 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: S.H.J.
Date: 2011-05-28 21:00
I have a problem consistently going up past E6 in scalar passage. I can get it if i try voicing well enough, but if i just play without particularly thinking about it, the F6 will refuse to speak. Same for F#6, while G6 isn't as problematic. I use a Leblanc Cadenza on a M30-13 and Legere Signature #3.5s. I took it to Morrie Backun's shop a month ago, and while he took care of a lot of things, the original problem was still there. He mentioned that the M30 is not a "high note mouthpiece", but i should still be able to play the notes. Indeed, I don't actually have this problem if i play on my teacher's Buffet with my M30. I can get past F6 without even thinking about it. But I tried different mouthpieces anyway, just to see if it was the mouthpiece. I tried my teacher's Ted Lane mouthpiece, which didn't work. Then I tried her old 5RV, first using my regular #3.5 signature, then a softer #3 Legere regular. The latter setup was WAY too soft (my tone was reedy and thin than i've ever heard it), but my problem disappeared! So I went back to my usual setup, couldn't go past F6, then switched to the softer reed. It was much much much too soft, but altissimo problem had disappeared! My teacher was flummoxed, and didn't know what to say. What do the BBoard members think?
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2011-05-28 22:47
I suspect your Legere reed may be shot. I've noticed that my Legeres don't degrade gradually like a cane reed does--they just suddenly stop working as they should, and certain notes start squeaking or don't speak at all. I just switch to a new Legere, and the problem is solved.
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Author: S.H.J.
Date: 2011-05-29 03:48
I have 4 fairly new Legere Signatures that I rotate on a regular basis and i've always had this problem, even when they were brand new. It's not even because of Legeres themselves - I tried out a few Vandoren blue box #3.5s (softened) recently and the problem was there even with those cane reeds.
FYI, the Legere regular #3 that made my altissimo problem disappear was actually my teacher's.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2011-05-29 14:57
I'm having a little trouble imagining a Legere of any strength sounding "reedy and thin." I've always found the too soft ones simply got dull sounding and were hard to keep in tune.
A couple of ideas come to mind:
You seem to be avoiding testing the problem with cane reeds. I've recently begun to experiment with Legere Signatures more seriously than before and found that one of the adjustments I had to make was to voice the altissimo register (C#6 and up) differently. Assuming the harder (3.5) reed is the right strength for you, you may need to give in and learn to make those voicing adjustments to the point where they become part of your techinique "without even thinking about it."
Does your teacher agree that the lighter (#3) reed was "WAY too soft?" It may be that you've gotten so used to blowing against the resistance of the #3.5 that you aren't getting the optimal result from the #3. Also, in my limited recent experience with Legeres, you shouldn't compare the sound and response of a "Regular" (is there still one that doesn't have a model name, or was it an Ontario or a Quebec model) to a Signature. To make meaningful comparisons, especially in diagnosing something like this, you should be using a #3 Signature to see if it's perhaps the Signature's profile and not the strength that's causing your problem. The models of Legere reeds each play differently from each other.
Karl
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Author: William
Date: 2011-05-29 16:25
One thing I do not like about the Legere reed is it's sound and response in the upper register--along with the tendency for flatness. I do not experiance those problems with Forestone reeds which respond quite well up and around the notes you mentioned and with a rich, reed like tone quality. With my Chicago Kaspar #14 mpc, I use F4.5 strengths and have no issues playing the full range of my clarinet. I, in fact, use Forestone reeds on all of my clarinets and saxophones simply because they play just as good--if not better--than their cane cousins and without any of the necessary issues of breaking in, moistening and constant balancing, all typical problems associated with cane reeds. Try a Forestone F4.0 and see if that helps.......good luck.
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Author: Red Chair
Date: 2011-05-29 23:02
Not a 'high note mouthpiece'? What a load of rubbish. The more important question though is obviously what piece of Backun gear did he suggest could improve the problem? Was it the 'can't get any volume' barrel, 'ruin the inherent tuning of my instrument' bell or the 'overpriced blank that I just put through my expensive machine' mouthpiece?
Don't believe everything a salesman tells you.
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Author: Red Chair
Date: 2011-05-29 23:18
Oh, and in relation to your question that you posted as a topic, my suggestions are to be kind to your mother, don't walk under ladders and follow the Muslim faith.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2011-05-30 07:07
The "flaw" of course is that the hole needs to be moved away from its optimal place to avoid sitting directly in the joint between the two sections. As a result, this is one area in which varying compromises are chosen in a maker's design process, which explains why these (and other} notes may be genuinely easier to produce on some brands/models than others. Unfortunately, improvement in one such problem area usually involves sacrifice somewhere else, which is why there are so many different designs on the market.
Karl
Buster wrote:
> F6 and F#6 are very
> "weak" notes on the clarinet due to design flaws. The position
> of the left hand C#/G# key's tone hole is not optimally placed.
> This is what makes the F6 feel more "difficult" to sound in
> relation to E6- an acoustical inefficiency.
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