 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2023-05-19 23:52
I'm not saying it's everyone's experience but I'm certainly not alone in it being mine.
Does anyone know why these reeds play flat?
It may be highly presumptuous of me, being no expert in either polymer science or acoustics, but it would seem like something that Legere could, or would at least try to remedy.
TIA
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Author: Pokenerd
Date: 2023-05-19 23:58
I only vaguely remember on hearing about this(which probably also isn’t true either) and what they said was that legeres and their material makes them vibrate not as quickly as a cane reed thus the flatter pitch.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2023-05-20 00:56
This is the only explanation that makes sense to me. It also explains why Legere cannot remedy the situation.
But using a shorter barrel is not a hard thing to do.
...............Paul Aviles
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2023-05-20 03:25
It's the higher density of polypropylene over the lighter density of natural cane.
If you're finding it's mainly the throat notes that are on the flattish side with Legeres, you can use a shorter barrel to compensate.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2023-05-20 04:51
No actually Chris, it is a global issue, and yes, the shorter barrels help globally.
..............Paul Aviles
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Author: graham
Date: 2023-05-20 11:25
Is flatter pitch also the situation with Vandoren and D’Addario synthetics?
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2023-05-20 18:15
alanporter wrote:
> They don't play flat with proper emboutuire.
>
Ok...I'll "bite" (no pun intended) on the above. I don't agree, but hey, maybe I can learn something.
What is the most common change to an embouchure you might suggest to bring pitch up on this reed product? Are you suggesting, for example, I take in more mouthpiece, strengthen my grasp of the mouthpiece, lower my Legere Strength....all/none of the above?
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Author: EaubeauHorn
Date: 2023-05-20 20:25
If I squeeze enough to get it up to pitch, I am a millimeter away from "screech" and I don't think most people have to play that way.
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Author: Jarmo Hyvakko
Date: 2023-05-30 14:54
I am playing legeres with same barrels that i used when playing cane and i am quite ok playing professionally in a=442 Hz (and above).
Perhaps the playing technique with legeres is slightly different what comes to so called voicing, which i understand meaning, what you are doing in your oral cavity, which vowel you imagine when you play, how you position your larynx etc. So, don't bite the pitch up, try imagining vowels like "eee" or german "ü", don't open your throat too much.
The other important thing with syntethics is to choose a mouthpiece that suits them. IMHO a plastic reed needs the mp to be either more open or have a shorter lay because you need more tension to the reed than with cane.
Also try a reed that feels slightly harder than you would choose from cane.
One important detail is, that the tip rail of the mp should be wide enough that you can adjust the hardness of the reed by moving it up and down the mouthpiece table. The hardness of the syntethic reed is 99% The decisive factor in choosing the reed.
I love using the syntethics, because then i can feel being a dog wagging his tail, not vice versa!
Jarmo Hyvakko, Principal Clarinet, Tampere Philharmonic, Finland
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