So I recently got a Vandoran B45 mouthpiece for my clarinet (I accidentally dropped my old one and broke it) and it sounds pretty airy. At fist I thought it was because it was new, then my reeds, and so on, but I got new reeds and it still sounds super airy. I tested it against another mouthpiece, and that one sounds fine. Is there anyway to fix this problem, or should I try to get a new one? If so, which model and brand should I go for?
| Advertisement |  |
Click to advertise with us! |
Broken clarinet mouthpiece?
- Thread starter clarinetdude94
- Start date
-
- Tags
- airy broken clarinet mouthpiece
EDIT: misread the question.
An "Airy" sound can be due to several issues.
1- the reed you are using for the mouthpiece is too hard. Mouthpieces can VARY a lot by design. And based on the design is how you select a reed. Such as these differences ==> http://www.clarinetperfection.com/clmpcTypes.htm
2 - the facing of the reed is longer than your previous one. In which case your embouchure probably is adjusted to it, and there may be gaps between the reed and facing which is outside of your mouth, which can provide an opening for air to escape.
3 - if a larger tip, you could be pushing much more air into the instrument, which if it is setup with a lower keywork height not for the amount of air, then you can get an airy tone in certain notes.
4 - The facing on the mouthpiece is off. The table could have issues, the rails could be uneven, etc. There's no easy way to tell other than to have a mouthpiece person check it for inconsistencies.
But it's probably either 1 or 2
An "Airy" sound can be due to several issues.
1- the reed you are using for the mouthpiece is too hard. Mouthpieces can VARY a lot by design. And based on the design is how you select a reed. Such as these differences ==> http://www.clarinetperfection.com/clmpcTypes.htm
2 - the facing of the reed is longer than your previous one. In which case your embouchure probably is adjusted to it, and there may be gaps between the reed and facing which is outside of your mouth, which can provide an opening for air to escape.
3 - if a larger tip, you could be pushing much more air into the instrument, which if it is setup with a lower keywork height not for the amount of air, then you can get an airy tone in certain notes.
4 - The facing on the mouthpiece is off. The table could have issues, the rails could be uneven, etc. There's no easy way to tell other than to have a mouthpiece person check it for inconsistencies.
But it's probably either 1 or 2
Last edited:
Do yourself a favor and check out the D'Addario (Rico) Reserve mouthpiece. They are only $99.00, play beautifully, and are amazingly consistent. The X10E tip opening is the "middle of the road" that worked the best for me. Most of the playing problems I encountered playing a B45 for many years were eliminated by switching to this mouthpiece.
[video=youtube;PjPp-KMQpEc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjPp-KMQpEc[/video]
[video=youtube;PjPp-KMQpEc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjPp-KMQpEc[/video]
I like this idea better than just going out and buying something else. I've also used the B45 and it's pretty decent. It's definitely possible there's something wrong with it -- a bad one in a bunch of hundreds, say -- but I would also take a look at the the stuff Steve mentions, especially about the reeds. It's easy and relatively inexpensive to pick up a reed that's about a 1/2 strength less than what you're used to or use some sandpaper, reed rush, or reed knife to thin out one you have.
Of course, if you're using a beat up POS ligature, there's your problem. I've seen lots of folks attempt to play with ligatures that are literally falling apart. Spend the $5 and get one that has screws intact and can actually fit the mouthpiece.
as Pete mentions ligatures,
I did some testing of ligatures a few years ago which might make an interesting read ==> http://www.clarinetperfection.com/clLigature.htm
I did some testing of ligatures a few years ago which might make an interesting read ==> http://www.clarinetperfection.com/clLigature.htm
I keep meaning to show this piece to you that no one can play! I came free from a maker in Brazil and his other two pieces were marvelous. Thing you could fix it, or should I toss it? For starters, the rails are uneven. Does that matter?
View attachment 2691
Neat.
I've been contemplating making wooden mpcs just for fun.
I'm still working out the beak to throat milling process though.
I'm sure Mojo could fix it.
If you plan on throwing it out, I'll take it.
plubber ?
'tain't just plastic nor rubber.
I tagged you on Facebook MOJO. No worries.
Does it bounce, squeak and float like this stuff ?? ==> http://www.jakks.com/plubber.html'tain't just plastic nor rubber.