 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: andyrox
Date: 2006-09-01 09:01
well i have been playing on my r13 with a m15, 56 rue lepic size 4, and vandoren leather ligature setup for quite a while. this has worked great on my Bb but not too well on my A. I have decided to try a new setup, so i tried every possible combination with the following:
Mouthpiece: m15, b40 lyre
reeds: vandoren traditional 3.5/4, 56 rue lepic 3.5+/4
ligatures: optimum, vandoren leather, BG revelation
NOT even one setup suited me for my Bb and A. The sound ive produced were not round or full. It was more restricted, thin, or bright.
i want to stick with the m15 and 56 size 4 because it sounds best on my
Bb but too hard for my A. I ordered the reed wizard from WWBW but it is out of stock at the moment. i will be recieving it in the middle of october and i start school in late september and i want to play my A as well as my Bb
I am open to any suggestions. THANKS
Post Edited (2006-09-01 09:02)
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2006-09-01 10:17
I assume that you are confident that there are no prevailing "issues" with the "A" such as sealing, pitch too low etc.
This out of the way, there should not be THAT significant a difference between the Bb and A so that the set-up needs to be touched. If possibe, sit down with a competent repair guy to see if the "A" could stand some internal tweaking.
The easier fix may just be trying new barrels (I'm still hedging my bets on the horn playing too low - do some honest assessment with a good Korg).
I have heard the Yamaha "A" horns are much less resistant but I have no direct experience and I really hesitant to even suggest the answer to any problem is to buy a whole new horn.
..............Paul Aviles
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2006-09-01 11:26
If you mean there is intonation problems, then it is possible that the mouthpiece just doesn't fit the A clarinet. If it is only the sound that you don't like on the A, then it is probably something to do with the clarinet, because the same mouthpiece has a good sound on the Bb. It could be the barrel like Paul suggests, or just the acoustics of this specific clarinet.
I like Paul's suggestion of going to a clarinet repairer, they might find somethings to fix. Just one example - if one pad doesn't work very good it can make a lot of the notes very hard to play.
"I have heard the Yamaha "A" horns are much less resistant but I have no direct experience and I really hesitant to even suggest the answer to any problem is to buy a whole new horn."
That is right, but maybe you sould try other A clarinets so you can compare. That way you can easily tell if it is the clarinet that's the problem (though that's kind of a big problem).
About Yamahas being less resistant, I have played Yamaha A clarinet (though only two, one of each model) and they didn't feel at all less resistant than Buffet A clarinets. I have played a lot of Buffet A clarinets in the last two years (R13, RC, RC Prestige, Festival, Tosca, and at least two of each model, plus more in Greenline) and they didn't feel resistant at all. Most of those, and the Yamahas, I tried at a convention where they made sure the clarinets were in excellent condition.
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Author: Morrigan
Date: 2006-09-01 12:02
I really think you need to try a softer reed. You may be mistaking a 'dark' sound for a dead, stuffy sound. What do others think of yor sound? Do you find that it takes a lot or a little effort to play the clarinet? Before spending a lot of money on mouthpieces, try different reeds out, maybe even ask your teacher to adjust one or two for you, that could be the difference you're looking for.
Good luck - finding a good setup is tough!
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Author: Gretchen
Date: 2006-09-01 13:03
I'd go with the new barrel suggestion. Barrels make a HUGE difference, especially on the A Clarinet. If you feel your sound is stuffy, a better barrel will help open the clarinet up a bit, and make your whole set up feel better. For now, you might have to compromise on using a softer reed in order to feel comfortable on both horns.
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Author: lllebret
Date: 2006-09-01 15:29
I would second both the suggestion to have the A looked at by a repairman and of trying a slightly softer reed. My buffet A is noticebly more resistent than my b flat and reeds that are good but almost too hard on my b flat are stuffy on my A. If I'm going to go back and forth alot without the time to change reeds I make sure that my reed is slightly soft on the b flat so the A will play well.
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2006-09-01 16:14
First.......
Make sure the horn is ok.
Play someone else's A with your setup and see.
Then.......
If you get the same response with another horn, then follow Morrigan's advice above.
And consdider doing this........
Use the A horn exclusively to do your reed selection. Do your scales, etudes, or whatever on the A. Then, when you are nearly finished the workout, try the Bb .....it will feel like a toy.
GBK has said this before....he does most of his practicing on the A.
Former creator of CUSTOM CLARINET TUNING BARRELS by DR. ALLAN SEGAL
-Where the Sound Matters Most(tm)-
Post Edited (2006-09-01 16:16)
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Author: GBK
Date: 2006-09-01 17:10
Alseg wrote:
> GBK has said this before....he does most of his practicing on
> the A.
Almost 100% practicing on the A clarinet only.
Since I don't have perfect pitch, it doesn't matter using the 'wrong' clarinet on repertoire and exercises...GBK
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Author: Sylvain
Date: 2006-09-01 17:32
GBK wrote:
> Since I don't have perfect pitch, it doesn't matter using the
> 'wrong' clarinet on repertoire and exercises...GBK
I definitely don't have perfect pitch, but I still find this distracting. Once a long time ago when I was actually practising regulary, I would do my warm up with both horns. For example I'd play alternating scales: C/Am with one horn then F/Dm with the other, etc.
During that period I played both horns with equal comfort.
--
Sylvain Bouix <sbouix@gmail.com>
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Author: andyrox
Date: 2006-09-01 17:53
Thanks a lot for the quick responses. I will get my A checked by a repair man If it doesnt make a difference, then i will consider a different barrel. My clarinet teacher told me that i play the A with an amazing sound and that it is not broken. When i make that amazing sound with my A and use the same setup on my Bb it is too soft for my Bb and i have to adjust so much that i cant play my Bb with confidence (vice versa). ill keep you guys updated.
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2006-09-01 18:09
Also keep in mind that there is no law that says you have to use the same mouthpiece/reed/ligature combination on the A that you use on your Bb. There is a good chance that the bore of your A clarinet is smaller than the bore of the corresponding Bb. In such cases, the A is naturally somewhat more resistant than the Bb. For many players, the difference is negligible (and Alseg's and GBK's suggestion that you practice everything on the A to acclimate yourself to it may well solve your problem) but, in your case, it could be that a mouthpiece optimized for your Bb will not be comfortable, let alone optimized for your A and vice versa. If you are happy with your Bb setup I wouldn't fool around with it (e.g., using a softer reed to accomodate the A). Assuming the A is in good mechanical condition, I would suggest you focus on finding a moutpiece/reed/ligature combination that works with your A. If you make your selection carefully, you shouldn't notice much difference in feel between the two clarinets. An advantage of having a separate mouthpiece for the Bb and A is that it allows faster switches.
Some may argue that the reed will dry out on the mouthpiece that isn't in use. I have never noticed this to be a problem but YMMV. If you are concerned about it, judicious use of a mouthpiece cap should reduce the risk significantly. Reed doublers in jazz groups, big bands and pit orchestras seem able to cope.
Best regards,
jnk
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Author: andyrox
Date: 2006-09-03 03:28
thanks a lot for your help. I have bad experiences from reeds that are not moist. I like to wet my reed right before i play, and if i have seperate setups I will have a very unconfident attack assuming the reed is dry and will squeak or not play.
i actually found my A to sound really good with a softer reed. When i switch to my Bb it is way too soft.
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Author: pewd
Date: 2006-09-03 04:42
i do what jack said - 2 mouthpieces, 2 reeds, 2 ligatures - one for the Bb, one for the A.
I use the same type of mouthpiece and ligature on both, with a slightly softer reed on the A.
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: kev182
Date: 2006-09-03 12:27
Just curious, why do you do all your practicing on your A GBK?
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