 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Peter Bindemanis
Date: 1999-01-22 00:13
I've been playing and renting for a month on a standard vito 7214. A clarinetist suggested changing to the Yamaha YCL-20 or upgrading the mouthpiece. Also, she recommended switching from vito reeds to Mitchell Lurie reeds. Good advice?
Why are reeds so important, and what is the proper strength for a beginner? Where would additional (equipment) money best be spent? Thanks for your thoughts.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 1999-01-22 00:22
Peter Bindemanis wrote:
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I've been playing and renting for a month on a standard vito 7214. A clarinetist suggested changing to the Yamaha YCL-20 or upgrading the mouthpiece.
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The 7214 is a fine beginning clarinet. An upgrade to a Hite Premier or Fobes Debut low-cost mouthpiece would be a wise investment if your current mouthpiece is a "noname". What is your current mouthpiece?
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Also, she recommended switching from vito reeds to Mitchell Lurie reeds. Good advice?
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I'm not familiar with Vito reeds, but the Mitchell Laurie are fine reeds and reasonably priced.
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Why are reeds so important, and what is the proper strength for a beginner?
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:) Reeds end up being the heart of your instrument, and the bane of our existence. A good reed is treasured like a fine wine, a bad one like a bad wine gone sour.
2 1/2 Mitchel Laurie are pretty good starters.
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Where would additional (equipment) money best be spent? ------
1) A teacher!
2) Friends to play music with (bribe if necessary
3) A Tuner.
4) More music books filled with music you like to play after practice.
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Author: Dee
Date: 1999-01-22 12:16
I would agree with upgrading the mouthpiece. As Mark has suggested, the Hite Premier has a good reputation. Another one to consider is the Fobes Debut, which is also well thought of. The Vandoren mouthpieces are good but more expensive.
The Vito and Yamaha YCL-20 are equivalent beginner grade instruments so there is no real point in changing clarinets.
The reed is important because its vibrations make the air start vibrating. If the reed vibrates poorly, the sound will be poor. Just like anything else, a sound needs to start good (the reed) or later corrections (the horn) are not nearly as effective.
Put a good reed and mouthpiece on that Vito and you would be amazed at how good it can sound.
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Author: NicoleY.
Date: 1999-01-22 20:00
I agree with Dee and Mark. I took a specialist's advise and got myself a Vandoren B-45 mouthpiece to go with my Vito. Then I switched to Vandoren V-12 reeds and steadily changed strengths still I got where I am now. If you change your mouthpiece and change your reeds(that's only if the new brand you pick sounds better) you will be amazed at the sound that comes out. Sounds almost like a wooden clarinet.
Nicole y.
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Author: paul
Date: 1999-01-22 20:22
I echo Mark's comments in the order he put them. A good teacher is worth the most. A tutor/teacher can help guide you towards your goal of getting the most out of your existing skills and helping you to make improvements. Having friends to play concerts with is superb. This key item will help you understand that music is rarely a solo effort. Rather, it's the coming together of a team of folks to make the magic of music happen. A tuner is a good thing and they are fairly inexpensive. A clarinet that plays right smack on the mark in-tune sounds tremendous. You can hear an in-tune clarinet as low as ppp (very quiet) in a crowded concert hall without microphones if it is played exactly in-tune. Lastly, fetch some music that's fun for you to play and hear. It doesn't have to be anything fancy and it really helps if it's within your playing skill range. This is because making music must come from the bottom of the heart and from the depths of your soul. Otherwise, it's just a mechanical noise like a monkey with a crank organ. Even playing scales can sound good as long as they are played with depth and feeling. Been there, done that.
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Author: paul
Date: 1999-01-22 20:29
I echo Mark's comments in the order he put them. A good teacher is worth the most. A tutor/teacher can help guide you towards your goal of getting the most out of your existing skills and helping you to make improvements. Having friends to play concerts with is superb. This key item will help you understand that music is rarely a solo effort. Rather, it's the coming together of a team of folks to make the magic of music happen. A tuner is a good thing and they are fairly inexpensive. A clarinet that plays right smack on the mark in-tune sounds tremendous. You can hear an in-tune clarinet as low as ppp (very quiet) in a crowded concert hall without microphones if it is played exactly in-tune. Lastly, fetch some music that's fun for you to play and hear. It doesn't have to be anything fancy and it really helps if it's within your playing skill range. This is because making music must come from the bottom of the heart and from the depths of your soul. Otherwise, it's just a mechanical noise like a monkey with a crank organ. Even playing scales can sound good as long as they are played with depth and feeling. Been there, done that.
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Author: Susan
Date: 1999-01-23 04:45
I also recommend the Hite Premier mpc. Try different strength reeds. But the most important thing is a good teacher. Even if you only take lessions for a few years, it will make a big difference.
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