 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: lucretia
Date: 2018-05-18 22:56
I got my daughter (a soon to be 6th grader beginner) a Buffet E11 that came with Vandoren 5VR lyre mouthpiece. The band teacher requests a Vandoren 5VR series 13 mouthpiece. Is mine what I need, or do I need a different one? I can't tell if the one I have is series 13, I see some online that have 13 on them, but mine does not.
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Author: NBeaty
Date: 2018-05-18 23:19
It should have 13 visible in a small circle on the mouthpiece. The odds are that you have the standard version, which tunes higher. It can get confusing, since many of Vandorens models come in both standard and 13 series. The 13 series should be on the box as well.
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2018-05-18 23:28
I feel that the band teacher is being unduly dogmatic.
The 5RV Lyre you already have is a perfectly decent mouthpiece, and since there is no one size fits all in the world of mouthpieces it is quite likely that the mouthpiece you already have will be as good as, and maybe even better for your daughter, than the 5RV.
Yes the series 13 plays at a marginally lower pitch than the non-13 models. but this is easily compensated by pulling out a fraction of a mm.
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2018-05-18 23:30
They are different models. The Lyre has a slightly longer facing length and a slightly more open tip. Also the "13 series" mouthpieces are tuned to A=440hz while the one you have is tuned to A=442hz.
Personally I hate when band directors require a specific setup for studnets, although I definitely see a point. Technically there is nothing wrong with the mouthpiece you have and there really isn't any good reason not to use it. In fact I prefer the Lyre to the non-Lyre. I guess its up to you wether you want to spend the extra money to get the "correct" mouthpiece.
-Jdbassplayer
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Author: PhilipE
Date: 2018-05-19 00:21
The E11 clarinet is made in Germany. I don't think the pitch of these instruments is A = 442, as are the E13 clarinets. A '13' series mouthpiece will make the E11 clarinet play too flat.
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2018-05-19 00:52
I don't think it matters at all whether as a beginner she uses what you have or what the teacher "requests." If it's only a request, stay with what you have. If he/she is really masking a demand as a request, you'll have to decide whether it's worth the battle.
It's very possible (and I hope it's the case) that the band director has seen too many "mouthpiece-shaped objects" come in with beginners' clarinets and is trying to suggest a decent alternative that he/she knows will work.
Karl
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Author: donald
Date: 2018-05-19 01:29
HI there, some very good comments above. If I were you I would explain to the teacher that the mouthpiece came with the clarinet (I'm assuming it was a 2nd hand clarinet and the mouthpiece was just included?) and ask if it's ok for your daughter to play it for a few weeks, and see if its "non-13-ness" causes a problem with tuning in the band.
If it DOES, then she should borrow a 5RV13 from one of her friends in band to play for an hour, and see if that SOLVES any problem...
And THEN buy a 5RV13, but give the 5RVLyre a chance first.
(if the 5RVLyre was a new purchase, and just came packaged with a new clarinet, then send it back. I agree that the band director is being unnecessarily dogmatic, but if you've paid for a NEW mouthpiece then it's worth changing it to keep the peace)
dn
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Author: lucretia
Date: 2018-05-19 07:15
Thanks everyone! This is a 2nd hand clarinet that came with the mouthpiece in question. The teacher was "recommending" the 13 series. Based on y'all's input, I think I'll just let my daughter start with the one I have and, if needed, I'll get the other one later. I had no idea clarinets were so complicated/involved. Thanks again, everyone!
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Author: locke9342
Date: 2018-05-19 21:10
For a 6th grader, your set up is probably leagues ahead of anybody else. You should be fine, and I can't imagine any band director will be that much of a stickler about you having a different variant of a specific mouthpiece.
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