 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Amber
Date: 2000-04-25 23:43
I had asked way back in March about buying a used Buffet Bb and A pair of clarinets...not a set. Well, the guy lowered the price to $1500 and I bought them. And am I ever glad I did! They sound soo pretty and I have been improving so fast since I don't have to fight to get each note out any more!! I wanted to thank everyone for the great advice!:o)
Both sound fine to me, but my friends and one of the band assistants have been urging me to get them customized. And have better thumbrests put on. I live really close to Dr. Bay and can afford it but...is it worth it? And what mouth pieces and barrels and ligs work well with old Buffets? Thanks so much you guys! If it hadn't been for your advice, I might have missed out on a good deal! :o)
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Author: Al
Date: 2000-04-26 00:09
Amber:
Your enthusiasm is boundless!
For someone as interested as you,(and I've read your other posts), you really need a good private teacher. To answer questions about mouthpieces,barrels and ligatures over the internet is a difficult and task and will have dubious results.
That's why you need to get a good private clarinet teacher do deal with you personally and individually. Thumbrests and customization are not your primary concerns.
To recommend the specific items you're asking about(mouthpieces,etc.), on a board such as this without knowing yours pecific needs would be doing you a disservice.
You sound very enthusiastic about the clarinet and music. PLEASE get some good clarinetist to work with you. You deserve it. Al
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Author: J. Butler
Date: 2000-04-26 02:00
Enjoy the moment. Take time to get acquainted with your instruments THEN you can make decisions about what needs to be done (if anything) with the help of a clarinet instructor.
J. Butler
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Author: Kim
Date: 2000-04-26 02:58
I agree. You should get acquainted with your horns first and foremost before you go saying "I need a new..." I wanted a new mouthpiece and barrel when I bought my new R-13 in January, but waited until March when I then bought my new Greg Smith mouthpiece and Chadash barrel.
You should definitely have a private teacher because there is so much to know about tone quality, intonation, and your needs that many people just won't be able to tell you. What's right for us might not be right for you.
Good luck and congratulations on your new equipment!
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Author: Beejay
Date: 2000-04-26 07:32
You may not need a new thumbrest anyway. If it bothers you, buy a BG cushion which fits over the top of buffet thumbrests, and costs but a few dollars. Congratulations on the new instruments.
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Author: steve
Date: 2000-04-26 14:55
congrats on your new horns!!!..one of the things I like about getting new horns, is that they evolve from new toys to new body parts....horns need love just as much as people and pets.....
dont worry about customization stuff...hook up with a master teacher, and go to town...as you progress, the horn and your body will suggest customizations, if needed...you and your teacher can explore them....however, get some opinions if the horns could use a standard pro overhaul, and try out a bunch of reed, mp combinations with standard and moenning taper barrels to see what you like...these aren't customizations, but very easy equipment changes that are fun to explore...the most important equipment is north of the reed and mouthpiece, as Mr Stowell used to say...and thats you!!! do your rose 40 and 32 studies!!!
s.
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Author: paul
Date: 2000-04-26 17:33
It's great to hear of someone with that much enthusiasm for the clarinet. You are in the famous "honeymoon" part of your relationship, where everything works beyond your expectations. Take advantage of this stage in your relationship with your horns and get to know them extremely well. Don't rush in and get them customized, rather get to know them intimately through intensely focused practice. The advice in the postings above about seeking the services of a master tutor of the clarinet cannot be echoed enough. I learned more about music and the clarinet from my master tutor in a couple of short years than I had ever discovered on my own over 20 years.
I still am in the adult novice level, relishing my discovery of fingering scales accurately with alternative strategies and still trying to develop that ever evasive liquid smooth legato that my tutor can do without breaking a sweat. See? I still think of the clarinet and music on the clarinet as my escape from the world, even though I've long past what most folks would call the "honeymoon stage" with my horn at my playing level. That's because, through good times and bad times, I still learned to both like and love it. And, as I gain skills, the relationship gets even better.
No matter what you do, learn the fundamentals on your horns. These include air support (breath control), embouchure support, fingering accuracy, a liquid smooth legato, a controlled staccato, proper tounging techniques, counting, rhythm studies, scales, intervals, and a whole lot more. Take advantage of a good tutor to show you how to do these things right and, like my tutor said, "take the mountain and pound it into a fine powder", or as one of the other posters likes to say "take it to the woodshed". Drill in good techniques so they are second nature to you. Set a solid foundation of fundamental skills underneath you. Then, watch and listen for the apparently overnight miracles. There ain't no such thing, but you will be absolutely surprised at how much you will progress with a good set of horns and with solid instruction. Believe me, that's where the real payoff is. That's because I've been there, and I'm still doing that.
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Author: William
Date: 2000-04-27 03:38
Sounds like you go a good deal. Just a thought, if you like the way your clarinets play as is, do not be too eager to "have them worked on." As they are used clarinets, perhaps they have already been customized or "tweeked" as some people say. It is often difficult to see with our untrained eyes if work has been done and most often, only an expert repair person or accoustician (such as Tom Ridenour) can determine what, if any (or how much) work has been done. Cork pads on your upper joint might be a clue that your clarinets have already been worked on. Try a Chadash barrel before spending a lot of money on fancy thumbrest. Bay's thumbrests are good, but your barrel-mp setup is far more important at this wonderful stage of your career. Also, I second all of the advice for a good teacher. But most important of all, play every chance you get and ENJOY!!!
Good luck.
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