 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ronish
Date: 2008-05-13 21:02
I`ve never considered using patches on my clarinet MPC because my teeth are not really in contact with the piece. However I note some people are saying that a rubber patch produces a darker or different tone. Is this generally found to be the case ,or is this only if your teeth are in direct contct with the MPC?
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Author: Jacob S
Date: 2008-05-13 21:47
I'm not really sure of the affects of patches on your MPC, but I'll put in my two cents as food for thought and for people to clear up MY misconceptions as well.
My teacher has told me that there isn't much of a tone difference when using different patches, just use what is comfortable. The thickness will change how "open" you are playing, such as widening your embouchure. What it seems to me, though, is that the tone changes that other people talk about are changes in how the sound vibrations travel through your skull, and that the difference isn't audible to listeners.
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2008-05-13 21:51
My guess is that this is a mirage missunderstood by the individual playing the instrument. Because the patch isolates and reduces the amount of vibration fed into the upper teeth it (erroneously) appears to them that their sound has darkened.
I can't imagine that a piece of tape applied to the outside of the clarinet can seriously alter the sound produced inside the instrument.
I play both single and double lip and there is a change in the sound, most noticeably when articulating.
I've never noticed a difference between playing with or without a patch while playing single lip.
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2008-05-13 22:38
Most people use a patch for comfort but in some cases using a think patch, which I can not do, somewhat simulating playing double lip. It can open your throat somewhat but if it can change your tone or not is somewhat controversial. Your throat should already be opened. I think it is a personall thing. Go for comfort, if it enhances your tone, all the more better. ESP
www.peabody.jhu.edu/457
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2008-05-14 09:29
Patches create an interesting phenomenon.
When we play clarinet we consciously and unconsciously aim for stability. Also, when we bite on something we always use pressure from the top and bottom teeth. If we put a stick in our mouths and bite, the pressure coming from the top and bottom teeth is the same. Also, when we bite on things we use the sensation of the hardness of the thing to help gage how much more or less pressure to exert; this will depend on our intent. Do we intend to destroy it, like food? or, Do we plan to hold it, like a cigarette or clarinet mouthpiece?
In the second case, we will do our best to use a little pressure as possible because we plan to be holing it for a long time. Cushions also help distribute the contact area as the teeth sink into them. They also create a feeling of softness. People naturally hold soft things softly and hard things "hardly" (if we want to pretend that is a real word). How many people hold a balloon with a lot of pressure (unless they are trying to pop it)??? So, if we put something very soft on the top of the mouthpiece, the bottom lip will place just as much and no more pressure as the top.
So. Soft patch= soft pressure from bottom lip.
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2008-05-14 12:35
Try for yourself taking a large (Runyon) patch and playing, then a smaller one (cut it in half) and then no patch at all. Idealy play for someone else as hearing it yourself may be hard to do (feel vs. sound).
Gigliotti used to say that a large patch would absorb some of the vibrations of the mouthpiece and wasn't desirable.
Could be true, could be a myth.
Skygardener, I use heavy pressure from my top lip when I play. It doesn't have anything to do with having a patch on or not. Most of the pressure is absorbed by my top lip.
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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Author: donald
Date: 2008-05-14 19:28
Skygardener- a very well thought out theory that links in with what Campione writes about the way the top lip and bottom interact. Like most such theories there will be people to whom it is relevant, others to whom it MAY be relevant if they were prepared to change the way they think... and those who achieve what they need by a means that makes your theory irrelevant to them.
Ronish- the above posts pretty much cover all the bases where mouthpiece patches are concerned afaik but i have 10c more...
... if you have a thicker patch you probably have to open your mouth a little wider to take the same amount of mouthpiece which may or may not be a good thing (for many younger students, likely a good thing). However what can happen is that you open your mouth the same amount... and take in LESS mouthpiece (thus- less reed free to vibrate).
ok that's all the time i'm prepared to devote to writing about mouthpiece patches!
dn
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Author: Ronish
Date: 2008-05-14 20:45
Well thanks all. At the moment Ive only been able to find and use a couple of layers of Gaffa tape ( the wrinklley stuff), but it allowed me to blow lots of notes repeatedly with the tapes on and off. There is without a doubt a real or perceived difference in tone. I notice a slight reduction in the higher frequency content and this produces for me a smoother less "brittle", slightly darker sound.
Whether anyone the other end of the clarinet can hear a difference or whether less vibration to my head is causing this effect it does`nt matter. Maybe it`s a different embouchure or more open throat, but I love the sound. I`m off to buy something better than Gaffa.
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2008-05-14 21:11
I find it interesting what David said Gigliotti used to say because he told me that a patch simulated playing double lip, which is like having a thick patch, with the addition of folding your upper lip into the mouthpiece, and I believe he was correct, up to a point. The reason players think they sound differently, and they might, is that you don’t get the vibrations off of your teeth that go directly into your brain. Because of that you hear yourself differently then if your teeth are in direct contact with the mouthpiece. Makes sense to me, I hope it does to everyone else. I began using a patch only about 4-5 years ago and use a thin transparent patch, it just feels good. No vibration on my teeth, which are still all mine by the way, so at least I think I sound great. Bye! ESP
www.peabody.jhu.edu/457
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2008-05-14 21:28
It was referring to size and not the thickness of the patch. So a patch that covered the whole top of the mouthpiece he didn't like.
He was big on using patches which at that time were made by hand cutting a black rubber glove.
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2008-05-15 02:02
David- "Skygardener, I use heavy pressure from my top lip when I play. It doesn't have anything to do with having a patch on or not. Most of the pressure is absorbed by my top lip."
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So I take it that you use double lip???
My previous post was very much a theory in abstract. In reality, the effect of gravity on the lower end of the clarinet pulls the bell down and the mouthpiece UP. Also, many of us (me too) use the left thumb to place a little more upward pressure. This pressure is more than what is neccessary to push the thumb ring and register key- that adds pressure on the top teeth, too.
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Author: Ryder
Date: 2008-05-15 02:21
Here's what I use them for-
The only real difference in tone that I can discern is in the low chal. register (G below the staff and lower). The main reason I use them is to protect my $200 mouthpiece from my mp ravaging upper teeth, and to help stop slippage. Oh and by the way I generaly use thick patches.
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