 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Bennett ★2017
Date: 2018-10-11 21:02
I clean the mineral deposit on my mouthpiece with vinegar - works fine.
But here's my question - why are the deposits always on the exterior surfaces of the mpc and never in the chamber? When I swab out the mpc after playing I generally also wipe the exterior. A mystery.
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Author: NBeaty
Date: 2018-10-11 21:17
I think it has to do with proximity to the mouth (for which the outside is obviously in direct contact). The inside has moisture and air moving through it, possibly making it more difficult for it to form and stick to the surface.
That being said, I've seen and worked on plenty of mouthpieces that had calcium deposits on the inside of the mouthpiece. The inside of the mouthpiece usually gets more of the just disgusting food particles/biology projects. I refaced a bari sax mouthpiece a few weeks ago that was so gross, I couldn't bring myself to take a picture.
It also does seem to vary considerably from person to person. A former teacher of mine cleans his mouthpiece every time he uses it. When he doesn't, he has more calcium build up than I would after a month!
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2018-10-11 23:01
Wouldn’t a factor be access to air that allows it to dry?
The interior chamber remains wet and then one (presumably) swabs it out. The saliva deposits on the outside have opportunity to dry immediately.
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: Chris J
Date: 2018-10-12 15:00
The outside of the mouthpiece is in direct contact mouth secretions, and all the salts and minerals in those secretions. What generally goes into the inside of the mouthpiece is your breath, rather than your saliva.
The water in your breath will have no mineral content as it is a gas. It is like the water you get from defrosting a freezer or from emptying an air con collection - it is de-ionised. It will condense on the sides and be wet, but it is only the bits of saliva that get in which would cause deposits.
Chris
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Author: Bennett ★2017
Date: 2018-10-13 05:42
Thank you Chris J; makes a lot of sense. For me, the mystery is solved.
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