The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: juan
Date: 2006-09-17 16:22
hi i own a Leblanc concierto II. I play on Eddie daniels mouthpiece. My sound is alright but i would like make it even better. any suggestion?
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2006-09-17 18:40
What does "better" mean? Can you describe what you feel you're lacking?
Diagnoses via email is well-nigh impossible, anyway.
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Author: juan
Date: 2006-09-17 19:52
i don't know what u mean by that anyways. im 13 years old and i play the clarinet. and searching for advice
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2006-09-17 19:56
juan wrote:
> im 13 years old and
> i play the clarinet. and searching for advice
Advice?
Another 3 or 4 years of serious practice before you need to think about any equipment changes. Really.
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Author: juan
Date: 2006-09-17 20:20
What exactly do u mean by that. what does it have to do with changing my equippment.
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Author: Katrina
Date: 2006-09-17 21:06
Mark means, "Don't change your instrument until you are a more accomplished player." Really. Equipment is NOT the be-all and end-all of sounding "better." A new mouthpiece, reed, clarinet, or cork grease will NOT make your sound better and will NOT make you play better. Practice and time WILL.
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2006-09-17 22:16
Katrina wrote:
> A new mouthpiece, reed, clarinet, or cork grease will NOT make your sound
> better and will NOT make you play better. Practice and time WILL.
I beg to differ. A new reed every once in a while can make a lot of difference. But you're right - in most cases the weakest link is the player (and I am a very good example to prove that assertion).
Another observation re the "sound" - it's one of the fuzziest concepts I encountered. I recently watched a documentary on the TV, but what caught my attention wasn't the contents per se but rather the backing music which consisted of an absolutely incantating, hypnotising clarinet. It wasn't technically very difficult, but it had a sound, melody and "theme" that perfectly blended in with the images, or rather emphasised them and at the same time distracted from them. What I want to say is that "sound" doesn't exist for its own sake, there's the art to produce this sound for exactly these circumstances. Context matters.
--
Ben
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2006-09-18 00:53
Dear Juan,
The mouthpiece/clarinet combo you have is great. The only thing you might want to be wary of is the pitch. My Concerto with the Daniels mouthpiece played VERY low. I countered this with a shorter barrel than that which came with the horn. Just see where you are at with a good tuner. If pitch is fine, don't touch a thing!!!!
...........Paul Aviles
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Author: Katrina
Date: 2006-09-18 02:37
Ben commented:
I beg to differ. A new reed every once in a while can make a lot of difference.
My reply:
Ok, I did think twice about putting that in there! I guess I just meant a new brand or cut of reed will not fix all that ails yer playin'!
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Author: Cuisleannach
Date: 2006-09-18 02:49
Probably the best investment you can make has nothing to do with equipment....a good teacher is worth far more than a brand new instrument.
-Randy
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2006-09-18 07:22
Maybe I'm wrong, but it doesn't sound like he was asking about equipment at all. I think he meant ideas for practice excercises etc.
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Author: juan
Date: 2006-09-18 23:00
yea i tend to be on the flat side alot. so what barrel brand is it.
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Author: jmberch
Date: 2006-09-18 23:23
A very good thing to do to help your tone is long tones. Play your cromatic scale from your lowest to highest note in whole notes at around 60 beats per min.
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Author: Katrina
Date: 2006-09-19 02:39
Ya know, clarnibass, I hadn't read it that way! Good point!
Juan, if you are flat a lot of the time, your tone may also be coarse and unfocussed. The best solution to both the pitch and the tone is to have your tongue in an arched position, like when you say, "Shhhhhhh" or "Eeeeeeeee."
Again, though, it's tough to diagnose over a website, so if there's a teacher nearby you that may help you more than we can!
All the best,
Katrina
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Author: SVClarinet09
Date: 2006-09-21 02:25
wow, you are lucky to be 13 and have such a great setup. it wasnt until my 2nd semester in high school that I stepped up. It was worth the time though. Just like everyone else, don't change your instrument, mouthpiece, ligature, or reeds. What you need to do is invest into a private teacher, personally i take 2 lessons a week sometimes 3, and alot of hard work and practice. I have the Celebrated Method-Klose book. It's amazing. You should seriously look into getting that book.
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Author: Dee
Date: 2006-09-22 23:19
You may need to support the air more. Since you are playing a professional setup, it doesn't incorporate those design features that make it easier for beginner & intermediate clarinet players. This may explain why you are flat.
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