 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2007-11-13 20:37
My wife gives me a hard time about getting mouthpieces. Nothing serious, but a wagging of the finger and a stern, "Oh My God. Not another one." whenever I end up purchasing or even trying out another mouthpiece. So I go to Iraq (you can read my other thread about being deployed) and she's there with me (she's also an army bandsmen, was deployed with me) and so she got a little miffed about me trying them out over there.
I left with three mouthpieces. A primary, and a secondary, and one I found stuck in the case. Well, by and by, a year goes buy, and as I packed my things to come back home, I counted 9 mouthpieces. Not including two I sold and shipped away while deployed.
And to make matters funnier for me (a little more finger wagging from her), when I get my leblanc opus out of storage, I open it up to find another mouthpiece in there with it. And open another box that was in storage to find two more mouthpieces. lol. I just kinda opened it up, looked at her sheepishly, and said in a soft voice, "I love you . . . !" lol. What fun!
Alexi
PS - I have two more coming in the mail . . . but if any of you know her, don't spill the beans!
US Army Japan Band
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Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2007-11-13 22:25
I take it your wife is not a clarinetist?
Ah, if only she were a double reed player . . . then she would definitely understand!
Susan
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2007-11-14 00:45
French horn. And she's been with the same mouthpiece since she started. However I just found out she treated herself to an early christmas present and bought a holton french horn from the popular auction site that MUST NOT BE NAMED!!!! So I do have a little room for negotiation now. It was supposed to be a brand new, high end digital camera OR a new french horn on her part. Apparantly she chose BOTH!!! Tsk tsk tsk!
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Tim P
Date: 2007-11-16 16:28
hey David B
aaaahhh teaching??
i do not teach, nor am i even qualified to teach but....... if just say that i PLAN to teach, not take on any student but maintain that i am a teacher waiting for students then......... i can then tell my wife i need several clarinets and plus handful of mouthpieces..
now you have given me a great idea. this could be very good xmas
thanks
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2007-11-16 16:39
My baggie of mouthpieces has some choice things in it. I do hand it to kids and let them take 'em home with them. I tell them that they can take any ONE mpc from the bag and return the rest to me.
At least, that forces them to fiddle with their horn and think about tone production for as long as it takes to audition the 'pieces.
Bob Phillips
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2007-11-16 21:42
That's a mighty fine idea Bob. Could really open up some people to new things if they've been wary before.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2007-11-16 23:54
Tell her that each one is good for a different piece of music. Something like, "You didn't know?! All the big names in the clarinet world do it."
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Author: stevesklar
Date: 2007-11-17 19:06
when I played french horn I had 3 farkus mpcs - 1 shallow, 1 medium and 1 deep cup
on sop, alto, and tenor sax I have about 20 mpcs total
now on Bb clarinet i have about 50
it's just the nature of the beast !!
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Author: claritoot26
Date: 2007-11-19 18:07
Why so many mouthpieces, guys? I understand the constant quest for improved tone and keeping some in stock for students. Do the mouthpieces change that much after you buy them, or is your concept of sound constantly changing? Sometimes it is difficult to tell. I try not to change more than once a year or so. I've been happy with one for 6 months, but now my new teacher wants me to shop around. Oi, maybe I will join your ranks of mouthpiece hoarding yet. LOL
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2007-11-19 18:22
May I join this fine group of mp collectors/hoarders/trying-outers. I ?may? have as many as 30, but like rabbits, they multiply ! Every now and then, I try to "dedicate" a mp with a cl, as it strikes my fan[ta]cy at that moment. Happily[hopefully], its not a terminal disease. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2007-11-20 01:27
Quote:
Why so many mouthpieces, guys? I understand the constant quest for improved tone and keeping some in stock for students. Do the mouthpieces change that much after you buy them, or is your concept of sound constantly changing? Sometimes it is difficult to tell. I try not to change more than once a year or so. I've been happy with one for 6 months, but now my new teacher wants me to shop around. Oi, maybe I will join your ranks of mouthpiece hoarding yet. LOL Hmmm. Well, I've found that my concept of sound and the sound I output is the same no matter what mouthpiece. There are SLIGHT differences in mouthpieces with me, but I like them all. I like the sound I get from a crystal mouthpiece the best, but it's hard to find a crystal mouthpiece I like. And they are harder to work on so not many people will. So I'll probably keep searching for the perfect 'crystal' mouthpiece.
The only reason I try out other mouthpieces at this point is to find which one gives me the greatest CONTROL per reed. For example, I have an old lelendais mouthpiece worked on by Richard Hawkins. It sounds great, and has very good control but only with JUST the right reeds. If it's not a VERY balanced reed, it's hard to conrol. Also, I can't get the extreme altissimo notes at all (A, Bb, B, and C).
I have a Tom Ridenour mouthpiece which has excellent control and sound, but the dynamic range to me seems a little 'limited'. The fortes just don't get forte enough. A VERY big deal considering I'm in the military and have to compete with some squealing trumpets and God only knows how many trombones (why does every military band have so many anyway?!?!?!)
I have a Richard Hawkins B model that I picked up off the classifieds that seems to fit me PERFECTLY. It's very reed friendly, has excellent control and dynamic expression, and once a reed is balance well enough, I can get those extreme altissimos (still not perfectly, but it's more me than the mouthpiece). It also is fairly easy to slide and bend notes for glisses and scoops and whatnot.
But I'll keep searching for a SECONDARY mouthpiece that is as close to that as possible (have some coming in the mail). And I'll continue looking for a crystal mouthpiece that is up to those standards though. Crystal (for me) sounds great and crystal will NOT change it's dimensions over time. Something that hard rubber will do (over years).
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: stevesklar
Date: 2007-11-21 10:45
I just picked up a crystal too which made it to my "A" collection. It basically blows away most of my other mpcs. In that short list is a couple Chedeville, an early Woodwind and early Selmers. But these are mostly for symphonic playing as they are more controlled but extremely fluid playing !! That crystal may have made it to the top of the A list too .. i'll have to play test them all again when I get a chance.
==========
Stephen Sklar
My YouTube Channel of Clarinet Information
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2007-11-23 17:04
Alexi, if your wife just bought a French horn, then the mouthpiece gremlin lives inside it and may pounce down her throat someday when she's innocently practicing and least expects it. I used to subscribe to two brass-players' forums, back in the day when I stupidly thought maybe I could teach myself to play the cornet. It's true that the need to use reeds impells a whole extra layer of compulsive behavior amongst those of our ilk, but believe me, once the brassholes on those two lists got themselves started on comparing their mouthpieces and complaining about all the useless, oddball, bent, undersized, oversized, too dark, too bright and wrongly shaped mouthpieces stuffed away in their sock drawers, they waxed positively maniacal on the subject.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
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Author: Grant
Date: 2007-11-23 17:13
I have been playing the same mouthpiece for 50 years and haven't been tempted to buy another one. There must be something wrong with me.
I do rotate 4 different brands of reeds.
Peace on Earth and May You always have a reed that PLAYS.
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