 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: super20bu6
Date: 2011-06-06 13:21
Just wondering....do any of you use the same brand/model of mouthpiece on your different set up's? Like from Bb to Bass to Contra. I use a J&D Hite with a Rico H ligature on Bb...but use Fobes Debut on Bass with a Bois Ligature...and Selmer C* on Eb Contra with a Rovner Dark and a Fibracell Synthetic Reed. Do you find that using the same brand mouthpiece is an aid to switching back and forth or a hinderance to each particular instrument. Meaning....would you sacrifice tone or response just to have a similar "feel" between mouthpieces.
I'm sure many will say "use what works" for your embouchure and instruments combination....but still wondering if there are "Selmer Only" players out there or "Brand XYZ" only??
Mark
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Author: CuriousClarinet
Date: 2011-06-06 23:14
Well... I don't claim to be a mouthpiece, ligature, or clarinet set-up expert. I don't play Contrabass clarinet, but I regularly play Bb Clarinet and bass clarinet right after each other during practice and performances, so I may be able to offer my opinion.
I started my 'clarinet barrage' (as many call it) with a Buffet E11 Bb clarinet, and a Selmer (bundy-esk) 1430P bass. I used a Vandoren M30 mouthpiece with the soprano clarinet, and a Clark Fobes Debut mouthpiece for the bass. My ever-earnest-to-help-dad (who, by the way, is very helpful, but doesn't play clarinet himself), thought it would be easier for me to switch between the two instruments (because I was having a slight issue with it) if my set-ups were more similar. He bought me a Vandoren B45 mouthpiece for the bass clarinet from some online store, thinking that having the same brand mouthpieces would help. However, when it arrived, I could hardly play with the B45 mouthpiece, all it wanted to do was squeak. My private teacher also tried to play it, and had a similar experience. Discouraged, my dad sold the mouthpiece via Ebay auction. To attempt to compress the story, I’ll just say my Dad and I ended up deciding that perhaps Vandoren wasn't working for me, a few years and many experiments later, my set-up now consists of a Buffet R13 soprano with Clark Fobes CF+ mouthpiece and BG revelation ligature. My bass clarinet is a Buffet 1183 with Clark Fobes SanFransico mouthpiece and also a BG revelation ligature.
I play well with the Fobes mouthpieces, and both instrument set-ups work for me. I think the similar setup does help me alternate between the two instruments... but I also think that PRACTICE helped more then anything. I have to give both instruments pretty equal attention, or I find myself missing the occasional key/not covering a hole completely. Personally, (and especially when we're talking about bass clarinet) I rely on my tone quality quite heavily for auditions and the like. If I were to find a combination that gave me better tone quality on either instrument, I would probably play on different brand of mouthpieces/instruments.
I guess one could say that I am a "buffet only" player... All of my clarinets are Buffets. B12, E11 A, R13 Bb, 1183 bass clarinet. However, this is mainly because I started on Buffet, and I don't really have a reason to switch. I once tried a wooden Yamaha clarinet at a local music store...but... I didn't really seem to play well with it. I've never had the opportunity to play a Selmer Paris bass clarinet, either. (I want to =p) So, for now I'm sticking with all Buffet and Clark Fobes stuff... (Did I mention I also use Vandoren reeds on both? Different strengths, however...) I would like to think using similar setups helps me switch between the two, and my Dad definitely thinks it helps quite a bit, but Buffet soprano and bass clarinets are not built exactly the same. We're talking two different kinds of instruments. The Fobe mouthpieces aren't exactly the same either. (and Vandoren mouthpieces can be quite different from each other) So, if I were to find a different combination of 'equipment' that I received better results with (even if they weren't the same brands) would I switch? Probably.
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2011-06-07 19:00
Clarinet mouthpieces, Eb MPs and bass clarinet MPs play so different on their own instruments that it would be foolish to assume that using the same make and model on one would work equally well on another. The reed type and ligature might but not the mouthpiece for most people at a high level of playing. ESP
eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: super20bu6
Date: 2016-10-02 18:58
Ed & Curious,
Thanks for the replies......but bringing this up only as an update and to pose another question. Now that I've been playing more low clarinet (since 2011)....I'm pretty settled on my instruments....and as you said, different combinations work best on each instrument. Most of my Bb playing is done on a Fobes CWF San Francisco mouthpiece....with a little done on a Jody Jazz HR (mainly big band or some pit orchestra). My Bass clarinet playing is a Moba Bass + . Contra Alto and Contrabass is also on a Fobes....Nova for Contra Alto and San Francisco for Contrabass (not sure how I never upgraded the Contra Alto......that's next). So yes, Ed, I fully understand and now see how it would have been foolish to "assume" any one person would use the same brand of mouthpiece on all of their instruments.
So a new question for you Contra players.......what ligature do you use?? I've switched to Francois Louis Brass ligature on Bass clarinet and am truly pleased with the sound and response I get. I've looked around some...but haven't found many alternatives for a Contrabass ligature. Other than the typical Leblanc or Selmer metal student ligature (for lack of any other description) and the Rovner Dark...what is out there or what do you use???
Thanks for your time!!
Mark
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2016-10-03 05:17
There's a Vandoren youtube video of Victor Goines talking about his setups. Despite the fact that he's a vandoren artist, here's a summary of his advice when picking mouthpieces for different instruments as it can be applied to your question.
Don't worry about brands/models, but focus on your embouchure. Pick mouthpieces for your varying instruments that you can pick up one after the other, and need minimal changes in embouchure to play. So for example, don't play a close tip clarinet mouthpiece with a soft reed, and then when you switch to sax or bass clarinet, play an open mouthpiece with a medium reed. It would require different embouchure pressures to play each.
If you can match your mouthpieces so there's minimal thought as to changing your embouchure from instrument to instrument, that's one less thing to worry about when switching.
And lastly, no matter WHAT your setups, bring every instrument into the same practice session at least once a day (especially if you're thinking of doing pit work). Don't do an hour of flute in the morning, an hour of clarinet in the afternoon, and sax later. Have all three with you at least once. Play 2 minutes on one horn (maybe a few scales), and immediately put it down and pick up another horn and play the same scale. Or play an etude on one horn, and pick up another and work on something else, and then the third for something else. The goal for this is to grow accustomed to switching on the fly, and train yourself to sound as good as possible on each instrument with very little "adjustment" time.
I think Victor said something to the effect of, "The goal of this exercise is to sound as good as I can on sax. THen to pick up the clarinet, and get the same sound as though I've warmed up and been playing nothing but clarinet."
It's helped me get much more comfortable switching from sax to clarinet and back. Now if only can I get a darned flute teacher to call me back so I can start those lessons!!!!
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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