 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: CuriousClarinet
Date: 2011-05-03 17:00
Hi! I'll quickly introduce myself since I'm new here. (Just joined) I've monitored this site for a few months and have found some very useful advice, so I decided I should probably join so I can get some of my own questions answered. =) I'm a junior in high school who plays both clarinet and bass clarinet (I prefer bass but have learned to not be very picky =p) I've played clarinet for eight years and bass clarinet for almost a year and a half; and approx. a year ago I started taking private lessons.
But anyways, to my question: My private instructor keeps insisting I use soft reeds on the bass clarinet. Before the lessons, I used a vandoren 3 1/2 on both bass and ordinary Bb clarinet. But months ago switched to a 2 1/2 vandoren, and recently 2 1/2 vandoren V12 bass clarinet reed. (I use V12 clarinet 3 1/2) I really like the reeds.... they play well. I think he suggested this so I could play with a fuller sound, and I think I can actually play the high notes more consistently with the 2 1/2. The only negative thing I've noticed is that I can't play the Bb clarinet with my usual 3 1/2 sized reeds unless I soak the reed in a cup of water for what seems like forever. Is this due to the difference in reed size or something else completely?
So my main question is if I should be playing on a harder bass clarinet reed. I've heard online that the soft bass clarinet reeds negatively impact the tone of the high notes, but I don't honestly think my high notes are that nasty. Maybe my bass clarinet just covers it (I now play a Buffet 1183 that my dad bought as a gift for competing in state solo/ensemble a month ago)... But I haven’t really noticed it when I play a Selmer 1430 or Buffet 1180. So I guess I'm just being my usual curious self. =) Any answers/advice/thoughts?
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2011-05-03 19:40
How do you get from Carnegie Bass Hall to Carnegie Soprano Hall? PRACTICE.
When I play bass and then soprano, my lower lip feels soft and a little numb, and it's hard to play. What works for me (aside from general practice) is to go through etudes, switching instruments at the end of each line. That gets me accustomed to playing both and switching quickly.
I agree with your teacher about reed strength. You need to play the larger instrument in a relaxed way. With a hard reed, you're tempted to blast away. Your job, except in the infrequent bass solo, is to merge into the ensemble and support it.
Watch the best double bass players -- Edgar Meyer or Amanda McNamara. You can barely hear them, yet they're the foundation for everything -- the sea that buoys up the whole orchestra.
Ken Shaw
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Author: CuriousClarinet
Date: 2011-05-03 21:05
Ok. Thanks for the response. I'm not saying that my teacher was wrong, I was just wondering because it is the opposite of my band director's theory of "use the hardest reed you possibly can without passing out". =p
I actually practice both bass and soprano clarinet a ton. I probably spend equal time on both instruments, really, if you minus performances. I don't think lack of practice is the issue. (Not that it wasn’t a good idea) It's not that I can't play, or that my lips feel tired or anything else related to that. It's just that I feel like I'm playing a really hard reed. It's like I have to use a ton of air to get one whisper of a note to speak, and when it does, it's extremely airy. I've discussed this with my teacher as well, and he believes it's just because the reed is dry... which is probably the truth. But before I played bass clarinet I didn't have this issue. I could play a reed with relatively no airyness-issues even if I hadn't stuck in my mouth. Now it takes a whole 10 minutes of soaking to get it to sound decent. I don't always have time to soak my reed in advance, so tends to be an issue. It makes me nervous to play the soprano clarinet, it's frustrating, and I don't understand what made the difference.
Could that possibly be due to the brand of reeds? I use to use Rico Reserves (and had no issue with those, they are very easy to play) but switched to Vandoren's, and later to Vandoren V12 when I got tired of people asking me if my reed was good, because my tone sounded funny. It’s hard for me to tell which caused the issue, the reed strength or reed brand switch because they happened around the same time.
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Author: graham
Date: 2011-05-04 15:39
This is all really so mouthpiece and instrument dependant that there is no standard answer to the point.
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2011-05-04 22:57
The strength of the reed you use depends on several factors. The mouthpiece you use is a main factor, then there's the concept of sound and control you want. I use Rico grand concerts number 3/1/2 and still have some Vandorens #4 that I sometimes use. I like a full rich tone and I get that with a stronger reed than your teacher suggested. It is true, in general, if you use a softer reed your altissimo register will be weaker but that depends on many factors. My suggestion is to always us as strong a reed as is COMFORTABLE, and that's the magic word. PS. I'm a professional bass clarinetist. ESP http://eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: CuriousClarinet
Date: 2011-05-04 23:29
Hm. Okay. It sounds like I need to use whatever works for me. I guess, if it helps, I use a Clark Fobes CF+ mouthpiece on the clarinet, and a Clark Fobes CF for bass. Does anyone know if the reeds I use should work for these mouthpieces? (As I type that question I realize this might be too influenced by personal choice/a hundred other factors, so whatever. =p) I like the tone I get on my bass clarinet, but I suppose my ordinary Bb clarinet tone leaves something to be desired... meaning, basically, that my high notes suck. =p
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