 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2007-08-13 22:21
Basically, I have a mouthpiece that sounds wonderful. It articulates fine, gives great dynamics, etc. etc. blah blah. The only gripe I have (and it's a decently big gripe) is that it is VERY resistant. You know how those oboe players look like their head is about to explode while they're playing? That's how I feel. It takes a good amount of force to make the air go through. When it does, it's playing wonderfully.
I was wondering if I decided to work with this mouthpiece a bit, would I get used to the resistance to some degree? Will I become comfortable with it? Will I not even notice it? Or will I always feel that pressure coming back at me?
The only times I wish I had a mouthpiece without resistance when I'm trying to play short, piano notes. A little hard to judge when they're going to sound and how much air to push through to get them to sound. Thanks.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2007-08-14 00:38
using a modified Mitchell Lurie Crystal. Using size 3.5 and 3.75 reed. Seems to fit fine (I had the mouthpiece facing adjusted for a 3.5 reed).
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2007-08-14 01:05
With some caveats, I would say go with a mouthpiece that has the best articulation and the easiest transitions from register to register (both up and down) and then work the sound you want from there with your reeds and embouchure. Bottom line is that we will all sound like ourselves to everyone else with whatever setup we use, so go with what will produce the technical results.
If your setup is particularly resistant the odds are in favor of it being stuffy and non-projecting. What do your peers have to say about your projection?
..............Paul Aviles
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Author: Ed
Date: 2007-08-14 01:44
I have from time to time (briefly) tried some mouthpieces with some appealing qualities, but which were resistant. Inevitably, I always found that I seemed to be using too much energy just to get the mouthpiece to work. It seemed that I had to find the right reed or risk a hernia! :-)
I always seem to prefer to have a relatively free blowing mouthpiece. There are a number of reasons for this. I feel it gives me lots more room for dynamics, ability to color/shade the tone, better articulation, room for expression and musicality. Rather than use up energy and air just to get a tone, I can use that energy to do something with the music. In other words, I feel it gives me more headroom.
I feel that I have more reeds that I can play. If I want more resistance, I can choose a different reed and put that resistance where I want it, rather than have that resistance built in.
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2007-08-14 05:08
If you use that mouthpiece exclusivly for a few weeks there is no question that you will get use to it. But if you often switch, then you will always feel the resistance in comparison to the other mouthpiece.
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Author: RodRubber
Date: 2007-08-14 06:26
chrystal mouthpieces generally have a more resistant feel then a rubber mouthpiece with similar dimension. I recently played on a Henri Chedeville crystal. Had a great low E.
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Author: 2E
Date: 2007-08-14 11:21
I play on some fairly resistant mouthpieces, but have learned to counter it with a good knowledge of reed fixing and adjustment. I have a B40 that works wonderfully with softer reeds and a Pomarico ruby model that workds wonderfully with harder reeds. With the right combination theyre not resistant, the opposite is also true. I also discovered that I was playing with my ligature too high and tightened too much which cut off the natural vibrations of the reed - making it feel more resistant than it actually was. Try some of these tips and see how you go. Good luck!
2E
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2007-08-14 14:16
Sigh. Well, the mouthpiece met it's demise today. Mouthpiece versus hard piece of equipment, and the hard piece of equipment won. Oh well. Guess that solves THAT dilemma. Thanks for the tips. I'll keep them in mind for next time.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: joeyscl
Date: 2007-08-18 00:57
"You know how those oboe players look like their head is about to explode while they're playing?"
Obviously you've never seen a trumpet player in your life
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Author: Firebird
Date: 2007-08-19 12:57
You ought to try German clarinets. The resistance is really high.
Chan
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Author: kenb
Date: 2007-08-19 19:45
"You ought to try German clarinets. The resistance is really high."
In my experience, resistance is a different thing in good German clarinets. Mouthpiece/reed set-up is part of the story, but much of the resistance is built into the bore of the instrument. And this sort of resistance is a positive thing; not so much 'hard to blow' as a cushion of air to 'lean' against which makes dynamic changes and breath nuances much easier to control.
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