Author: George L Smyth
Date: 2002-07-08 19:42
Having laid down my clarinet for 30 years, I decided to see if the interest was still there. I purchased an old Artly for around $100. Even without experience, I knew that the mouthpiece was trash, so I purchased another one and started practicing.
A year later, I came to the conclusion that my interest was indeed there, so I decided to purchase a good horn. Having lurked and learned here (with an occasional post), I decided that the best horn for my money would be a Buffett E-11, and I was able to purchase a new one at a good price.
What a difference! Some of the notes that I had been compensating my breathing to play now play with no real adjustment. The feel of the instrument is so much nicer, and as soon as I get used to the slightly different positioning of a few things, I'll be very comfortable with it.
When I initially tried playing the horn, I had a real problem, as there was considerable wind going through before a sound could be had. I noticed that the opening on the mouthpiece that I had been using was noticeably larger than the one supplied, so I switched and the sound came on just fine.
As the horn had come with a 2 1/2 Rico reed, I tried that with the smaller mouthpiece and got much better results than with the Mozart 3 1/2 reeds I had been using.
The sound of the smaller mouthpiece is quieter and more muted than the "big" sound of the larger mouthpiece. I am wondering if anyone else has had experience with this (actually, I'd be surprised if this was not the case). Do you prefer the smaller sound or the bigger one? The latter works better for me, though I can imagine times when I might want the softer, quieter sound.
One other quick question. As it is a new clarinet, I have been applying a light coat of cork grease before each use. How long should I do this (should I be doing this each time?)?
Thanks!
george
|
|
The Clarinet BBoard
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
