Author: Jarmo Hyvakko
Date: 2019-01-09 12:19
After trying to find out a way to get a soft, round sound with a very dense core, as i feel the best oehler-clarinetists get, i play now with a combination of PlayEasy B1 mouthpiece and Legere European Signature #4 reeds. And that is quite different from german/austrian setup. The facing of B1 is very close to Vandoren B40: tip 1.20 mm, facing about 20mm, the baffle deeper and side walls slightly A-shaped than in Vandoren, which makes it darker and more resistant. So, IMHO copying an oehler mouthpiece is not the solution.
Resistance is a matter of temperament. Some want the playing be as effortless as possible as if you were playing the recorder. Sound production is all about control, you decide what should come out of your instrument and try to avoid to slip the less preferred qualities out of your horn.
Some on the other hand thrive for a very solid basic sound and want that every aspect that differs from that basic sound must be conciously brought out of the instrument by extra effort. I feel, that when qualities that are more expressive, as brightness, also demand more physical effort make me also physically feel more expressive, and thus i am better in unisono with my mental thought and therefore more "genuine".
A resistant setup has it's challengies, of course. Many things are easier to produce with a lighter one. But is this supposed to be as easy as possible?
Jarmo Hyvakko, Principal Clarinet, Tampere Philharmonic, Finland
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The Clarinet BBoard
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