 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: psychotic lil clarinet girl (don't as
Date: 2005-08-19 04:13
Ok. In marching band, my clarinet is basically being tortured... I have three of them, which I got all off of EBAY for a total amt of about maybe $600. If even that. However, one is a plastic buffet B12 (the side keys are really bent, and I don't really know how to get it back in place. Other than that, it works fine.) One is a wooden buffet crampon a paris (That's what it says of my barrel anyways. It is what I'm marching with)... And the other is a wooden evette buffet crampon master model clarinet, which is currently still being repadded.
I also have 2 mouthpieces that I am accustomed to (I have a couple of others, but they are all chipped... They are the ones I got off of EBAY), an M30 mouthpiece and a 5RV.
Today, someone stepped on my clarinet because they didn't see it... It was more like the mouthpiece (which is my M30)... I was going to use my 5RV mouthpiece for marching band, but another clarinet player said that switching back and forth from different mouthpieces would mess up my embouchere. I'm so used to playing the M30 now, that when I play my 5RV I don't sound very good at all.
Now I would use the plastic clarinet, but it doesn't sound nearly as good as my wooden one. Plus, I always got my glove stuck in the side key during the middle of the show because it's bent. Anyways, today I lost a key on my clarinet... It fell off in the middle of rehearsal, because a screw was loose. So, I spent about 5 minutes looking for it and finally found it. What if that happened in the middle of a show though? That would be bad.
So, I'm asking if I should keep the same setup. Should I change mouthpieces, because I'm afraid of my M30 getting chipped? Should I change clarinets, even though I got my wooden one for less of a price than my plastic one?
Will it really mess up my embouchere too much if I do switch the mouthpieces back and forth?
Post Edited (2005-08-19 04:15)
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Author: Clarinetgirl06
Date: 2005-08-19 04:26
OK:
DON'T MARCH WITH A WOOD CLARINET!!!!!!!
Get your plastic in the shop to unbend those keys!!!!!!!! It's cheaper than repairing a crack.
It's never hurt me to switch back and forth between 2 mouthpieces. (My crappy marching buffet stock mp and my M15).
DON'T MARCH WITH A WOOD CLARINET! Please..... I can only imagine the cracking! Ahh, the horror!
Good luck!
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Author: ned
Date: 2005-08-19 04:34
'' Today, someone stepped on my clarinet because they didn't see it... ''
Presumably you had the clarinet on the ground.........?
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2005-08-19 04:36
Mary, you are too kool.
Also sounds like you're a heck of a shopper.
Play whichever mpc you want to play. Pick the one you get along with the best.
Don't let anyone else step on your horns.
Go over your instrument every week with a jewler's screwdriver (maybe two different sizes needed to fit the various sized screw heads). Snug down the screws, but don't wreck the screwdriver slots. If you find any that are consistently loose when you make your weekly check, you'll probably want to take action to keep them tight. A tiny, teeny, little bitty dab of blue Loctite (don't even remove the grease first) on the threaded end will do the job.
But don't make it hard to undo the screws by gluing them in too tight.
A properly seated pivot screw shouldn't come loose.
Many folks won't take their wooden instruments outside. I and several folks I play with don't worry about it --but don't risk their best horns in bad weather or keep them outside for a long time. Probably better in your hand outside on a hot, day than soaking in the inferno inside your closed car.
Enjoy.
Bob Phillips
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Author: BassClarinetGirl
Date: 2005-08-19 04:41
I understand being afraid that the mouthpiece will be chipped, and I too go between a few different mouthpieces. But you say that someone stepped on your clarinet... How about not leaving it where someone can step on it? Our director has never asked us to put our horns on the ground. I would say it is better to tuck it under your arm- carefully, as not to bend keys or anything- if you need two hands, as opposed to setting it on the ground.
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Author: jangjiman
Date: 2005-08-19 05:04
Well i march with my wood, but of course I take care of it. It's also not my best wood so therefore, if it does crack, I'll just get it repaired. I have a plastic but it needs a complete overhaul which I don't want to do because that would be wasting money on a piece of junk.
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Author: psychotic lil clarinet girl (don't as
Date: 2005-08-19 05:11
It's not that I carelessly set my clarinet on the ground. We have a place where we are supposed to rank our instruments before we march, so I did.
It's not my best wooden one either... But I think it's gone through enough torture... His name is Woody by the way (after Woody Herman).
Woody
Benny (b12)
Larry (the other wooden one)...
Get to know my clarinets, because I will probably refer to them by name ^_^.
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Author: ned
Date: 2005-08-19 05:32
''Get to know my clarinets, because I will probably refer to them by name ^_^.''
Er right..............OK........I will.............mine is called Buffy.
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Author: clarinetmaniac101
Date: 2005-08-19 05:40
You know I agree with the others. I too have a fear that somebody will step on my instrument but it is always in my hands even if it is an old vito clarient it is still important to me.And about the mouthpiece situation take your PLASTIC clarinet and choose wich mouthpiece you want to play on and stick with it but you still can change mouthpieces and FOR GOD SAKES DON'T LAY YOUR CLARINET ON THE GROUND FOR ANYONE. but other than that have a great time in marching band for me it is not all that fun but it can be at some times. NO WOODEN CLARINET ON THE FIELD!!!!!!!
Rashad
*clarinet
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Author: Robyn
Date: 2005-08-19 12:10
You say your wood horn sounds better than your plastic horn, and I don't doubt it. But as noble a sentiment as that might be.........no one can hear you anyway. It's the nature of marching bands for the brass and percussion to carry, and the woodwinds to maybe add a little to the timbre, but really have no hope of being heard. So no one is going to be able to tell the difference except you.
In my opinion, no wood instrument deserves to be marched with, whether its your worst one or not. The changes in temperature and other outside weather phenomena put too much stress on the instrument.
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Author: kal
Date: 2005-08-19 16:05
What Robyn said.
I actually saw a bassoon on the field once. Later overheard the hornline judge ask the director in question if he were smoking crack rock.
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Author: Tyler
Date: 2005-08-19 21:05
IF you march with a wooden clarinet, or a mouthpiece made out of some other substance besides crystal, consider them ruined.
-Tyler
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2005-08-19 22:15
They've all said what I wanted to say about the clarinet.
As for the mouthpiece, keep in mind that the M30 is probably one of the cheaper mouthpeices you'll find if you went shopping for them. So I say march with whatever Vandoren mouthpiece you like, because if it were to chip/break/shatter/etc., a vandoren MP will be among the cheapest mouthpieces to HAVE to replace anyway.
Alexi
As for the 'ruining of the embouchure', I think that's rubbish. But find which one you like playing more and find more comfortable, and stick with it.
US Army Japan Band
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Author: psychotic lil clarinet girl (don't as
Date: 2005-08-20 00:09
ok... how much do you think it would cost to get my keys bent back in shape?
I have noticed that all this heat has not been good for my clarinet at all... I'm going to go back to the plastic one.
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