The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Bill
Date: 2001-02-19 12:08
I recently trialed some mouthpieces. The one I liked the most played beautifully and easily in the upper register, and nicely in the Chalumeau range.
However, it would regularly squeak in the Chalumeau range. Or did it squeak? I realized that it was jumping to the next register, without the use of the register key. With practice, the "squeaks" are much less frequent, but I'm curious as to whether this is considered a squeak,or is this what all or most squeaks are?
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Author: Don Poulsen
Date: 2001-02-19 13:14
A squeak is an unintentional jump into a higher register. If you intended to do it, it's not a squeak.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2001-02-20 10:56
It almost certainly has leaks which are acting like opening the register tone hole. Try squeezing different (normally colsed) keys while playing, ...... or while closing all fingers of the upper section only (no barrel) and with a cork iin the end, squeeze a mouthful of air gently into the section and see where it hisses out, and see if squeezing keys stops the hiss.
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Author: Bill
Date: 2001-02-20 11:22
Gordon: I played the clarinet with six different mouthpieces, and the same reed(s). My baseline reed is a Legere, however, I also used cane reeds. Only one mouthpiece jumps to the high register. However, it sings beautifully in the upper octaves, and the upper notes are very easy to play compared to the other mouthpieces.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2001-02-21 09:40
OK. Perhaps my comments are inappropriate this time.
However leaks may well be easier to overcome with some mouthpieces but not with others.
Has this wierd mouthpiece been 'refaced' by some unknowledgable person, or was it a cheap and nasty from the start? A mouthpiece must be designed with many compromises in mind, but sacrificing the low notes is not normally one of them!
Was it designed for a particular cut of reed?
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