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Re: Mouthpieces!!!

Author: cantplayhigh
Date: 2015-07-29 00:40

kdk wrote:

> bbillings wrote:
>
> > "Should the advancing student modify their technique to a
> > standard mouthpiece or find a mouthpiece that makes their
> > playing easier?"
> >
>
> Since these are "just some philosophical questions," I'll try
> to give a general, philosophical answer (I apologize for the
> length):
>
> To begin, it depends a little on what you mean by "a standard
> mouthpiece." And what technique of the advancing student you
> have in mind. It also matters who you're including as an
> "advancing student." Does that describe a level the student has
> already reached or only that he's getting better steadily
> (which could include many virtual beginners)?
>
> I'll let you clarify the first and third parts. As to a
> student's modifying his technique, I'd suggest they are
> modifying the technique to conform to standard concepts of
> playing rather than to the mouthpiece. The mouthpieces I would
> consider "standard" are ones that are designed to support
> widely accepted ideas of clarinet tone and response, based on
> generally recognized influences and exemplars in whatever
> musical genre the student is pursuing. An advancing student
> will find ways to produce the sounds and styles he wants to
> produce provided that the equipment he's using (you have to go
> beyond the mouthpiece) isn't actually interfering in some
> specific way.
>
> In a sense, all the advice about trying different mouthpieces
> (or substitute reeds, barrels, ligatures, instruments, even
> bells) is a little overwrought where students are concerned.
> Experienced players with formed opinions about sound concepts
> and expectations about response comfort have criteria for
> choosing among the myriad choices available today. A student
> with considerably less experience has necessarily less clear
> criteria on which to base his decisions. Musical playing is
> possible on nearly anything of decent quality that's available
> today. The choice isn't important until the student has reached
> a level at which he has reasons for them.
>
> An advanced student (depending on what students you meant) has
> probably already been indoctrinated well into the realm of
> standard concepts and has already built his technique to some
> extent around them. At that point, he isn't so much modifying
> his technique as trying to accommodate individual physical
> characteristics and to limit the restrictions his equipment
> places on him.
>
> Karl

Might as well let this be my first post as I mostly lurk here....

Coming from a relative newbie - this is the truth and nothing but the truth, Karl.

I'm more than fortunate to have a nice clarinet (R13), a Clark Fobes Debut mouthpiece and a Vandoren Optimum ligature. This - along with my wonderful teacher - is all I should need for years to come. So much of the other possibilities is lost on someone like myself.

I spend my time practicing and not trying to determine whatsoever if I need should try another mouthpiece, barrel, bell or ligature. At my beginner level, nothing else is going to allow me to play better than practice.

That being said - in my other instrument I've been playing for almost 40 years, there's a claim to be made (somewhat) that changing various elements of the setup will / can matter. Even then, it become splitting hairs and may really be preference versus need.

I think at a point there's diminishing returns on "upgrades".

Just my opinion and none of it does nor should matter to all you highly skilled folks on this board.

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Mouthpieces!!! new

bbillings

2015-07-28 21:51