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Clarinet , mouthpiece and reeds

Hello forum members:

I am completing overhaul on Noblet clarinet posted here on 5-28-11.

I currently play on Yamaha 34 using Vandoren B45 mouthpiece with No. 2 1/2 reed.

The Noblet came with mouthpiece noted Accu-Rated by Arlie Richardson B 2 and a used No.2 reed.

My questions are :

Is moving up in reed strength a progression thru playing experience. When I started my teacher started me on a Rico No.2 and moved me to a Vandoren 2 1/2. Should I be thinking of trying a No.3?

Is reed strength different according to clarinet played. Example large bore etc.

I will be trying my Vandoren B45 with 2 1/2 on Noblet to see what I get but ask what you all think about the Arlie Richardson that it came with in comparison to the Vandoren mouthpiece.

Thank you

Rick
 
Reed choice is dictated by mouthpiece and response. Experience and harder reeds do not go together, the only connection between them is that beginning players have NO muscle tone to their embouchure so a softer reed is used to keep the new players from injuring themselves. Range and tone are secondary to beginning players.

More experienced players don't care how hard a reed is, just that it meets their needs and that one reed is consistent with the next.

I play medium hard on some clarinets and soft on others. It is all about results, not how advanced you are.
 
I will be interested to hear what you thought of the "Arlie Richardson" but I really play with mouthpieces that I have been able to test play myself. There are so many variables in picking a mouthpiece; your aural opening size, air stream, instrument, and embouchure come to mind first.

Let us know how your tests go.
 
I will be interested to hear what you thought of the "Arlie Richardson" but I really play with mouthpieces that I have been able to test play myself. There are so many variables in picking a mouthpiece; your aural opening size, air stream, instrument, and embouchure come to mind first.

Let us know how your tests go.

Gandalfe

Thanks again.

Rick
 
Hello:

Between the Arlie Richardson and the Vandoren I have decided to stay with the Vandoren B45.

Regards
 
B45s are reliable, well loved mouthpieces, I owned and used one at one point until somehow it got stolen.

With experience comes the muscle tone earlier mentioned, but also comes the wider choice of being able to use different strengths to achieve different kinds of tones at will, which comes in hand with using them with different mouthpieces.

If anything, I prefer a 2 1/2 reed or even a 2 simply for the "reedier", brighter tone I can get and prefer for my style of klezmer.

For reference, I'm using a Leblanc cadenza hard rubber mouthpiece.

I like to use thicker reeds on the same mouthpiece for more rounded tones. Every mouthpiece reacts differently to different sizes of reeds, what one reed produces on one mouthpiece may be completely different with another. The musician themself also plays a big part in the reed-versus-tone area.
 
Mmmmmaybe. I think reed choice is more determined by how the player plays, rather than the music he plays. Mouthpiece choice might be more determined by what kind of music you play, then you get a reed that allows you to play that mouthpiece well. We could also talk about ligatures, reed placement and embochure style. And physical condition.

I used to play about the same reed strength across all my clarinets and saxophones, regardless of mouthpiece or lig: 3.5 Vandoren. I also know, off the top of my head, that Benny Goodman used 2s and 1.5s.

I rarely play, but when I do, I use 2.5s. Stay windy, my friends.

(p.s. the B45 isn't bad and it's inexpensive. I just prefer my Selmer C85/120.)
 
Yes and no, pete.
Reed choice is not determined by one specific factor. It is, in fact, determined partially by the style of music being performed, as an aid for the musician to achieve the desired tone, and is also determined by which reed helps get the desired tone for that particular musician.

I personally am able to get many different tones using the same mouthpieces by using different reed strengths to my liking and playing style, although mouthpiece does play an enormous roll in tone potential, let's not overlook the importance of the reed regardless of mouthpiece.
For instance let's say, a musician doesn't have several mouthpieces for several different styles, and he is left with only two "life saving" factors to achieve his desired tone. His reed, and himself.

A good musician can get many different tones, using different reed/mouthpiece selections.

A fantastic musician can get just as many tones if not more, with less equipment options.

I believe you two both have some good points, and also believe that it's never a bad idea to try using different reeds with the same mouthpiece for different styles of music, and that being said according to that person's playing style and preferences.
 
For me reed selection has always been a compromise between tone quality and the amount of resistance I am willing to blow against. Some stiffer reeds produce the dark tone I am seeking but force me to work too hard with the air and embouchure. Some reeds that have the response and resistance I like sound too "buzzy" or "reedy" for my taste.

The perfect reed therefore is one that sounds like a stiff reed but blows like a softer one. The closest I have found are the Rico Reserve Classics on saxophone. I don't play a lot of clarinet any more, but when I did I could usually find a Mitchell Lurie #3 1/2 - 4 reed that fit the bill on a B45 mouthpiece.
 
for softer reeds, depending upon embouchure, I normally have to push the instrument out more so that the airstream is more directly hitting the mpc/reed, more like a saxophone. This allows the reed to vibrate properly versus the air pressure being too much and not allowing it to start or even pushing it shut.

I was reminded of this when my son, a newbie of 3 months wanted me to play some Dragonball Z music on his clarinet. Thus I played on a Noblet 2 with Rico Royal 2s. Thin and buzzy but he just learned how to play a low B xxx-oxo and can play up to a G above the staff. So it's a bit early to have him play on a 3-1/2 :)

Luckily he will be switching over to alto sax in late december.
 
And don't forget how big the variations between each musician's reedy needies really are, especially for people who play other reed instruments such as the sax!

Many saxophone players have completely different tastes in reeds, obviously and naturally, than pure clarinet players.

To find what one prefers, for each instance occurring, takes time and experimentation. I've been coming to really like the combination of a 1.5 reed with a Noblet mouthpiece for jazzy things, they're easier to to bends on in my world, and the articulation just feels "right", and crisp.

I also found that saxophone players I know personally tend to gravitate towards Mitchell Lurie reeds... they are a little "grittier" if that is the proper word for description. I'm one of those who doesn't really care for them...
 
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