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Re: Just some random questions: biting, reed strength, tarnish, etc

Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2018-01-17 08:20

Biting is never a good thing. Try a lighter strength reed. Your lips shouldn't hurt.

At the ClarinetFest 2017 I saw a number of mouthpieces with patches on the beaks of the mouthpieces and holes dug through the patches. This is pretty much wrong and these players need new instructors, because they won't ever get that sweet clarinet sound. Another issue I was these really thick patches right against the tip of the mouthpiece, so the tip of the mouthpiece was way too thick. These patches should be placed behind the tip and shouldn't really be very thick.

It kind of saddened me when I was at the Fest. Seeing college kids buying expensive gear with the hopes that their sound would be fixed! Not so. $500 to $700 mouthpieces, $10,000 clarinets.

Also if you bite in general, you will most likely bite harder above high C to hit these notes. Mainly G, A, B, and C, plus the sharps and flats between these notes.

It's not your fault! I think everyone goes through this rough time and frankly not enough music has been written for these notes. So try playing violin etudes.

Hope this helps concour the biting problems.

Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces

Yamaha Artist 2015

Post Edited (2018-01-17 08:25)

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