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Re: mouthpiece squaks

Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2019-06-20 17:10

avins wrote:

> But . I also get these squeaks with the cane reeds ,mentioned
> I wonder what s happening here

"Squeaks" is a really generic term that includes any out of control harmonic that's higher than the intended note. To track down the cause and stop them, you first have to zero in on when they happen. Is it mostly as you go over one of the register "breaks?" As you slur, tongue or both? In one register more than another? Totally random but infrequent? Any reed or a specific one? Etc...

Figure out when the squeaks happen. Some squeaks come from embouchure unsteadiness or outright pinching, which is more likely to happen when you tongue - sometimes you can develop a (bad) habit of moving your embouchure with your tongue. Some squeaks come from a finger that misses the edge of a tone hole. Make sure your fingers are shaped so they completely cover the holes reliably. If squeaks happen over the breaks, check to be sure you aren't changing your embouchure or your air stream in an unconscious attempt to avoid the squeak or letting the clarinet lurch.

I do think it's harder to squeak with a Legere than with a cane reed that's the wrong strength or even slightly unbalanced. Reeds that are either too hard or too soft or just unbalanced can be more prone to squeaks. One of the advantages to Legeres is that they are balanced out of the box. So you just aren't dealing with a reed that wants to vibrate one way on the left side and differently on the right or has a hard spot in the tip encouraging it to divide it into partials. Most cane reeds have some degree of imbalance. With enough embouchure control you can avoid bad consequences, but if you're used to Legeres and don't play very often on cane, you may not be adjusting well to the cane's natural unevenness.

One last after-thought: be sure the cane reed is thoroughly moistened - not waterlogged, but evenly wet (no crinkling across the tip). You can get all sorts of unstable responses from a reed that is unevenly moist. This is obviously not a problem with Legeres.

Karl

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