 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Jacob
Date: 2000-04-02 03:13
One of my friends told me that besides the horn itself, the 3 most important things are reeds, mouthpiece and ligature. ligature?! I thought that they all basically just secure the reed, but it seems that they are almost just as important as mouthpieces. Any advice on a good ligature? I'm currently using a Vandoren
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Author: Dee
Date: 2000-04-02 03:47
The *most* important element is the player. But after that the mouthpiece and reed are far more important than the clarinet itself. The mouthpiece/reed/ligature system setup can make a clarinet easy to play or hard to play. It can assist in developing beautiful tone or hamper the development of good tone.
Yes the ligature holds the reed but the exact degree and location of clamping can enhance the reed vibration or dampen it. It can augment certain harmonics or weaken them.
The following examples apply to my own playing for other people they may vary. On my Vandoren B45 mouthpiece (a somewhat medium open tip), the Rovner ligature helped me achieve the sound I was after. It seemed to damp down the reed vibration slightly so that it tended to tame the higher harmonics so that the sound was not shrill. However when I switched to the Vandoren 5RV mouthpiece (medium closed tip), this was too much damping and the sound went dead and dull. So I got out an old Luyben that I had lying around. It allowed the reed more freedom to vibrate more freely and I was able to get a sound that I liked.
Many people think the ligature "just holds the reed." How you clamp an item will affect its vibration. Just ask any of the countless automotive engineers who spend countless hours analyzing the impact of vibrations on engine components as a function of different clamping mechanisms. The ligature is our "clamp."
To get a feel for this, try experimenting a bit. Try tightening your screws as much as you can without stripping them and play. Then loosen them as much as you can without having the reed slide around and play. Move the ligature up and try playing. Move it down and try playing. Try just holding the reed on with your thumb and see how the open G sounds.
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Author: Cholé
Date: 2000-04-02 13:45
I was really surprised at how much difference the ligature makes when I swapped the one which came with the clarinet in for a Rovner dark. I sounded about 10 times better, the improvement was in some ways more than when I recently swapped my old Selmer Signet 100 for a Buffet RC(and the ligature was much cheaper!)
Hope my ramblings help (or are at least of interest!)
Chloe
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Author: beejay
Date: 2000-04-02 15:55
I have heard lots of good things about the Spriggs floating rail ligature, but have never been able to get my hands on one. If anyone has any comments, I would like to hear from you. I also have long been a fan of the Rovner ligature. But I switched from a Vandoren RV5 to a B45, and thought the Rovner sounded a bit stuffy. I switched to the ligature that came with the clarinet, which was an improvement, and then to the Oleg ligature, which was a big (expensive) improvement -- much brighter and easier to blow. But I tried about 10 different ligatures before putting down my money. Moral: the best ligature depends on you primarily and the mouthpiece secondarily, and you will only find the right one by trying them all out.
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Author: William
Date: 2000-04-02 16:56
I use Winslows on all my clarinets and saxes and like the resonance they add to the sound--but, they are expensive and hard to get. Never liked the Rovner. Have you tried the new BGs or the old Bonade reverse?
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Author: Katfish
Date: 2000-04-02 18:52
27 inch flat shoe string. Black for formal concerts, white or school colors for marching band.
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Author: Willie
Date: 2000-04-02 21:01
If you figure in the number of different mouthpeices, ligs, and reeds out there, you can come up with many different combos. Add to this your chops, as they will differ from the person next to you and the numbers get even higher. Just gotta experiment and have fun with it. I would add too that you might have someone out in front off you and listen for tone as the tone projected may not be what YOU hear while blowing your notes.
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Author: Jeff
Date: 2000-04-02 23:13
I use the Vandoren Optimum, and like it a LOT. It has improved articulation and my overall sound.
Jeff
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Author: Cara
Date: 2000-04-03 07:36
I also switched to the Vandoren lig. and now can use most reeds out od a box!
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Author: HTW
Date: 2000-04-06 23:10
I use the V. Optimum too, and I love it. Great in that the three plates make it so customisable, It's really three ligatures in one. I used the Bonade setting. It's also solid as a rock, it won't snap. It costs an arm and a leg, but it's worth it.
I used to have a real Bonade. It was really nice, and cheaper, but it also snapped on me after about a year of normal use.
I have a Rovner too. It's nice but it doesn't go with my B40 mouthpiece. The resistance is too much and the response too sluggish.
Just won a gorgeous brand new gold plated solist ligature from BG. Do you guys know anything about it?
I'm also trying to get my hands on a floating rails.
In short, ligatures are very diverse and you have tons of possibilities.
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