 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Jacob R
Date: 2023-05-22 20:23
I use a Vandoren M13 Lyre mouth piece and I typically use a 3.5 traditional Vandoren reed and I sound stuffy and airy. I had this problem with strength 4 reeds and I was wondering if there is anything I can do to fix this problem.
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2023-05-22 20:47
Hi Jacob:
All else equal I think many would agree that the more open the mouthpiece is, and the harder the reed is, the more likely that a player's sound will be airy.
That said, and as you may very well know, the M13 Lyre is one of the most closed tips mouthpieces out there. There is utterly nothing wrong with your use of this gear: many do and think it excellent. It's just that if tip opening were the most predominant factor here--and I don't think it is--regarding why you sound airy, please understand that there is little wiggle room with a mouthpiece change, beyond the M13 non-Lyre, to seek a more closed tip.
Is there a setup where such airiness didn't manifest itself for you?
Please know that Vandoren's recommendation for reed strength on a particular mouthpiece is only a recommendation. If you play best on weaker or stronger reeds than their recommendation, provided you aren't violating basic principles of play with your embouchure, please use the strength that works for you.
If your problems are embouchure based I'm afraid it best to have someone knowledgeable evaluate your play in person.
Also know that within a reed strength there is variability. Vandoren cuts all their reeds within a make a model (e.g. Bb Clarinet V12's) to less than a human hair of tolerance (or so they claim). Mother nature puts in the strength differences, which Vandoren only extremely rudimentarily determines by taken that dry reed and applying a puff of air of known strength against it to measure how much that reed deflects: less deflection a proxy for greater strength.
Who knows how water affects that reed once played.
Post Edited (2023-05-22 20:50)
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2023-05-22 20:48
you may be using too hard a reed. Try with a softer reed, and also try a more closed mouthpiece. If you're getting a few squeaks you may have a leak.
Tony F.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2023-05-22 21:10
Jacob R wrote:
> I use a Vandoren M13 Lyre mouth piece and I typically use a 3.5
> traditional Vandoren reed and I sound stuffy and airy. I had
> this problem with strength 4 reeds and I was wondering if there
> is anything I can do to fix this problem.
I use a mouthpiece that's very similar to the M13Lyre and I use #3.5 VD Traditional reeds. I also use #4 VD Trads with some adjustments made to the profile. So the combination can work. But first, you should realize as 2ndTry suggests that not every reed in a box plays with the same vibrating characteristics. I find that if I use #3 instead of #3.5, I lose certain qualities in the sound and many are too light to play comfortably.
But, more of those #3.5s are more playable if they're well-balanced. Many of them are more resistant on the left than on the right, a profile that has been true of Vandoren since my earliest years of using them (in the mid-1960s). The difference can easily cause the stuffiness you're asking about. You have to learn to do the balancing. There are a number of YouTube videos showing how to do basic balancing. I've seen videos by Michael Lowenstern, Tom Ridenour and Brad Behn, to name three well known clarinetists.
Other than finding a whole different kind of reed that will solve your problem, you can step down to #3, if you're comfortable with them.
As already suggested, make sure your instrument isn't leaking somewhere.
Karl
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2023-05-22 21:55
Stop playing the who can play on the hardest reed competition and instead, use the reed strength that's suitable for you. Drop down to a 3 and you won't lose face with anyone if that works much better for you. It's not a competition and higher reed strengths don't equate to being a better player.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Dibbs
Date: 2023-05-23 01:44
Try a 2 - or 2.5 - or 3. After 50 years I like to play the softest reed that doesn't make you flat up at the top end. 3.5 and 4, for most mouthpieces and most players are just about dick waving.
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Author: super20dan
Date: 2023-05-23 01:46
try mitchell lurie reeds. they play softer than vandoreens which are planks
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Author: Jacob R
Date: 2023-05-23 07:07
Is there any recommended mouthpieces I should try to fix this problem? If so, please help.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2023-05-23 14:33
Your M13 Lyre is fine - you just need to find the suitable reed for you. Don't go by the recommended reed strength Vandoren suggests as that's only a rough guide and doesn't suit every player.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2023-05-23 14:34)
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Author: kdk
Date: 2023-05-23 18:40
Jacob R wrote:
> Is there any recommended mouthpieces I should try to fix this
> problem? If so, please help.
There's really nothing wrong with the M13 Lyre you're using and no reason inherent in the mouthpiece why it would be causing an airy or fuzzy tone. If a leaky clarinet or a damaged facing on the mouthpiece isn't the problem, it's almost certainly with your reeds. #4s are fuzzy on my mouthpiece, too, but I can adjust them to work in some ways better that #3.5s. 3.5s may be airy sounding if they're not balanced. Try some #3 Vandoren traditionals and see if, out of the box, the fuzziness goes away with *most* of them.
Searching for a mouthpiece to fit the reeds you've decided to use can become a very deep rabbit hole that can cause you top more and more confused as you go. It's much easier to match reeds to the mouthpiece.
Karl
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Author: Jacob R
Date: 2023-05-23 21:28
Okay, I will try this. I will try to use a 3.0 out of the box, but what if it still sounds airy?
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Author: Hunter_100
Date: 2023-05-23 21:38
It may be something you are doing and not the reed's fault then. Maybe try putting more mouthpiece into you lips and try not to squeeze the reed shut (i.e. don't bite). Also reed placement on the mouthpiece could cause issues like you describe.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2023-05-23 22:15
Then some other solution will need to be found. None of us can tell if your technical approach has anything to do with this, and we have to assume that the M13L isn't damaged in some way, but if changing reed strength does help, it's by far the easiest fix available.
Karl
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