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 Jazz Mouthpiece
Author: mmatisoff 
Date:   2016-10-12 17:42

Greetings, my clarinet teacher wants me to try A Vandoren B45 or5RV to open up my sound compared to my M15 series 13. We're playing mostly atonal music, some blues, and a some ragtime. I'm reading Vandoren's magazine, but the only comment they make about free blowing mpcs refers to B45 dot, B45 dot, and B45 lyre. I'm also using a Gennusa Excellente which works beautifully with my classical pieces. Can you recommend which B45 is best for jazz and blues? Thx.

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 Re: Jazz Mouthpiece
Author: MarlboroughMan 
Date:   2016-10-12 20:07

I've written a jazz clarinet blog for years. Here's a link to many of my reviews of mouthpieces and mouthpiece strategies over the years:

http://thejazzclarinet.blogspot.com/search/label/Mouthpiece%20Review

Keep swinging!

Eric

******************************
The Jazz Clarinet
http://thejazzclarinet.blogspot.com/

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 Re: Jazz Mouthpiece
Author: ned 
Date:   2016-10-13 03:29

''...free blowing mpcs ...''

I have always been intrigued with the use of this phrase with respect to mouthpieces. I still have no idea what it means. Is it the opposite to ''non-free'' blowing?

It seems also to be in line with other fairly non-descriptive adjectives used such as centered/warm/round and etc...

To answer your question though, from my perspective, any mouthpiece can be a ''jazz'' mouthpiece. Try a range of MPs and pick the one which suits you. That is all you need to do.

''TINSTAAJMP'' - ''there is no such thing as a jazz mouthpiece''. Please refer to an earlier post on this very same subject from about a week or two ago.

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 Re: Jazz Mouthpiece
Author: mmatisoff 
Date:   2016-10-13 17:43

Perhaps I should say "more open" mouthpiece. Vandoren just release the 5JB and 7JB. Any experience. Takes a 1-2 reed. I wrote to wwbw and Vandoren to get more information; however, before I lay down the cash, I want to make sure that I'm at least in the ballpark. I know. Try them out. If they'll let me, I will.

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 Re: Jazz Mouthpiece
Author: Ed 
Date:   2016-10-13 18:03

If you look over in the classifieds, I have a used B45 available if you want to add it to your arsenal. Feel free to make an offer.

I have never been much of a fan of big wide open mouthpieces. As for most issues with equipment, I have often found that I gain some things and lose others. For example, I find it a bit harder to center in the tone and control open mouthpieces. I agree with some of the comments that you should try a few things and see what feels best for you. Make sure you have a bunch of reeds, as different facings will not all work the same with one reed. I would however look for something that is free and flexible feeling.

There are quite a few players (Eddie Daniels comes to mind) who use a relatively close facing with great results.

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 Re: Jazz Mouthpiece
Author: Mojo 
Date:   2016-10-13 19:06

If you want to be able to scoop and bend notes a lot and have wide vibrato, then a more open mouthpiece with a softer Reed will help with that. It can wail louder too. The trade off is that it will be harder to lock in the pitch and the sound will be...less classical. More Klezmer if you want it.

"Free blowing" indicates low resistance. Sound pops out with less effort. Just going to a softer Reed does this to some extent. But the tip easily closes off when you do try to blow a bit harder. So more open tips are used to compensate. The shape of the facing curve is low resistance if it is long and/or a more radial shape or mildly elliptical with a tighter curve near the tip. Less parabolic-like which has a flatter curve near the tip.

If you can find one, the Metalite M7-M9 clarinet mouthpieces are worth exploring for wailing. They can be had for $20 or less. I used one for the Reed 3 clarinet solos in the pit for HS productions of 42nd St.

MojoMP.com
Mojo Mouthpiece Work LLC
MojoMouthpieceWork@yahoo.com

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 Re: Jazz Mouthpiece
Author: Ed 
Date:   2016-10-14 02:19

I find that while a more open tip is often considered to have a louder sound, I have had better results with something closer. For me, the more open tip yields a broader sound, but because it has somewhat less focus or ring, I can get more projection with a closer tip.

Overall, as Mojo indicates, it is a somewhat different sound. It falls into the area of the classic line "your mileage may vary"

Have fun in the search! Lots of great mouthpieces out there these days.

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 Re: Jazz Mouthpiece
Author: ned 
Date:   2016-10-14 10:05

''...Vandoren just release the 5JB and 7JB...''

Is this a new version of the 5JB?

I last played on a 5JB about 10 years ago, after about...hmmm.... using one for aproximately 10 years. Then, for reasons unexplained itt ''went'' on me - went being one of those non-decriptive adjectives, referred to earlier. The best I can say is, that my sound went ''stuffy"? The mouthpiece wouldn't work for me any more. Don't let me put you off the 5JB though, I liked it immensely at the time . Now however, I am using a Meyer *9 + a #3 Rico Royal.

**********************************************************

''...Sound pops out with less effort. Just going to a softer Reed does this to some extent. But the tip easily closes off when you do try to blow a bit harder. So more open tips are used to compensate...''

Yes, this has largely been my experience.

To enable me to have adequate control, I do a lot of ''working out'' (referred to in an another post) every day. It's just long notes held for as long as I can. I find that this enables me to control the reed more accurately, and bending of notes is not a problem.

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 Re: Jazz Mouthpiece
Author: Michael E. Shultz 
Date:   2016-10-15 01:13

Ned:

The Vandoren 7JB is relatively new. It has a long facing like the 5JB, but has a 1.7mm tip opening instead of the 5JB's 1.47mm.

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
Groucho Marx

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 Re: Jazz Mouthpiece
Author: ned 
Date:   2016-10-15 04:03

''''..."Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
Groucho Marx ''

Thanks Michael. I might have a look at the 7JB then.

And, another Groucho witticism goes roughly as follows.

""If you don't like my principles...I have others''

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