 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: jjkimtennis
Date: 2011-05-12 07:39
Hey guys!
So if you've read my other thread, you know that I've been having clarinet issues. Well, I took my clarinet to the shop (twice), and it turns out my clarinet was in pretty rough shape. Pads were in horrible condition, and some of the pipes (dunno if that's what they're called) were slightly bent. I came back with my clarinet today, and it played fabulously, and I couldn't believe what I had been playing with for the past few years. Anyways, to top it all off, I'm replacing my old mouthpiece, which has chips and scratches all over it and leaks air. So I ordered a Vandoren M13 Lyre (two of em, actually, so I can try em both and pick the one that suits me best) and the Vandoren M30. So far, one M13 Lyre has arrived, and I really love it. I liked the tone and the ease in playing. But I had read on this forum about people having some problems with being flat when playing with it. So, I took out my tuner, and I was consistently under 440 on a lot of notes. This is kind of an issue for me because I'm in a wind ensemble, and we always tune to 440. Normally, I'm on the sharp side, so I can just pull out a little, and the problem's solved. With the M13 Lyre, I can tighten my embouchure to bring my pitch up, but it's a lot of extra work and I'd much rather be able to just pull out my barrel a bit, as with my old mouthpiece. What would you guys advise?
I really liked the M13 Lyre. It feels great. The pitch is just the issue here. I guess I can wait for the other mouthpieces to come, and if I have to, I can order more because in the end, I'll be getting a refund on the ones I don't pick anyways. But yeah, if none of them feel as good as the M13 Lyre did, I'd like to find a way to counter this problem.
Thanks a lot, you guys! You're lifesavers, honestly.
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Author: Liquorice
Date: 2011-05-12 09:04
Get a shorter barrel, or have a tech shorten the mouthpiece by 1mm.
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Author: Ed
Date: 2011-05-12 12:26
I have known some folks who have had them shortened with great success. A shorter barrel is also a good option. There is often a problem with the M series being a little low.
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Author: clarinetguy ★2017
Date: 2011-05-12 12:37
This issue has generated a lot of discussion here in the past! I think this is often a problem with Vandoren's M series, especially the 13s which are designed to play at A440. I play a similar mouthpiece, the M15 (13 series) with a 65 mm barrel. I love the mouthpiece, although some notes always play flat (although most are fine). I'm usually able to compensate, but it isn't ideal.
Here's my suggestion. The M15 is similar to your M13 Lyre, and you can get models that play at A442. This might solve your problem.
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Author: Simon Aldrich
Date: 2011-05-12 15:50
jjkim - I would suggest searching the archives for threads on the unmanageable flatness in the throat tones of the 13-series Vandoren mpcs (in real-world playing situations). A lot has been written on it. I think it is accurate to say that whatever Vandoren does to lower the pitch of the Series-13 mpc, the result lowers the throat tones disproportionately.
That being said, if you fall in love with a 13-series mpc and find it plays better than any non-13 mpc, but flat, the suggestion to shorten the mpc is a good one because shortening a mpc raises the throat tones more than rest of the instrument, since the throat tones are closer to the mpc.
I have had 13-series mpcs (such as the M13 Lyre, M30, M15) shortened with good results. Shortening an in-tune mpc can bring up the throat tones too much in relation to the rest of the instrument. But in the 13-series' case this is not a bad thing since the throat tones are disproportionately flat.
In the long run I have found that using a shorter barrel to counter the problems of a flat 13-series mpc not be an acceptable fix because sooner or later you will have to play at 442. Sooner or later you will have to make a fast switch to a freezing-cold A clarinet in a cold hall and belt out a loud solo that lies in the throat tones. In my experience, even on a shorter barrel, in these conditions, the pitch will be flat and the voicing will sound low.
Simon
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Author: Bb R13 greenline
Date: 2011-05-12 16:50
I had an m13 lyre too, I don't use it anymore because the pitch and dynamic range is better on my b45 but somethings that helped bring up the pitch were
1.shorter barrel
2. Harder read ideally a 4
3. No vent fingerings on the throat tones
4. Buy a new mouthpiece
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2011-05-13 03:05
If you love the mouthpiece and can afford a new barrel I'd suggest trying some shorter ones. The other option is to try some other MPs because there are many more on the market. ESP http://eddiesclarinet.com
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