 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: MD1032
Date: 2007-11-07 01:25
So basically, my band director gave me a Hite Premier early on in high school to replace the horrible stock mouthpiece my B12 came with. It was a large upgrade at the time, but then I got an R13 and a B45, and now have a souped-up R13 and a Bay H2 MO-M that plays absolutely wonderfully, with a response at least three times better than the B12 and Hite. Bottom line, my marching band horn (the B12 with the Hite Premier) is just not up to snuff.
Frankly, the Bay plays so well compared to the Premier that I can't stand to hear myself play the Premier loudly any more. This becomes a problem in marching band when I need to play really really loud, since our clarinet section is only about 40 against the 290 other Marching Virginians.
The mouthpiece definitely has its advantages in that it's cheap ($20), easy to play on (slap on a reed, no embouchure required... just play), and loud, but the fact is, it sounds like complete and total garbage.
I'm thinking I should upgrade, but I definitely don't want to spend more than $75 on a marching band mouthpiece. Recommendations? By the way, I definitely prefer a more open mouthpiece with a longer facing. I play bass clarinet and bari sax as secondary instruments and I'm a big guy with loads of lung capacity, so I love to have an open mouthpiece to really shoot some air through.
Thanks for any suggestions.
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Author: davidsampson
Date: 2007-11-07 03:04
Why not use your B45, or buy another one? They can be found for ~65$ on places like Woodwind & Brasswind. Medium Long facing, and 1.19mm tip opening.
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Author: ElBlufer
Date: 2007-11-07 06:48
Try the Fobes Debut...that's what I'm using for marching band.
EDIT: actually....ignore this, I missed the note about an open facing, this is a fairly closed mouthpiece.
My Setup:
R13 Clarinet (Ridenour Lyrique as my backup/marching instrument)
Walter Grabner K11 mouthpiece
Rico Reserve 3.5's
Bonade ligature
Post Edited (2007-11-07 13:48)
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Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2007-11-07 13:50
<<Try the Fobes Debut...that's what I'm using for marching band>>
If he's looking for a longish facing and an open tip, the Fobes Debut would NOT fit that description. It's a wonderful mouthpiece, but it's just about the opposite of what he's looking for.
Susan
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Author: ElBlufer
Date: 2007-11-07 13:56
ohsuzan wrote:
> <<Try the Fobes Debut...that's what I'm using for marching
> band>>
>
> If he's looking for a longish facing and an open tip, the Fobes
> Debut would NOT fit that description. It's a wonderful
> mouthpiece, but it's just about the opposite of what he's
> looking for.
>
> Susan
Thanks, I noticed that just a few minutes before you did, post edited
My Setup:
R13 Clarinet (Ridenour Lyrique as my backup/marching instrument)
Walter Grabner K11 mouthpiece
Rico Reserve 3.5's
Bonade ligature
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2007-11-07 14:27
As a clarinetist who played with the MV's in years past, and was (and is) louder than hell...
...Don't worry about it. If you want to spend the money, do so. The quality of sound the McKee is working for is more concerned with tubas, t-bones, and the 72 trumpets that he takes.
I'm not saying Dave doesn't care about the woodwinds, but one individual clarinetist is only going to have so much of an impact, (especially in the back and scoring in the endzone).
Enjoy the band, have fun, but don't let it get in the way of your real chops. Please tell Widder I said hello!
Tobin
PS...as a past section leader, if you are that concerned about your sound then you already sound twice as good on that mouthpiece than the lesser members of your section!
PSS...maybe you're looking for a good reason to buy a backup-backup mouthpiece?
Gnothi Seauton
Post Edited (2007-11-07 14:31)
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Author: Iceland clarinet
Date: 2007-11-07 14:55
Sorry if this is no help but I don't understand why you can't use your Bay in outside marching. I've been playing on a professional level mouthpieces in a marching band for 8 years playing around at least 6-8 times outside per year in tempature ranking from +20°C to -12°C and I never had a single problem. And I've both played Bay and Grabner mouthpieces.
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Author: William
Date: 2007-11-07 15:17
Iceland is right--your Bay will most likely survive the harsh weather conditions without damage. The real risk, Ice, is that the clarinet will be dropped with the Bay becoming impaled on the 50 yard line or inadvertantly, but unfortunately, bumped by a passing brass bell, flag staff or bass drum mallet and be broken. I'm with David--why not just use your B45 but add a Legere (#3) reed which will allow the louder sound without sacrficing too much "quality" during pre game and halftime. Stay in step, hit all the correct turns & yardlines and have fun. For a clarinetist, that's about all marching band is about.........
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2007-11-07 19:48
I'm glad you said that, David. I was thinking it, too. With marching band, what's the point of ruining anything of any quality?
Keff
“Everyone discovers their own way of destroying themselves, and some people choose the clarinet.” Kalman Opperman, 1919-2010
"A drummer is a musician's best friend."
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2007-11-07 21:42
In the West Point Band, the entire section used Resonite Bundys and Goldentone mouthpieces. I used a #3 brown-box Rico reed, which I changed once a year whether I needed to or not. These days, I'd probably use a Legere, which would never need changing.
Ken Shaw
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Author: blazian
Date: 2007-11-07 22:03
If you want to be heard, can't you just play an octave higher? I know it's probably not the best thing to do, but hey, if your band director still doesn't notice you, it must be fine. This past marching season I played my entire show up an octave or 2 in some places. I'm shure my director heard me because we only have 88 people in our entire band, but he never said anything. If you do, make shure it's in tune with the piccolo(s). Probably the only reason why my section leader didn't say anything is because we're best friends. =Þ
Otherwise, I'd play on the B45. I used a 5RVLyre and some other random mouthpieces (including a Vito II) on a Yamaha Allegro.
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Author: Michelle
Date: 2007-11-07 22:16
I recommend the Yamaha 4C mouthpiece for marching, or anything that needs good, quick response and loud sound. I have found that it is extremely reed-friendly and among the "loudest" mouthpieces I own. It's also inexpensive.
Disclaimer: I have not done the research necessary to advise where it falls on the open-closed short-long chart.
Michelle
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2007-11-07 22:39
40 clarinettists in the band? Good grief! Last Saturday we were 4...
(I can second both the GoldenTone and the Yamaha 4C, but you can put on a double-ridged Klingon mouthpiece and a Ponn-Farr barrel, but still no one will hear you in that crowd)
--
Ben
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2007-11-08 02:47
The Marching Virginians have 350 members in the band, and march 330 at each show.
Amazingly enough, if you did play an octave higher, Dave McKee would hear it within a short while...and you'd be flamed...by a band director...
Dave is wonderful fellow, and a great band director, but being flamed by him can be quite memorable.
James
Also, the MV's don't march flutes...its all piccolos.
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: William
Date: 2007-11-09 14:15
"the MV's don't march flutes...its all piccolos."
Seems to me, the clarinets should retaliate and all play effers........
(pass some ear plugs, please)
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2007-11-09 14:53
Hey, the Rico Grafonite mouthpiece has been dropped tested on concrete.
I won't say that it has a quality tone, nor even good response, but would make a good spear.
Disclaimer: Im an Artist for Rico Intl. and still think that mouthpiece would make a good spear.
;)
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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Author: kuteclar
Date: 2007-11-10 00:37
I third the Yamaha 4C - good for marching band or younger students. Loud, projecting, but not a harsh sound.
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Author: William
Date: 2007-11-10 14:33
Forget the mouthpiece--just buzz on the barrel and play along with the trombones.
[sorry--couldn't resist]
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Author: samohan245
Date: 2007-11-11 00:49
its marching band why need a good mouthpiece!?!?!?
thats funny that u need a "upgrade"
what u need a is a downgrade!
all you have to do is buy a cheap 13 buck plastic mouthpiece with a rico 2 1/2
![[grin]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie5.gif)
Post Edited (2007-11-11 00:50)
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Author: Ken Mills
Date: 2007-11-14 02:19
Dear MD1032; You are right that a mpc with a long facing is more reed friendly, and if you use a harder reed then all you have to do is blow harder to get a louder sound. The Selmer CP100 is like that. The open space in the chamber is huge, ie, a really deep baffle and big throat to the the mpc bore. Mine has a 1.22mm facing, a long facing too. I can use a 1.5 Vandoren to make the upper and lower clarion sound the most liquid and fat, but I prefer the number 2 Vandoren reed. It is not as loud as a 2.5 would be, but I do squats with a barbell to be in shape for the outdoors whenever needed. The whole matter for me concerns response: you get it with a relatively soft number two reed over just a medium open facing if the reed does not slug against the facing curve and close up. But you see, it is not just the facing that determines what the strength of the reed shoud be, it is the deepness of the baffle too. Also this mpc has a perfectly flat table while I prefer the Vandoren's concave table, but you can fix that. Caution, soft reeds require a higher pitched instrument as a Selmer clarinet. But a 2.5 reed will cure that. Nobody can stand up to me unless they play the trumpet. Oh You Have Those, The Best, Ken
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