The Clarinet BBoard

Re: Clamp that sucker down!

Author: WhitePlainsDave  Date:   2015-03-02 21:52 Max: First off, and as I mentioned when you first did your initial research, cudos to you for at least trying to use science to measure effect, even if your tests were only cursory (not meant snide: you concurred), and a framework upon which further more rigorous study can occur. The same applies here regarding harmonics and ligature pressure. Still more, you may completely appreciate already what I am about to say. It's important to realize that reed vibration, and the ease with which it happens at any given air pressure, as affected by ligature pressure, probably relates to harmonics in complex ways. Still more, as we both concurred previously, the relationship between harmonics and people's enjoyment of sound is also complex. In my case, I began comparing a reed to a diving board, trying to find legitimate places where the relationship breaks down, so as to, in part, explain why what's good for a diving board, and pure physics, may not apply to cane. Part of the problem could be that if our reed is seen as nothing but a series of tiny pipes at the most granular of levels, then holding those pipes steady at their base might allow them to vibrate most at their tips, but only to the point perhaps where ligature pressure doesn't smush the base of those pipes, or even put those pipes too close to each other(???). Again--I applaud your and anyone's attempt to determine musical cause and effect between to objectively measureable things, so as to better understand them, and how they relate to each other, if at all. It's been said that the clarinet only works because it, at some point between mouthpiece and barrel, offers us resistance. Some players like that resistance to happen mostly at the mouthpiece (Richie Hawley), some at the instrument, and some a little of both. Towards this end, perhaps some players keep their ligatures loose so the reed doesn't optimally vibrate--assuming such correlation even exists--so as to achieve their desired resistance to their air pressure they provide at this early stage in the clarinet's pipe. My own experience suggests maintaining a strong grasp on the reed is best, but that applying pressure beyond that at best I feel doesn't help, and at worst hinders the reed. Still more, I am faced with the reality that my lig must be tight enough to allow quick mouthpiece changes with my "A" clarinet at times, without reed and lig getting fouled up. And I don't believe that the degree to which I tighten the lig to do this hampers play, or hampers play enough, that keeping seperate mouthpieces, reeds, and ligs on each instrument is worth it. I wonder if a reed has an optimum lig tightness for maximim harmonics though, even despite the fuzzy relationship between harmonics and pleasantness of sound. I would suspect that changes as the reed is played, and across reeds. I must now return to my self adjusting tightness lig project, which analyzes sound and adjusts pressure constantly and accordingly, complete with the "quick mouthpiece/instrument change override button" for maximim tightness. And when I'm not busy with that, (and dare I say, PRACTICE) taking stabs at manufacturer's claims that their ligs allow the reed maximum/optimal ability for the reed to vibrate. Post Edited (2015-03-02 21:54)

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