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Re: Sweeter, darker, larger sound?

Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2010-06-05 13:29

A few thoughts, for whatever they're worth -

What kind of musical material are you mostly playing? The context can greatly influence what kind of tone you need to produce.

As far as your description goes, you're right - they're (at least) somewhat subjective, and I'm not at all sure I know what you mean by them. Those same terms might easily describe a well-shaped sound that has great projection through a large orchestra, or it could describe something grating with spready pitch and little focus. It would be easier for someone who can actually hear you to make recommendations.

Be careful about using harder reeds - I use very close-tipped, medium length mouthpieces and haven't found Gonzalez FOF 3.75 easy blowing or too soft (but as a personal preference I don't use FOFs). I don't know anything about Hawkins B, but if you go harder in Gonzalez FOFs and find the sound stuffy, it probably isn't the solution. Stuffy is generally not equivalent to larger or rounder or darker - it's just fuzzy and breathy, especially in the chalumeau and most specifically in the throat tones. A different brand reed with a different cut from FOF may bring you closer to what you're looking for.

Also, be careful about changing too many things at once in trying to change your sound. Once you change more than one thing, you don't really know which change was effective or what each contributed. My advice (FWIW) would be to start by trying changes in your physical approach - different vowel shapes, tongue positions, taking more or less mouthpiece into your mouth, different mouthpiece angles, etc... If you get anywhere with that, try to establish the new habit before you look for equipment. It may be that the Hawkins B (again, I don't know anything about it) has tendencies that you don't like and a different mouthpiece may make you more comfortable than just changing reed strength or brand.

It's often easier, depending on your level of experience (which you don't really tell us about), to have a teacher working on this kind of change with you who can hear you - may hear you differently from the the way you hear yourself - and who may well have helped other students solve the same kind of problems in the past. You may be trying to re-invent the wheel on your own. That can be a frustrating waste of energy.

Karl

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