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The German Mouthpiece Experience

Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-11-13 07:27

I used to play Wurlitzer Oehler system 100c clarinets about ten years ago and gave up on them because I could not make a final leap to achieving the sound and response that I wanted.

A recent correspondence with Mr. Bas de Jong of the Netherlands led to a trial of one of his German mouthpieces that he claims works well with Boehm clarinets. Mr. de Jong stressed that he is confused by the general tendency for American players to put so much effort into their embouchures when mostly all you have to do on one of his German mouthpieces is "just blow."

I received in the mail today a Viotto N1 facing (1mm open, 23mm long facing) and several strength 2 1/2 Vandoren White Master reeds. This confused me at first because I had always used stronger reeds (as a player of French clarinets to begin with).

I dutifully began the trial of the N1 mouthpiece with the 2 1/2 strength reed. I placed this combination atop my Yamaha CSG and much to my amazement I got the most wonderfully clear, powerful sound with all the overtones I could ask for................and it was.......EFFORTLESS !!!!! The general affect on intonation was similar to a lower pitch mouthpiece, but the pitch tendencies throughout the registers was very even (in some ways even better than with my French mouthpieces).

As a comparison, I did also try one of my #4 White Master reeds to compare the result. The sound was not as immediate and in short order I found myself pressing (biting) and pinching off what little sound I was getting. So what happens with the German facing seems almost counterintuitive. I learned something very important today!!!!!

Of course after playing for a while it was clear that it would take some time (months of course) to get used to NOT working as hard as I have for so many years. So in the end I will just stick with the current pack of French mouthpieces on my French clarinet (I am after all a victim of doing things a certain way for many years) but here is a summary of what I may be of use to others:

1. The Bas de Jong Viotto N1 works GREAT on French clarinets and can give you a more German sound with just the change of a mouthpiece.

2. There are no pitch irregularities using the Viotto N1 with a Boehm clarinet

3. You can get a clear, vibrant sound with a soft reed and very little effort (if any) of the embouchure.

Of course the approach to HOW you generate sound is different from the French paradigm, VERY different and will (if you are curious) require diligent open-mindedness and time to adjust to the experience. And it requires the use of Vandoren White Master reeds (or other equivalent true German cut reeds).

.......................Paul Aviles

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The German Mouthpiece Experience new

Paul Aviles

2015-11-13 07:27