04-07 18:21
The way you describe it, it sounds like you're taking in only the very tip of the mouthpiece. If everything else is good, then the only way the air can get out between the rail and the reed is if you're got a longish lay mouthpiece (like B45) and you're trying to play the very end of it. Two things to try, then: take more mouthpiece into the mouth, or find an excuse to try a shortish lay mouthpiece like a 5RV.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2006-04-07 21:21
Perhaps you could get an experienced player/teacher to have a quick look at what you are doing.
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2006-04-07 21:39
Bassie:
The way you describe it, it sounds like you're taking in only the very tip of the mouthpiece.
Seconded. Had this in the beginning because my mouth muscles were rather, well, untrained (I don't even chew gum) and the sole reed I had at that time probably was simply too hard.
I switched to softer reeds and a better-suited mpc and did some isometric training (you can do this while commuting if you don't mind people staring at you).
Meanwhile I'm "back" to a #3 reed and when I'm leaking I know it's time for a break.
--
Ben
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Author: Cuisleannach
Date: 2006-04-07 22:54
Another thing to check is the dressing of the reed. I never play on an undressed reed....I take a few swipes on 400 grit wet-or-dry sandpaper backed by a piece of glass on all but the very tip of the reed, then polish it smooth with 600 grit wet-or-dry. This makes sure that the reed is perfectly flat.
You can make sure the side rails of the mouthpiece are flat (they should be on a B45) by wetting the mouthpiece, placing a small piece of glass on the facing as you would a read, and then slowly ease the glass up the tip rails to make sure they contact at the same point. If they do not, your mouthpiece needs refacing.....not really worth it for a beginning mouthpiece.
People who want to stick with Vandoren and like harder reeds can stick try the 5RV. A better idea is to step up to handmade or semihandmade mouthpieces. I've played on mouthpieces by Tom Ridenour (who has a web site), Rick Sayre, and Robert Scott (who don't). The Scott is what I use right now, but it has been a long time since I've bought a mouthpiece so I'm out of touch with prices.
In my opinion, once a person has gotten past the point of beginner and decides he or she would like to play for a while, dropping a c-note or two pays dividends far past the cost. Anything less is a false economy. It is helpful to get a good teacher to guide you in your selection.
CAVEAT: If you are going to major in music it is probably not wise to pay a lot for a mouthpiece as your teacher will almost undoubtably want you to adopt his or her preferred set-up.
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