Author: SecondTry
Date: 2022-11-16 00:02
I recently tried 2.5 strength Vandorens from my usual light 3.0s. Is there a downside to playing lighter reeds?
I play a Vandoren M15 mouthpiece: which many of you will know is more on the closed end of things that all else equal would, for most players, involve the use reeds on the stronger side of the spectrum. Even 3.0 strength pushes Vandoren's guidelines https://vandoren.fr/en/vandoren-mouthpieces/m15-bb-clarinet-mouthpiece/ for this mouthpiece on the weakness side of things.
Okay---many factors go into mouthpieces, tip opening being only one. But if there's something we might actually develop some consensus on it's that a player is apt to find more functionality with lighter reeds on, say, a more open mouthpiece like a Vandoren B45.
Additionally, I definitely expect my reeds to be slightly resistant for me out of the box. Removing material from reeds to adjust their resistance, both overall and to better achieve left side/right side symmetry for my setup (anatomical and instrument) is part of my approach.
As I get older, and maybe this is something I should have adopted years ago, I find that anything I can do to make clarinet playing less exhausting, without compromising artistry, is a good thing. It's not uncommon for me to switch between double and single lip embouchure, the former that much more taxing I feel when playing strong reeds.
While I have no aspirations to being a professional, is there something about more resistant setups that is attractive to pros, like better projection?
Resistance is one of the things for me that allowed me better reliability on stratospheric notes in the C7 range---for the limited repertoire necessitating this. But so does taking in more mouthpiece.
Rephrase: why don't you or pros play weaker reeds. What happens when you do? Do they squeak, do you choke them off, does the strength of your airway overpower them, do they not last as long, etc.? Is it just that after years of play that their muscles have grown so strong that what they see as "light" weight reeds because stronger over their life of play?
TIA
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