 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: beejay
Date: 2003-04-06 14:06
My teacher has used Vandoren B45 for 40 years, but keeps an old chrystal mouthpiece for Brahms. The sound is markedly different. I have a Charles Bay which is very smooth and a B45 dot which is very bright, and I tend to switch from one to the other depending on the music and the accoustics. I wonder if other players do likewise, or do you look for the one mouthpiece that serves for every purpose. We spend a lot of time on the BB discussing mouthpieces, and I'm sometimes a bit mystified by references to kaspars and chedevilles, "dark sound" or resistance. What does constitute a good mouthpiece? (I'm not asking for makes here, but qualities) Ed Pillinger has a good discussion of the subject on his web site, but I would like to hear some other opinions.
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Author: Ed
Date: 2003-04-06 14:36
I have always used the same mouthpiece for different styles of music, but adjusted my reed or chosen a different reed for the qualities i am looking for.
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Author: Benni
Date: 2003-04-06 14:43
Like Ed, I just tend to change the reed as well. I typically use a softer reed for jazz than I do for legit, but sometimes I just use the same strength for everything (the harder reed) and change the tone a bit via my voicing, vibrato, etc. (And, yes, the vibrato is in reference to the jazz playing!  Well, OKeh, I use vibrato on "Wedding Dance.")
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Author: William
Date: 2003-04-06 15:32
I use a different moutnpiece/reed set-up for concert (wind ensemble & orchestra) and jazz work, but only for convience to avoid having to switch mouthpiece and reeds from clarinet case to sax case depending upon the gig. (I also have a gold plated R13 in my sax case and another set of regular silver plated R13s in my double case to avoid a "clarinet switch" as well) But curiously, no matter if I am using my sax case or my clarinet case set up (clainet/mouthpiece/reeds) my sound is pretty much the same. I do not differenciate between a "jazz" of "classical" sound, but rather try simply to use a "good" sound for all playing venues. My playing style will vary from jazz to classical--as does my equipement--but my mental concept of intonation and what is a "good" tone quality does not.
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2003-04-06 16:28
Hi,
I agree completely with William. No change in sound for any different kind of music. I think I tend to change my projection more than anything for different music.
I even keep the same setup except I might use a little stiffer reed in concert situations. I might use a little vibrato for some jazz things but even though I am a better sax player than clarinetist and am well grounded in the correct sax vibrato sound, I still prefer the legitimate clarinet sound for just about all playing.
I'm just listening to Eddie Daniels and he is playing is great classical/jazz sound which seems to fit so beautifully together. Nuff said.
HRL
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Author: graham
Date: 2003-04-07 08:21
Yes I do; at least as far as my main pair goes, though not for the other instruments. For the main pair I have two main mouthpieces and two other alternatives (the population of these two groups might shift). The first which I use for chamber and smaller orchestra, or when blending with players with a focused tone is a short lay with 1.05mm tip opening and a Louis style smallish tone chamber. Bright focused, projects well, doesn't go all that loud. For big orchestra I use a medium length lay, 1.25mm tip opening, Louis style tone chamber, which has a mellower fatter tone. The other two are closer lays with different lengths/curves etc, and one is an old Hawkes which has a bigger tone chamber than the Louis style ones.
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2003-04-07 12:20
I'm not clever enough to juggle mouthpieces.
I do fiddle with reed selection, and the amount of reed taken... but play the same mouthpiece. Otherwise, I don't know where the squeaks lie hidden!
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Author: William
Date: 2003-04-07 23:22
Just remembered this--when Charles Niedich gave a master class demo at the University of Wisconsin a few years ago, he seemed displeased with his reed. Instead of selecting another reed to play on, he switched mouthpieces. He explained that he keeps two mouthpieces with slightly different facing specs in his case for that very purpose. He seemed pleased with the switch--however, I didn't notice any difference in his sound.
Now, about using different mpcs for different gigs--he didn't cover that, as I recall.
By the way, the reed he played on was taken out of the pocket of his sportcoat in its plastic case. Apparantly, no fancy expensive reed case for him. I remember that he popped it into his mouth for only as long as it took to assemble his clarinet and then right on to the mpc with no rubbing the vamp.
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2003-04-08 18:09
The Vandoren B45 came into being in 1968, so there is no way he could have used it for 40 years....closer to 35 but not 40. Dangain in France used the same mouthpiece for his whole career. Sometimes its best to play like one feels than worry so much about dark or bright, this is a little overdone....one must play the music with a little bit of spontanity as well....
David Dow
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Author: Ed
Date: 2003-04-08 18:28
Last I knew, Eddie Daniels used the same mouthpiece whether he played classical or jazz.
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Author: beejay
Date: 2003-04-08 22:00
To David Dow,
I believe he was one of its developers. He told me he took it up in the 1960s.
Best regards
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2003-04-09 04:48
Dear BeeJay I believe Dangain told me the development of the B45 was done over along period of time between Bernard Vandoren and Guy Desplus. When it first came out it was quite slow in gaining popularity. Dangain still plays on a 5RVLyre set up to this day!
However, he did like the sound I had on the B45 yet I soon switched over to the B40 with advice from both Desplus(in private lessons when Dangain was unable to teach me) and from Robert Fontaine who was also one of my principal teachers in Paris as well.....at around this time I also had the good fortune of hearing Eddy Vanoosthuyse play on a B40, and also Philippe Cuper in recital? I don't seem to remeber the music, but i found he used the B40 as well. Later Mr. Vanoosthuyse swithched over to the B45 Lyre. However, after all of these things I have mentioned a good B45 can be an extremely flexible and beautiful sounding piece.
The older models seem to be alot more warm than the newer ones...I still have my B45 due to the fact I am very sentimental and learned alot about playing through this mouthpiece....so if you have a decent B45 with a good scale and tone you are on to something.
Nowadays Vandoren seems to have quality control issues with this model due to the fact they literally produce thousands of them in huge batches..but do spend some time searching for the right one and you will be rewarded!
they are also quite open so may not be the best for early learning stages in clarinet playing....
You ;may also want to try the new M30 or the B4013 as well.....they are quite nice but very different from the B45 in terms of response and especially timbre.
Best wishes
Best wishes,
David Dow
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Author: beejay
Date: 2003-04-09 08:19
I believe my teacher was working quite closely with Dangain at the time. I have several recordings of Dangain playing his compositions. Send me an email and we can discuss.
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