 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: kev182
Date: 2007-02-27 14:07
I just have a very simple question for all of you.
After playing, do you see water on the mouthpiece table after you remove your reed?
This is the first mouthpiece that does this for me. With some reeds a stream of water runs down almost the entire length of the mouthpiece. My reeds are not the problem as i made sure the reed table was flat by sanding + this happens with every single one of my reeds.
any ideas? or should i just ignore this.
Other than this the mouthpiece is great..... dunno what to do
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2007-02-27 14:18
lay a straigthedge on your reed table and see if its concave. Some mouthpieces have this to assure that there is a clean departure from the table to the curve of the lay.
Some makers even think that this is a "feature" of a mouthpiece. It may just be a way to compensate for bad craftsmenship.
It could be a warp in you 'piece.
I layed two Vandoren M30/13s table-to-table, and their reed tables are FLAT, so concave reed tables may not be standard on Vandorens.
Bob Phillips
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Author: Burt
Date: 2007-02-27 14:26
I have never seen the mouthpiece table get wet. The inside of the mouthpiece - well, that's a different story.
I'm guessing that the mouthpiece table is not flat. Or perhaps the back of your reeds are not flat.
A way to check:
Remove the mouthpiece from the clarinet.
Attach the reed as normal.
Block the end of the mouthpiece using your hand.
Suck in hard!
Remove the mouthpiece from your mouth.
The mouthpiece and reed should hold a vacuum for a few seconds. If not, air is getting between the mouthpiece and reed. If this happens for reeds of different brands, but not when switching mouthpieces, then the problem is in the mouthpiece; if not, the reed is the offender. The back of a reed can be flattened using very fine sandpaper on a flat surface such as glass. I suppose this can be done to the mouthpiece. In either case, overdoing the sanding will ruin the item.
I've been told that a good seal between the mouthpiece and reed is necessary for good tonguing.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2007-02-27 14:36
Let's see, the mouthpiece plays great....what's the problem?
.............Paul Aviles
P.S. Well that just sounds mean. What I intended to say it that the "fix" will change the way the mouthpiece plays. Perhaps for the better as Mr. Behn has implied, but it will be different. You need to weight that in the equation to have it altered.
..............Paul Aviles
Post Edited (2007-02-27 18:01)
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Author: Brad Behn
Date: 2007-02-27 15:39
Bob,
Vandoren mouthpieces do have concave tables. The concavity is not nearly as deep as Zinner blanks but there is definitely a concavity in the Vandoren line. If your mouthpiece doesn’t have a concavity, it is an anomalous Vandoren.
Burt,
I personally feel that any decent mouthpiece should be able to achieve suction, but that doesn’t really tell you much information. The mouthpiece’s table can actually have slight convexity and still achieve suction. It can be concave as well. The straight edge technique and experience is the best way to determine the nature of a mouthpiece table, and therefore give you some of the necessary information for diagnosis.
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There are many mouthpieces out there that have concave, flat and surprisingly convex tables. The bottom line is, as Paul suggests that if the mouthpiece plays, that is what matters.
I personally think the nature of a table has a lot to do with how a mouthpiece responds feels and sounds, so it is worth a great deal of exploration. My personal opinion is that a perfectly flat or slightly concave table is ideal whereas mouthpieces with convex tables or tables that have a very deep hollow tend to respond poorly or require unnecessary embouchure nuance.
Some mouthpieces that become highly convex can actually fall in the “Warped” category and these tables are to be avoided. They may cause serious response issues and or squeaking problems. Additionally, these mouthpieces may also result in the water problems described above. But that isn’t necessarily the cause of the water issues, because there are so many other things that could influence this problem. Perhaps too much spit on the reed or a highly concave table is the culprit. Additionally, warped reeds are often problematic and this is the dry winter season when reeds tend to warp…
Brad Behn
http://www.clarinetmouthpiece.com
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Author: kev182
Date: 2007-02-28 15:32
I checked the table with a straight edge and light. The table is completely at the back towards the tenon. moving closer to the window, the table gradually becomes concave...
I guess your right.... whether it plays is the most important factor. although the water that runs to the back of the reed may warp the reed table eventually.
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