 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2002-11-09 18:16
Can anyone tell me a good exercise to more quickly gain reed strength? I use a gigliotti P facing (like that of the post earlier) and only can use a 3.5 crisply and am just beginning using a 4 (vandoren V12). My understanding is that a 4.5 or 5 would work best with this mouthpiece. How can I get there?
Alexi
PS - I really love the mouthpiece, have gone on a mouthpiece "hunt", and honestly love the tone I get out of that one best so I don't think getting another mouthpiece to match my current reed is the best choice.
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2002-11-09 23:05
sfalexi, just don't forget that what works best with any mouthpiece is whatever works for *you*, not what some other people may think. If you get a wonderful tone and facility out of your setup with a #3½ reed, by all means try something else, but don't feel like a lost lamb if the 3½ does it best.
GBK, who is a genuine music historian and extremely knowledgeable on one Benny Goodman, tells me Goodman played his Selmer 9 with a medium-closed mouthpiece and a *#1½ reed*. Many Clarinetists might be horrified by such a setup. But Goodman did pretty well, you may have heard. The moral of this story is simple: Play your own setup, not someone else's.
Regards,
John
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Author: Wes
Date: 2002-11-10 02:06
Well put! Play what makes sense, not too strong reeds. If you can play to a double high C on a number 2 reed, maybe that's ok. The people who advocate a bravado #4 or 5 reed may have a very closed lay which also may prevent them from playing loud enough when necessary. On the Eb clarinet, however,one may have to play as strong a reed as one can handle in order to improve the altissimo tuning. Bonade played on very thin reeds and he sort of defined the American clarinet player. Good luck!!
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Author: William
Date: 2002-11-10 03:11
"Can anyone tell me a good exercise to more quickly gain reed strength? "
Practice, man...PRACTICE!!! Every Day!!! (any music will do)
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Author: jez
Date: 2002-11-10 03:28
Why do you want to raise reed strength?
You "love the mouthpiece" so you must be happy with what's coming out. Why change?
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2002-11-10 05:06
I love the mouthpiece, as in the way it feels. And for the lower notes the tone that comes out, in my opinion, is great. However I am having MAJOR dificulties getting out altissimo notes. Actually, Anything from an A above the staff and above. I thought that as a general rule, the harder the reed, the easier it is to get out those notes. Maybe, just for kicks, I'll try a really soft V12. Now that they sell in two packs, I can afford it! I'll try 2.5 or so and see if it'd work. But my experience with this mouthpiece is that the harder reed I put on, the easier the higher notes are, but the less crisp the lower ones are. That was my dilemma.
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Author: jez
Date: 2002-11-12 12:39
sfalexi,
bear in mind that if you use harder reeds, the tone of the lower notes will become less clear and more breathy.
I suspect you are having difficulties in altissimo because you are using too much lip pressure; biting them out, this causes a softer reed to close up. Try to play the higher notes with no more pressure than the low ones. Find a lip-position that enables you to get the right overtone without squeezing.
I'm not familiar with the Gigliotti mp but can't imagine anything requiring a 41/2 or 5 do you know what the tip-opening is?
I recommend an exercise to develop high notes by practising harmonics from the middle B fingering. The notes available are;
G5 C6 E6 G6 A6 D7. If you can learn to control which one comes out enough to play bugle calls you'll be able to play to the top of the range without biting.
jez
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Author: d dow
Date: 2002-11-12 15:27
Interesting discussion on problems with the gigliotti P facing in the altissimo register; A few comments on things that I have noted with this particular facing(I have used these in the past but no longer).
the resistance on the P facing is fairly high up on the reed (especially )and therefore the player has to be very careful in the choice of reeds...you need reeds with a substantial heart..
I can definetely say a soft reed is not going to get anything happening.
I do reccommend trying to get the reed working better by balancing the rails of the reed with a reed knife. If the rails are bloated somewhat, then you will not get the speed of air required to get the reed moving so to speak...
I would not play on anything softer than a 3 and a half.
I would not hesitate in getting a reed clipper in order to get soft reeds working. It is so much easier to make a soft reed somewhat harder than to make a really hard reed softer with a knife(unless you have experience). Much of reed trimming is about feel and adjusting....remember the dictum" only remove a small amount and test immediately."
Sincerely D Dow
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2002-11-13 04:19
Lez,
I think the tip is 1.00 mm. Very long facing, made for the Vandoren V12 reed I believe (these reeds match up VERY well with it.) Also, what do you mean by getting harmonics from a B fingering? Is that sort of over-blowing? Kinda like getting a G to get out from the low C just by overblowing?
D Dow,
I have close to no clue as to what you are saying. I'm sure it's very sound advice, but I have never before shaped a reed in a my life. I simply find the reeds that play the best in the box, and use those. I've never trimmed or cut or sanded or anything. I know there's a place on this board to learn how to. I remember seeing it. I'll see if it can help me out. One thing, do you sand the underside of the reed or the sloped side? That was one thing I was really confused about.
Alexi
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Author: d dow
Date: 2002-11-13 12:57
Always the sloped side, and use n exacto knife which you would get at a dollar or so. Try the Opperman book for reed adjusting....good luck
Sincerely
D D
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Author: jez
Date: 2002-11-13 22:57
sfalexi,
If you play middle line B natural (all fingers) and change the position of the embouchure (try pushing the jaw forward) till you make a squeak, then hold on to the squeak, establish which of those notes it is and try to make it sound as nice as possible. Work on being able to change between the B and the harmonic at will (re-tongue) and then try to find one of the other overtones till you build up to being able to control which of 6 or 7 notes comes out without moving the fingers. When you can play bugle calls this way you'll have developed really good control of the altissimo. If you can play top G, A and even super D while fingering the full length of the tube, imagine how much easier they feel with the "correct" fingering.
jez (with a 'J')
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