 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: BGBG
Date: 2015-09-13 22:56
Breaking in some 3 strength Rico 12 pack. Played about 2-3 times less than 5 minutes. Seem to squeak a lot and seem to have to blow hard. 2.5 and 2 reeds seem OK. Could this be : Normal, mouth pressure or embouchure, bad reed, or what? Not fingers or reed position. Any suggestions?
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2015-09-14 01:35
If #2-1/2 plays OK, why not just use those? Maybe #3s don't work well on your mouthpiece.
Karl
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2015-09-14 03:41
What brand/stiffness do you normally play? If you normally play Rico 3's without problems then obviously these reeds are different. If you normally play reeds from another maker, remember that reed stiffness is not identical between makers.
Tony F.
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Author: BGBG
Date: 2015-09-14 04:25
The Mitchell Lurie and D'Addario Reserve Classic seem OK, as do the Rico 2 an 2.5. Maybe not ready for a 3? Didn't know if some reeds just need more play time.
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Author: knotty
Date: 2015-09-14 21:37
Perhaps a different mouthpiece more open or closed depending on what your using now. ie: a more open tip with a softer reed.
~ Musical Progress: None ~
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2015-09-14 22:28
Remind me - I've forgotten what you've said in other threads - what mouthpiece you're using.
Karl
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Author: BGBG
Date: 2015-09-15 02:20
have a Buffet E11 that says Made In Germany purchased a year ago, a Rovner MKIII ligature, and a new Vandoren M13 88 Lyre mouthpiece that sounds better than the original that came with instrument.
Actually now that I went through all 12 some don't sound or play badly at all. Just afraid maybe 3 was a bit too much. Probably should give them more of a chance Only 3 times through them with 3-5 minutes play each time.
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Author: knotty
Date: 2015-09-15 03:25
If I'm not mistaken, the M13 is a very closed MP, more than my 5RV and I need about a 4 for the 5RV to play well. I like a much more open MP like the B45 in the .115 to .120 range, to me, it has a cleaner and larger sound. Seems with the open MP a good percentage of reeds are playable compared to less with closed MP's
~ Musical Progress: None ~
Post Edited (2015-09-15 03:29)
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Author: BGBG
Date: 2015-09-15 10:44
I am not knowledgeable about this and I can see where one might end up with several mouthpieces. Maybe I will try some others.
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Author: knotty
Date: 2015-09-15 18:27
"I am not knowledgeable about this and I can see where one might end up with several mouthpieces. Maybe I will try some others."
Luckily for me when I was gathering old clarinets for repair practice, they came with all sorts of different mouthpieces, B45, 5RV, Noblet 2V, and a lot more.
~ Musical Progress: None ~
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2015-09-15 19:37
The thing is, if the M13 is not damaged, #3 Ricos should play on it. But not every reed in the box will play acceptably, and even the ones that are playable won't necessarily play equally well. That's one of the inescapable problems with cane reeds (can't live with 'em and can't live without 'em).
If none of the #3s were to play comfortably, I would say to retreat back to #2-1/2. Because they're not as stiff, more of them will vibrate. But you may sacrifice focus and pitch accuracy, especially as you play higher in the clarion and into the altissimo registers. If some of the #3s play well and some don't, that's probably the right strength for you with this mouthpiece and you can either discard the ones that don't play or keep them for a future time when you may be ready to learn more about adjusting them. If all the reeds in a box play well, you might run out and stock up on lottery tickets.
But, really, someone who can see and hear you would have a chance at giving you better advice than anyone here online can. Frequent squeaking (not the occasional one that comes from accidental technical mistakes) isn't "normal" under any circumstances and, again assuming that the mouthpiece isn't damaged in some way, if you squeak regularly on every new reed (or most of them) the first time you play on one, there's a problem with either the match of reed, mouthpiece and player, or something in your approach to embouchure.
Karl
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