 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: maxcoletti
Date: 2013-10-06 22:09
My setup is Vandoren B40 mouthpiece with #3 Vandoren V.12 reeds. I'm not happy with my staccato in the clarion and above: it doesn't sound crisp and light enough to my ears, it feels a bit "heavy", "airy" or "muddy". Does the type of mouthpiece I'm using make it more difficult to achieve a neat and light staccato, in your experience and knowledge?
-- Massimo
Post Edited (2013-10-06 22:10)
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Author: gwie
Date: 2013-10-07 03:09
I have a student with the same setup as you right now (B40 with a 3 reed) and we've improved his staccato quality by working on the specific tonguing motion.
His challenge was getting a "neat and light" staccato for some of the passages in the Mozart Concerto, and we experimented with various approaches in air support, tongue arch and level, syllables, contact point for the tongue, contact point for the reed, placement of the reed on the mouthpiece, etc. We discovered that he was using a lot of force to move his tongue forward towards the reed when all he really needed to do was push the air a bit more and the tongue would leap towards the reed just from the air moving. In concentrating on pulling his tongue back after touching the reed instead of thrusting it forward, we reduced the contact time of the tongue on the reed, which yielded a more satisfactory sounding articulation.
Assuming your equipment is not faulty or damaged in anyway, I would definitely explore your technical approach first before changing mouthpieces.
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Author: sonicbang
Date: 2013-10-07 07:01
The problem is not the open tip, however it does contribute to the response. I think the problem with the B40 is the basic design. It has the same tip opening as the B45 but has greater resistance, so you 'don't have to sacrifice sound quality while you can play a softer reed' as the Vandoren company's description goes.
The resistance wasn't created by let's say a narrower window, a more efficient facing, different baffle, another throat or bore design, but simply thicker rails. This is what compromises response. The Vandoren company uses the same configuration for every mouthpiece and just operates with the facing alone. It's an economic solution for a company, but unacceptable for a sensitive musician.
If you want to stick to the B40, try thinning the tip slightly of your reeds, or go down a 1/4 strength or so. Good luck.
Post Edited (2013-10-07 19:26)
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Author: Liquorice
Date: 2013-10-07 19:09
I played for about 10 years on a B40. I just really liked the sound, but I always found light staccato difficult to control. I tried other mouthpieces and was amazed how much easier it was to control articulation. But I still found the sound on the B40 better. I've finally found a mouthpiece that for me sounds even better and has extremely easy articulation. I'm never looking back.
Or the problem could be you... ;-)
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Author: maxcoletti
Date: 2013-10-07 19:50
Thank you all, for your interesting and informative answers. So it seems that the B40 does indeed make staccato a bit harder...
However I too prefer the sound of the B40. After comparing it to a B45, B45 dot, 5JB, M30 and 5RV Lyre, I liked the B40 more than all the others. So I'll try to train my tongue to be faster and lighter :-)
Liquorice, what is the mouthpiece you found that you are enjoying so much?
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Author: sonicbang
Date: 2013-10-07 21:01
There are several good mouthpiece refacers/artists who can customize your mouthpiece. They can keep the original charachter of the mouhtpiece while improving it as you wish.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2013-10-08 01:18
One last thing to consider is that consistency isn't one of Vandoren's strong points. If you line up 5 B40s (or 5RVs or M13Ls) you will probably find some variability from one to the other both in natural sound (before you play on it long enough to make any adjustments) and ease of response. A different B40 might solve your problem.
Karl
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Author: Liquorice
Date: 2013-10-08 10:31
Mark- i'm now playing on a mouthpiece by Ramon Wodkowski with a custom facing. I finally feel like I can play the clarinet properly! I'm sure he could also adjust yiur B40 to make it more easily playable.
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