 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Cath
Date: 2017-02-12 00:32
I have just started playing again after around 40 years as I have now retired and have more time. I used to be a good player - Diploma standard- but I'm finding it quite hard to get my embouchure and breathing back. I have found a teacher and started playing in a local concert band to help with my motivation / discipline . Any tips? I have a Bflat Imperial/ 926 and a Bossey and Hawkes A clarinet of a similar quality but older and with no numbers or name on it .
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2017-02-12 00:48
Cath,
Glad to hear you're taking up the craft again.
If you haven't already done so, taking your clarinets to a technician for service would be the absolute first order of business here. They might still play after sitting 40 years, but it's certain that you'll work harder at it, for less-rewarding results, than if they were put back into top playing condition.
Regards...Greg
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Author: Cath
Date: 2017-02-12 01:02
I actually had them serviced a couple of years ago,as I was going to sell them, but decided I couldn't ! I will try and play my A more though in practice , otherwise it won't get used , and perhaps look around to get them serviced again soon ... Thanks . It is hard work though and I'm trying not to get too disheartened and look at pieces I used to play easily!
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2017-02-12 01:28
Any clarinet that you depend upon should be serviced at least annually.
After a 40 year hiatus, the wood in your instruments may have changed dimensionally; with regular play they will ease back into shape--possibly causing a pad or pads to leak in the process. The good news is that Boosey & Hawkes used particularly fine wood back in the day--this may never become an issue for you. But do get them serviced, just to make sure.
Also, I would have your teacher check out your mouthpiece, if you haven't already done so. These, too, can become unstable over time. Fighting a mouthpiece is a war you can't win!
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Author: Cath
Date: 2017-02-12 01:40
Thanks . I will get them both looked at , although thankfully they seem to be playing quite well. . Though the A feels a bit stiff ....might make them easier to play ....
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Author: tucker ★2017
Date: 2017-02-12 02:41
PATIENCE. It's going to take awhile to get your chops back. Get SmartMusic. Great tool.
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Author: Cath
Date: 2017-02-12 08:50
Thanks Tucker . Yes it's taking a while to get my face muscles to cooperate! I can now play for about 45 minutes beforeever they go all 'flubbery' and I end up blowing raspberries down the barrel! Never heard of SmartMusic - will look it up ...
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Author: RKing
Date: 2017-02-12 19:57
Welcome back! My tale is similar - I took a long hiatus from the saxophone, then picked it up again.
THEN I decided that I also wanted to re-learn the clarinet after more than 50 years since elementary school.
My sax chops are fine, but it's taking a little more time to re-develop the clarinet embouchure. I am used to wailing away on the sax, but if I forget and try that nonsense on the clarinet right now............
Yes, "Patience" is the key word.
All the best,
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2017-02-14 08:04
Mouthpieces and reeds have changed a lot. Maybe try some new mouthpieces out and new styles of reeds. They could help make the new jump into playing a shade easier.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
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Author: Cath
Date: 2017-02-14 11:26
Sorry to sound ignorant , but how would a new mouthpiece make it easier - what is the difference ? And I've never heard of different styles if reeds. Currently playing on 21/2 Rico - it's a whole new world out there since I first learnt ! I'm in the UK so don't know if that makes any difference to what is available ? I've also been watching YouTube clips on double tounguing and feel like I'm climbing Everest! Martin Smart - just wow!
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Author: dorjepismo ★2017
Date: 2017-02-14 18:29
I started again a couple years ago after nearly 30 years off. I'd sold my Buffets in the interim, and only had a set of 1010s I'd gotten out of curiosity in '83. First thing I did was find a really good mouthpiece (from Ed Pillinger, whom I found out about thanks to this board). So, I agree with Bob; it made all the difference to be able to sound good with relatively little effort, relatively soft reeds, and a relaxed embouchure. I doubt I would have continued if the sound hadn't gotten sorted out. On soft reeds, by the way, I don't know about Rico, but I found that the cane with Vandoren 3s and 3 1/2s didn't sound nearly as good for me as the cane in Steuers, Leuthners, and Pilgerstorfers. Some companies seem to think that if you're any good, you'll be playing 4s and 5s.
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Author: Cath
Date: 2017-02-15 02:35
Here in the UK virtually the only reeds easily available as far as I know, are Vandoren and Rico - never heard of those other makes - will have to check on line , and 3 is considered a hard reed ! I have much to learn and catch up on!
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Author: dorjepismo ★2017
Date: 2017-02-15 08:37
Howarth in London and Reeds Direct in Cambridge both have Steuer and Leuthner reeds.
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Author: dorjepismo ★2017
Date: 2017-02-15 17:53
For my setup and playing style, yes, but judgments about reeds are pretty subjective. They're worth a try, and Howarth sells individual reeds, at least sometimes.
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2017-02-16 03:02
I think the Rico reeds you are using are the very worst. I worked there for 15 years. They also use pesticides on all of their reeds. Yes there are better reeds for sure. You can search some of my past posts about the use of pesticides.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
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Author: Cath
Date: 2017-02-16 06:36
Never even thought about pesticides in reeds , Bob, thanks .
Will certainly try some others .
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Author: Kenneth Binkley
Date: 2018-10-23 17:27
It's never too late to start again.
My story is very similar to yours. I used to play saxaphone 8 years back and then stopped it.
Just last year, I decided to use the male extra tunes again as I had forgot.
Finally, I'm right on track.....
Post Edited (2018-11-01 15:20)
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Author: gatto
Date: 2018-10-23 21:37
Hi Cath,
which mouthpiece do you use?
I can understand your problem. I was a late starter, with 30, and after playing some years, I had a break of 10 years or so. Two years ago I started again.
After restarting I was not happy with my former favorite mouthpieces, the Vandoren B40 and B45dot, using reeds #2.5 - 3.0.
I bought the BD5 and was happy immediately with it. But I had the ambition to use reeds #3.5, since I found #3.0 a little too weak in the altissimo. It was very hard, both for my lungs and for my jaws. I could not play longer than 20 minutes, and even then was quite exhausted. After 1,5 years or so, it became better. Now I find #3.5 not a big deal, but I seldomly play much longer than 30 minutes. Recently I also tried the B40 Lyre, and I like this mouthpiece also very much. Both have a good response in the altissimo. For the BD5 I use Vandoren reeds V21, for the B40 Lyre the V.12, both #3.5 (sometimes 3.0); it seems for me, that the different reeds fit better to the respective mouthpieces, don't know why.
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Author: NOLA Ken
Date: 2018-10-24 19:53
Hi Cath, welcome to the ranks of the later-year returning clarinet players.
I took it up again two years ago after being away from it for 35 yrs. I'm still dealing with endurance issues with the embouchure and breath, but it's getting better. It just takes time and patience. Playing with a community band was critically important for me. One thing I found was that there is so much more information readily available about clarinets and equipment than was the case when I was a younger man. This bulletin board and other web resources are a gold mine to catch up on developments and new information. Didn't have this when I was playing before, but I refer to them constantly now and it really has enriched my experience. The mouthpiece my teacher in college gave me turned out to be going in the wrong direction because neither he nor I understood the nonstandard large bore on my clarinet (which I just recently discovered through this bulletin board and learning about clarinet bores). It was really killing my enthusiasm. Got that problem straightened out with a couple of more modern mouthpieces I learned about online and am now loving my old clarinet (which I had professionally restored by a really excellent tech). Discovered Legere reeds and their general (qualified) acceptability, which helped me sidestep the sturm und drang of reed selection and just play again while I caught up on newer cane reeds and how to work with them. It truely is a whole new world out there, even when working with vintage clarinets.
Just a warning that it can get expensive if you find yourself really bitten by the bug. I've gone from two mouthpieces to about 20 before I finally landed on the gems (and discovered that that mouthpiece my college teacher gave me is a gem, but just on a different clarinet). I've collected boxes of different styles and brands of reeds before finding one that I really like. Still, it's turned out to be a great way to spend my retirement. Hope you find it as rewarding as I have.
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Author: monnarush
Date: 2018-10-29 00:42
Great advice I will be looking into the pesticides also never thought of that, learn something new every day. Have a wonderful week!
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Author: 3dog
Date: 2018-10-29 01:03
About 5 months ago when I started back on the clarinet I was lucky enough to be playing sax next to a pro level doubler who had funny looking reeds on all of his instruments. They were carbon fiber, which didn't exist 30 years ago when I had last played the clarinet. I switched to carbon fiber on all my instruments for about 5 months now and have no regrets.
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Author: Green Henry
Date: 2018-11-03 04:18
Hi All
I'm a newbie both to the site and relatively to the instrument: like several others here, I have started to play since retiring (in spring 2016 in my case, aged 57), but unlike the others this is my first foray into playing any musical instrument. I liked my job, but realised I can live on my means and had a quite specific dream: to play classical music with other people. So far going well. I've passed the UK Grade 4 and will take Grade 5 soon; I'm confidently playing pieces from the next level now. More importantly I've joined two community bands and recently found someone to play duets with (what larks!). On the one hand, I'm having a ball - I cannot think of anything I have done that has so successfully met my objectives - and on the other hand it's incredibly frustrating. My question, for fun rather than something with an answer, is: I may be improving all the time but am not very good at playing and obviously never can be that good. Am I better placed than someone who played to a good standard once and will struggle ever to reach that standard again, but is a better player than I will ever be? (My answer: it's about how much fun you're having, but playing better means more fun. Sometimes just one note leaves me in raptures.)
Anyway, love the site, love playing my clarinet, best wishes to everyone struggling to get rid of that thudding sound at the start of a tongued note around the break. I sleep easily in the sure knowledge that if I ever do master that, there are plenty more frustrations waiting just around the corner.
H
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2018-11-03 07:16
H,
You're absolutely right, it is all about the enjoyment of it.
One suggestion on the "thuddiness," though. Try having some air going before you start the note.
Keep the fun going!
................Paul Aviles
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Author: Green Henry
Date: 2018-11-07 02:24
Thanks!
Good days and bad ones. I find persevering with practice on the bad days has a strangely positive effect the next day, when something that I just couldn't do comes out better.
Lucky enough to have found someone to play duets with, a recent restarter as it happens. It's interesting: I think I'm a little stronger right now, at least in some ways, but she has a basic level of technique that is well ahead of me. Especially with rhythm.
I have a degree in maths ("math"?), but I have great difficulty with counting properly.
H
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2018-11-07 03:44
I must admit that I haven't really "counted" in at least ten years. The important aspect is maintaining a steady length of time for your basic unit of rhythm (usu. a quarter note). Great rhythm is merely a continuum of the same length of that unit, over and over again.
............Paul Aviles.
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Author: Fermelo
Date: 2019-08-20 11:51
I expect it would be difficult https://www.stlcurioshoppe.com/v-tight-gel-review after all those year. I didn't play for a year
Post Edited (2019-09-03 13:54)
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