 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: faltpihl ★2017
Date: 2015-06-04 17:37
Hi again,
I hope you don't feel this to be a re-post from my earlier posts.
I'm not sure that I've found my perfect match when it comes to reeds.
I play on a Ridenour mouthpiece (RA MT36).
I've tried different brands and strengths, but I've lately played most on V21 3.5.
They feel quite comfy, and I can achieve a very soft dynamic while maintaining clarity.
I have however (perhaps incorrectly) noticed that I have an easier time with tone stability (mainly pitch I think) with stiffer reeds.
I feel that with stiffer reeds, I can not play as softly without airiness in the sound.
Perhaps when I use stiffer reeds, I do something with air/embouchure which results in greater stability, and perhaps the best solution is playing on the softer reeds and practice stability?
Perhaps I have failed to balance (I use ATG) my harder reeds as well as my soft, so maybe I'll try a box of stiffer reeds to be sure.
Can you perhaps add your experiences with stiffer/softer reeds?
Softer:
* Pro: Clear and more focused tone, easier to do altissimo (especially fast passages in altissimo)
* Con: Less stability? (Easier to bend notes perhaps?)
Stiffer:
* Pro: More stability, perhaps possible to play higher (louder) dynamics?
* Con: More airy sound in lower dynamics, perhaps harder to play "lyrically" due to having to work so hard to get the sound to focus
Regards
Peter
Post Edited (2015-06-04 17:43)
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-06-04 19:08
I don't have those issues. For me stiffer reeds suit someone who needs to put more physicality in the embouchure. I have admitted before that I wish I could get used to reeds that are a bit softer than a number four, but I am not comfortable with them (it doesn't effect the sound as long as you make the proper accomodations).
The proper accomodations are what you do to balance out the amount of air you need for a certain note (in a certain octave, at a certain dynamic) vs. the amount of embouchure control you need for that certain note.
My guess is that you "squeeze" or "bite" the reed a bit more closed when it is pliable enough. Harder reeds resist the "squeezing," so they compensate for this tendency.
As I said, I use harder reeds but I am comfortable "pushing against" the reed more often and cannot break myself of this habit.
Perhaps double lip embouchure would be a good aid to keeping the whole system more calm.
..................Paul Aviles
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2015-06-04 19:24
It depends a little on the amount of "airy" noise that is in the sound. Some very good, established players allow, and teach their students to allow, a certain degree of airiness in the tone at soft dynamics.
You've described the pros and cons, I think, pretty well. The only other con of a truly too hard reed is that you will tire much faster. But there's a point at which the resistance can allow you to not work so hard to maintain focus and pitch. At the truly too soft end, you start to have trouble producing in-tune altissimo notes at all and even the upper clarion can become really unstable.
It seems from what you've written that you're describing a range of hardness through which you're comfortable. It may be that your choice of reeds, then, can be more situational - the harder ones within the range you describe for some music, ones at the softer end for other music.
To an extent, airiness in piano or pianissimo playing can be reduced with more attention to the tongue position and oral (vowel) shape. It may also be that the reeds at the stiffer end of your range may play with less noise if you adjust them a little differently - maybe remove a little cane from the tip and side areas (basically what ATG is best at) of your stiffer reeds *a very little at a time* to improve vibrancy without overly softening the heart area. It may take some experimentation.
Or, if everything else works well, ignore slight noise in piano with the justification that it won't carry far enough for an audience to hear it.
Karl
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Author: 4accord
Date: 2015-06-04 21:50
This is a timely discussion for me. I spent a lot of time only yesterday playing with every mouthpiece, ligature, and reed combination I had to see what worked best for me. I settled on my Selmer HS* with a #3 Rico Royal and a Rovner lig... I was surprised at how much difference I was experiencing, compared to other supposedly well-respected brands. I like to bend notes and avoid very high ones. Part of me thinks I wasted good money on my collection of mouthpieces (Vandoren 45, Portnoy 02, LeBlanc 4L, and stock Boosey)...because none of them work for me as well as my old Selmer. But I also think of them as my "library" and will probably learn new things as I progress and try them again in the future. I also find the no doubt obvious: that best reed strength has a lot to do with the particular mouthpiece. I also find I can "soften" a reed by positioning the ligature a little further down. Okay...looking forward to everyone setting me straight. ;-)
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-06-04 22:09
"4accord,"
I generally avoid trying to plow through too many different mouthpieces in one go (and I even get more leery about changing all the equipment around). I certainly had gone through periods like that in my past and wished I hadn't.
The difference in mouthpieces (as vast as the design and measurements seem) is not that huge on 'your sound.' Eventually you can get used to many different configurations that are in the ballpark of what suits you, and at that point you just sound like yourself.
With that in mind I advocate waiting for some aspect in your technique that you want to improve and then seeing if the mouthpiece is the root cause holding you back. Then you address that issue in your search. And I DO find it better to concentrate on ONE piece of equipment at a time. That way you can be sure which variable is making the difference.
I also recommend using the "SQUAWK" test to establish a base line on a new mouthpiece. If you only use YOUR "comfy spot" for every mouthpiece, you could easily be taking in too much mouthpiece on one, or too little mouthpiece on another thinking (quite rightly under those conditions) "Wow, those mouthpieces stink!"
The "SQUAWK" test is simply playing an open "G" while you take in more and more mouthpiece (starting from as close to the tip as practical) until you get a great big, uncontrollable "SQUAWK." Backing off just slightly (back toward the tip) from there gives you the mouthpiece's optimal fulcrum (no guessing). You can adjust from there, but it's good to have the knowledge up front.
..............Paul Aviles
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