 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Riley-NZL
Date: 2016-06-03 08:16
Hi guys, received a new Vandoren B45 mouthpiece for Bass clarinet, and I feel like my reeds don't fit it properly. Often I can feel air/liquid coming out the side between the redd, and what I believe is called the side rail; but it only seems to do this on the right side, not the left.
Strangely, this seems worse when using Vandoren reeds, and doesn't happen as badly or often on rico reeds. There doesn't seems to be any blemishes on the mouthpiece that I can see with my eyes.
Other than that, it's ether an amazing mouthpiece, or my old one was completely terrible (or both). I find it uses a lot less air to blow the same notes/volume, and I can play both a lot quieter and louder, where as the old mouthpiece had pretty much one volume.
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Author: Mojo
Date: 2016-06-03 16:39
There could be a low spot on the right rail. Try flattening your reeds after they swell from moisture.
If it plays OK I would not worry about it. But if it bugs you, it could be fixed.
MojoMP.com
Mojo Mouthpiece Work LLC
MojoMouthpieceWork@yahoo.com
Post Edited (2016-06-03 16:39)
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Author: tucker ★2017
Date: 2016-06-03 16:58
Riley, I had the exact same issue with the same MP, Vandoren B45. I, too, felt like there was something wrong w/ the MP or the reeds. I would, at times, feel some air and spittle escaping from the right side of the MP.
If I recall, you're a newbie to playing? Or, like me, you're returning to clarinet after a long absence? It turned out my issues were embouchure related. There was nothing wrong with my MP or reeds.
I'm working with a private teacher who kept saying it will take time for me to re-develop my embouchure. Of course I doubted him and insisted on the fault of the MP.
Michael Lowenstern has a video on youtube describing some exercises you can to to strengthen your embouchure. I followed the instructions of my teacher and did Michael's exercises daily. Guess what? Issues are no longer there.
I did purchase Clark Fobe's Debut MP. From what I understand, it has a shorter facing length and narrower tip opening. I could control this MP MUCH better than the Vandoren. My advise: Spend the $40 on a Fobes Debut. It was a much better beginner's MP than the B45 for me. As you form a stronger embouchure, you'll be able to control the B45 much better. Now when I play the B45, I no longer leak air. Took me about 4 months to get to that point. I played Bb a lot more than bass and had the inclination to not put enough MP in my mouth. As my embouchure strengthened, I was able to control more MP in my mouth.
Post Edited (2016-06-03 17:04)
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Author: Matt74
Date: 2016-06-06 06:43
I think somewhere I saw that VD Blue Box reeds are made asymmetrically, so that one side is thicker than the other (possibly so that you can balance them by always thinning that side).
Whether or not that's true, it may be an unbalanced reed, or you may be cocking the mouthpiece to one side when you are playing (I do). The B45, contrary to reputation, is a very open mouthpiece, and any imbalance, for whatever reason, could result in it leaking a bit on one side.. A reed that is thinner overall would be less likely to do this. If you are playing Rico Orange Box student reeds, they are much thinner overall than Vandorens.
First, try flattening the back of the reed to make sure it is sitting flat on the facing.
If that doesn't work try taking a knife or razorblade and gently scraping along the whole length of the edge of the reed vamp on the side that is leaking, but not quite to the tip. Just the very edge, and barely hard enough to produce any scrapings on the blade. Think scraping gently , not removing material. This will soften that side up. If that stops the leaking, but leaves the reed unbalanced, do the other side to balance it, or try using a softer reed.
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Author: Mojo
Date: 2016-06-06 16:49
Maybe someone observed a particular production run was asymmetrical. I doubt any reed maker intentionally makes asymmetrical reeds.
MojoMP.com
Mojo Mouthpiece Work LLC
MojoMouthpieceWork@yahoo.com
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2016-06-09 18:29
Matt74 wrote,
>... or you may be cocking the mouthpiece to one side when you are playing (I do).
>
Yes, good point. I'm an amateur. It took me awhile to realize I needed to turn my mouthpiece slightly to the right of center on alto, bass and contra clarinets, because I hold those instruments to my right side as if they were saxophones -- and I needed to make the same adjustment in positioning my sax mouthpieces.
(Came back to add that by "slightly," I mean only about a quarter of an inch, and that by "center," I'm using the register key as the center-mark. In other words, if there were a line down the center of my reed, it would need to point very slightly to the right of the center of the register key.)
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
Post Edited (2016-06-09 18:34)
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