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Legere Euro Cut "hack"

Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2022-12-06 18:42

I have found that the positioning and pressure of the ligature can make a huge difference in the performance of the Legere Euro cut reed.

Oddly, the position that seems to work best for most ligatures is placing the top part of where the ligature binds in line with the bottom of the mouthpiece window. You can see the window of the mouthpiece opening through the Legeres. So it is as if you draw a horizontal line across the bottom of that opening and place the top part of the ligature on that. Now you can experiment with it being as much as 1mm below that (or half way between the top line of ligature and the opening).

The other factor is to leave the ligature quite loose. The test for that is how easily the reed can be jiggled side to side when the ligature is on. There is a "sweet spot." Too loose is just as detrimental to the sound as too tight.......you'll have to experiment. One advantage is that once you find that proper tightness, you can just slip the ligature on and off at the beginning and end of playing sessions (pretty much any ligature).

Many of you won't like that last one. I for one spent many many years clamping down on my reeds, popping the mouthpiece on and off for clarinet changes and swabbing. Now I must remember to put the mouthpiece on the barrel first to put the ligature on and fiddle to get the reed on just right. So, yes, with this very light ligature pressure, all swabbing and clarinet changes need to happen at the barrel.

I have tried this with many different ligatures (I pretty much have them all) and several different mouthpieces over the course of a month, so it is not just specific to one particular set up of mine.

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

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