 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Megan
Date: 2002-06-10 00:55
Hey everybody! It's been a while since I posted, but I've gone through sooo many mouthpieces and soooo many brands of reeds this year that I gotta some sort of advice:) I started out the year on a 5RVLyre, a Zonda 4 reed, and a standard Rovner ligature. I sounded really dark, but reallly fuzzy and I had to attach a third lung just to play open G. But that was all I knew so I stuck with it for a while, and then I switched to a new mouthpiece, still a 5RVLyre, but refaced a lil bit, and then I tried V-12's, which I have never been able to get good tone above Middle C on, because it gets extremely thin and buzzy. So I tried it and it was actually okay, but I still think that I can find something better. So then I bought the Eddie Daniels ligature, and I really haven't seen much of a difference. So I've tried Mitchell Lurie(hated it), Zonda(okay), Alexander Superial(hated it), Brancher(hated it), Blue Box Van Doren(hated it) Rico(hated it), so there aren't many reed choices left, and I don't know what mouthpieces to try, so ANY, and I mean ANY suggestions are greatly appreciated. THANK YOU!!!!
Megan
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Author: William
Date: 2002-06-10 02:16
Have you learned to balance and finish your reeds to match your mpc?? Also, it sounds like you may be trying to play on reeds that are too hard and relying on them to produce the desired sound rather than on your embouhcure control. It shouldn't take a suplimentary "third" lung to sustain an open G (I hope you were slightly exaggerating). Try practicing some long tones and etude passages with a double lip embouchure to regain the "feel" of proper upper and lower lip support, as opposed to the "all bite" method. Then, transfer that upper lip feel and steady breath support into your conventional and see if you tone improves with a softer reed. FYI--my setup is a Chicago Kaspar #14 (medium open) with V12's 3.5--preped and balanced via reed knife or Reed Wizard (or both). Hope I've been of a little help. Good luck!!!
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Author: GBK
Date: 2002-06-10 04:41
Megan...Sorry to be so blunt, but without a private instructor evaluating your embouchure and all factors that are involved in tone production, you could try mouthpieces, reeds, ligature combinations from now until the next millenium and not accomplish anything except to deplete your savings.
Take a few lessons from a professional in your area to get back on the right track.
William's advice is quite good (as always), but I feel you need to solidify more of the basics and have someone assess what factors are preventing you from achieving a beautiful sound.
Whether one listens to recordings, or, better yet, by having a private instructor to model your sound after, a beautiful sound starts by having the desired concept already in your mind...GBK
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Author: Wes
Date: 2002-06-10 07:25
Megan, good luck on your sound. You are really trying to do well. It seems to me that it would be worth while trying some 2 1/2 or 3 V12's. If the high notes don't come out or are not up to pitch, then one could try a harder reed. It also appears to be necessary to be able to adjust reeds as the factories cannot be expected to make perfect reeds. One of my friends is a fabulous player on 2 1/2 Zonda reeds.
One needs to provide high pressure air to the clarinet reed for it to work properly even when playing softly. Some may not agree as the clarinet will work with less air, a free blowing mouthpiece, and a good reed. Bill Green, now in that great orchestra in the sky, said that it often takes 10 years to develop the blowing technique. The great late Walter Thalin from the Minneapolis Symphony gave enormous air pressure to the reed. Unfortunately, he kept losing some of it from the corners of his mouth. 40 feet away in the orchestra hall, you couldn't hear the lost air and only heard his simply glorious sound. Anyhow, one needs to practice daily long tones and blow like crazy, soft and loud. Good Wishes.
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Author: graham
Date: 2002-06-10 07:58
I entirely agree with GBK, But, to be going on with..... it seems you have only tried 5RV mouthpieces. With what little of your money is left I suggest you go for a B45 with 3 or 3.5 reeds, or a B40 with 2.5 or 3 reeds. Neither of these is necessarily a classic mouthpiece (prone to fuzzy outsized tones) but they are easy going fairly free blowers. If you are stuck in a rut with everything seeming too much like hard work and too thin, these may help. The Zonda reeds seem to be your most favourable common denominator, so I would stick with them at the strengths given above.
It's worth reporting back on how you get on.
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Author: Megan
Date: 2002-06-10 20:14
Thanks a lot guys!!! I would like to say, in my own defense:) that I have been taking privately for 5 years, and my teacher likes my sounds alot. It's me that wants to try out new things, and I'm always try to make things better. I have also tried B45s, and B40s and they seem at times too freeblowing. Sorry I'm not easy to please:) Thanks again!!!
Megan
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Author: eilidh
Date: 2002-06-11 21:48
I use a vandoren 11.1 mouthpiece which I really like but I have never yet met anyone else who uses one! Does anyone here?
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Author: Megan
Date: 2002-06-11 22:31
Hey! I've never heard of the 11.1, what makes it so different? and what's the 11.1 stand for?
Meg
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