 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: tdinap
Date: 2010-05-23 20:22
I've been trying to play a bit more jazz lately and have found that I often want to do things I would (almost) never do in a "classical" setting; i.e. bending notes, vibrato, different articulation styles, creating a different type of tone, etc. It's gotten me thinking a bit about my concept of sound production in both realms and perhaps experimenting with more open, "flexible" setups (I play a Vandoren M15 mouthpiece with V12 3.5+'s or 4's, which I believe is generally thought to be on the slightly "closed" side of things).
So to all you jazz and/or "crossover" players out there, do you alter your setup for playing jazz or classical music?
On the one hand, I like my current classical sound, and and I like how it works as a general baseline sound in a jazz setting (which for me, has been exclusively small combos--no big band opportunities yet). However, when I try to use more non-classical techniques, I find it to be a bit less flexible than might be ideal. I do plan to work more on those types of things on this setup and may find it ends up being totally fine, but I'm interested to hear people's philosophies on this one.
Tom
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Author: William
Date: 2010-05-24 01:19
I try for the same sound no matter if I am playing orchestra, wind ensemble, big band or jazz. The style changes, but the basic tone quality satys the same. FWIW--I play a set of vintage Buffet R13s for orchestral and concert band venues (and infrequent smaller quintets, trios or solo gigs) with a Chicago Kaspar mpc/Forestone 4 reed. For my jazz & big band gigs, I use another gold plated R13 with a WWG8 mpc (Forestone 3) that was customized by Glenn Bowen, my old college professor. But my sound remains the same, it's the style that varies. For me there is no "jazz" or "classical" sound, only good sound.
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Author: jonnybliss
Date: 2010-05-24 03:19
I mostly agree with William. A good sound is a good sound. But really, it's what you are going for. I gig jazz, classical, klezmer a fair amount and my approach to the sound is pretty much the same and I use the same equipment for all 3 styles. It's all how I style it and what I do with my embouchure. This works for me. I would say the only thing that I can't change is how bright or dark my tone is. This requires a change in setup. I always think the biggest key to learning a genre is listening and then mimicking. Your body will pick up on what's necessary to produce the sound you are going for.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CkK-LM6Oe0
http://clarinettrampoline.blogspot.com/
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Author: tdinap
Date: 2010-05-24 04:16
I agree that a "good sound" should work in both settings, and a good player should be adaptable to that even when on the same setup; however, I think that many specific techniques that are widely used in jazz and rarely used in classical music may be easier on a different setup. I'd actually prefer not to alter my baseline sound much, but I'd imagine added flexibility could be useful.
William, if you're striving for the same sound, why do you use two different setups?
Tom
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2010-05-24 05:12
I always use the same mouthpiece/reed setup but I don't necessarily recommend this. I recommend to think more "globally", meaning do what you need to achieve what you want/need to achieve. I'm not sure how to explain but to give an extreme example, sometimes a "bad tone" is a good tone. For anything I've played so far and I managed to do with the setup I use. If I ever find I want to do something that is, for whatever reason, only possible with a different setup then I might change for that purpose. I do change the "instrument setup" to achieve different things that are impossible, for example remove the lower joint, to do things that are otherwise impossible to do. So don't just follow a recipe, do what you need to achieve what you want.
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Author: William
Date: 2010-05-24 14:27
"William, if you're striving for the same sound, why do you use two different setups?"
LOL--basically, I'm lazy. To avoid having to repack one clarinet, mouthpiece and reed (Forestone) from one case to another, I just use two set-ups of each, leaving my "concert" A & Bb set always "ready to go" with a separate--but equal--clarinet in which ever sax case I am using most at the time. When I was playing my set of Leblanc Concerto's for concerts, I was even lazier keeping a Buffet R13, mouthpiece (both WWG8 Bowen customs), and reeds in each sax case.
But, as I originally posted, even tho I constantly switch clarinets, reeds and mouthpieces, my basic sound stays about the same. It's what I do with it from classical to jazz stylewise that changes. Besides, if you are going to be a "complete" classical clarinetist, you will eventually have to learn how to play the "Rhapsody in Blue" gliss. Develop your own sound and learn to be flexabile without having to switch pieces of equipement--it's easier and it's fun......
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2010-05-24 14:59
you question reminds me of spending a day at ClariNexus with Michele Gingras as the clinician. She makes no changes to her set up and will play a rollicking bit of Klezmer followed immediately by a classical piece.
Her honks, slaps, glisses, ... are beyond me, and I don't think that just a set-up change would make them accessible to me.
Bob Phillips
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Author: RoBass
Date: 2010-05-25 07:58
I use classical shaped ebonite MPCs (mostly medium to long facing) on old(er) ebonite or on wooden instruments for symphonic work. The sound should be even, soft and centered well.
For jazz and klezmer a more "screaming" MPC (with shorter facing) is choiced - mostly from fresh ebonite or acrylic plastic. The reeds are the harder (for better ff) and the clarinet I love is a well done ebonite-model (but a fresh, glass-hard).
That's it for me.
kindly
Roman
PS: If you mention, the sound should be the same within all styles, I wouldn't approve this. My sound for jazz is like a sax (light, screaming, attacking hard to the listeners ear) but for classical work it's a warm bed for any romantic idea... And this is not only a follow of the setup, it's me inthe mind too.
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Author: ned
Date: 2010-05-26 10:29
RoBass says: ''My sound for jazz is like a sax (light, screaming, attacking hard to the listeners ear)''
One hopes that Mr/Ms Iceland Clarinet does not hear about this....................
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Author: RoBass
Date: 2010-05-26 14:23
Why not? Music is a very personal thing, and I don't like a whispering nightingale within a brutal jazz act ;-)
Must be Jekyll & Hyde, and clarinet can be both... **ggg**
kindly
Roman
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Author: ned
Date: 2010-05-27 03:16
RoBass,
Check out the messages from the ''Iceland clarinet'' responder to the quite recent thread entitled ""Acker Bilk''.
Your phrase ''brutal jazz act'' conjures up all sorts of images I must say. I'm on your side however, I should mention.
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Author: RoBass
Date: 2010-05-27 09:18
@ned: Hihihi, that's the "argument" I mentioned above ;-) "Oh no, we shouldn't teach so our successors. Never ever!" (cited the stated "common sense") - bullshit!
My opinion is, that every musician should build his own sound and feel. One loves sharp, one loves warm and centered...why not? We all have own figures, own face, own character - but on the clarinet we all should sound "like XY"? No! Not my way.
kindly
Roman
PS: The best concerts I've heard ever are concerts from "unadapted" people. Theirs personal note makes a partiture to music...
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