 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: BGBG
Date: 2015-05-08 01:16
In case it is the reason for squeaks, how high or low do I place a soft Rovner ligature on the reed, and how tight to make it, like very tight, medium, just snug, etc? Squeaks are mostly in upper register ie B4-F5. Could be fingers or embouchure I guess, but not sure if reed/ligature position and tightness are factors.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-05-08 01:40
Probably not a ligature problem. More likely one side of the mouthpiece being different from the other. Or unbalanced reed. Or the mouthpiece rotated off too much to one side.....try to line it up with the register key OR hold the clarinet so that it is comfortable without putting the mouthpiece in your mouth, then look down at the attitude of the mouthpiece. If the opening is not parallel with your jaw, re-orient so that it is.
As for ligatures, I place them (ideally) so that they are situated (up and down) in the middle of the bark section, so that equal amounts of the "butt" of the reed are above and below the ligature.
And as for tightness, I do both really tight and really loose. You can tighten it down to take any possible reed warping (lengthwise) out of the equation (usually more beneficial in the Winter). If you leave it as loose as possible, you get the greatest amount of vibrations (resonance) out of your reed......experiment.
...............Paul Aviles
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2015-05-08 02:04
Agreed - probably not a ligature problem.
There are lines on most mouthpieces that are meant to act as ligature placement guides. I usually line the top of my ligature (of whatever material) up with the top line on the mouthpiece - the middle of the line if it's a decorative pattern like the Gs on a Gigliotti mouthpiece or the double lines on some others. Of course, that's only a guide - experiment to find the best spot for the reeds you're using on your mouthpiece.
Tightness is individual - it depends on what you're most comfortable with and can depend on the specific reed's response. A friend had a repair tech drill a hole through the screw of a Rovner ligature and solder a metal rod an inch or so long through the hole to give her more torque when turning the screw because the tech felt the Rovner had to be as tight as possible. I don't know if my friend is still using the ligature that way or not. Many of us who play orchestrally want the ligature to be tight enough not to slip when we pull the mouthpiece to move it between an A and a Bb clarinet. I tend normally to stop slightly after the screw first grabs. Again, experiment.
Karl
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Author: tylerleecutts
Date: 2015-05-08 02:12
It may be a ligature problem, but probably not. I would see if something with more direct pressure solves the problem, like a Rovner Versa, Versa X, Vandoren Optimum, MO or Bonade ligature affects anything.
But first, I think it's something to do with the mouthpiece/reed combination. Could be anything, really.
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2015-05-08 06:46
Since the squeaking is mostly in the clarion register, one thing to check specifically is whether you could be opening the bottom of the left thumb hole when you're holding the register key open, especially when you change from chalumeau to clarion and have to move your thumb onto the register key.
Karl.
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Author: BartHx
Date: 2015-05-08 21:06
Before you worry about the ligature:
--Make sure the back of the reed is absolutely flat and sits flat on the mouthpiece table.
--Make sure the reed is balanced from side to side. It's amazing how much a tiny bit of adjustment here can do to improve the situation.
--Place the reed on the mouthpiece precisely.
Beyond that, I agree with the suggestions above. Experiment to find what works best for you and your ligature. I occasionally tie the reed on with a shoelace to make sure I am not, unknowingly, developing any forces to move the reed out of place while I am playing.
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Author: clarinetguy ★2017
Date: 2015-05-09 16:07
Bringing back an old discussion from the past . . . some will ask, "Do we really have to go there again?" 
I use a Rovner Dark on my sax, just bought a MK III for my clarinet, and like both. What I've always wondered about, though, is the instruction in the box that advises the user to lubricate the screw threads. There is a warning that the ligature won't perform properly if this instruction is ignored.
I did lubricate my new MK III ligature screw with cork grease, although I must confess that I haven't lubricated the sax ligature screw in a a long time--and the ligature still works fine. I have no idea if a little cork grease on your ligature will make a difference or not, but here's an old link:
http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=99679&t=99679
Post Edited (2015-05-09 16:09)
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-05-09 16:34
Ummmmm......
Not cork grease but key oil or machine oil.
It's not that the ligature won't work fine without it, it's just that any metal on metal contact WILL eventually wear out (our old friend friction). I got the same advice from Bill Brannen many many years ago: Oil your keys once a month and your ligature as well.
...........Paul Aviles
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Author: clarinetguy ★2017
Date: 2015-05-09 17:24
You could be right about oil, but here's the information from Rovner:
"Lack of lubrication can cause the ligature to sound stuffy or dull. Lubricate rubbing surfaces and threads of metal parts regularly with a good general lubricant (household oil) or cork grease."
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-05-09 17:30
So Rovner is dumb. Cork grease won't do much for metal parts, and it won't help the sound.
One thing that MAY cause an issue with the Rovner pouch ligature tightening correctly (and perhaps consequently affecting the sound) would be when the material 'catches' on the surface of the mouthpiece. You would experience this most notably when it's hard to take it off (sticks a bit). The cure for that, which Rovner DOESN'T happen to include in their advice (they are dumb), would be to apply a modicum of talc to the inside of the pouch. This allows the material to move freely AROUND the mouthpiece (and come off easier when new).
...........Paul Aviles
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Author: JonTheReeds
Date: 2015-05-09 18:28
I used to squeak a lot. I tried everything: different reeds, different ligatures, tight ligature, loose ligature, different mouth positions, different embouchures etc.
In my case I think it was simply because my fingers weren't quite covering the holes cleanly. Now I've been playing a few years my fingers are starting to know where to go, I don't have to explicitly place them in position and my hands are much more relaxed. The result is that the fingers seem to just fall into place and I rarely squeak
You didn't say how long you've been playing. It might just be a matter of time, lots of slow practice and concentrating on relaxing the hands
--------------------------------------
The older I get, the better I was
Post Edited (2015-05-09 18:31)
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