Ok… I’m new to playing the clarinet. I’ve always wanted to learn so I went out and bought a nice little Vito Bb Clarinet (plastic). So far pretty good. I’m getting nice tone and figuring out the fingering. (so far no lessons… I’ve gotten all my info off the web)
My questions I really have yet to find answers on.
Where is the ideal place to put the ligature on the reed? Should it be all the way to the bottom of the reed or someplace in the middle?
I read somewhere that mouthpieces have markings on them for the ligature… mine does not.
My mouthpiece is made from the same material as the clarinet body. I think PCV or that material called Resonite (same thing with fancy name I suspect). Looking around I see mouthpieces for sale made of PVC, rubber, and who knows what else. I even found one by Selmer made of crystal.
What is considered the best overall mouthpiece (brand and materal)?
3) What is generally considered the prize clarinet? Pianos have their Steinways, Guitars have their Les Paul, you get the idea…
Lastly. The clarinet I have is Plastic. All the “pro” ones I see are mostly wood. I found a funky old metal one on ebay (bought it for $50 just for fun. I don’t have it yet). Does the material used on the clarinet body REALLY make that much a difference in sound? Will my new metal one have more of a sax sound being it’s metal?
When I played, I was told to have the ligature part ways up on the reed; not right at the bottom. Then again, I never went past high school band, so I’m no expert. The professionals or good players often seem to have their own little quirks as to exact placements of the peices and positioning of the screws, but I’ve never heard any difference. I don’t know brand names, but pros do tend to have wooden clarinets; they do supposedly have a better sound… then again anyone good enough to need or want a wooden clarinet is simply more experienced than a beginner anyways, so you don’t know how much of the improved sound is due to the instrument and how much is due to skill. Can’t give answers much beyond these, but hopefully someone more experienced will come along.
I’m a sax player. All I really have to say is that the “sax sound” you refer to isn’t really a result of the metal of the saxaphone. It’s a result of the finish and of the mouthpiece. I have a very expensive Selmer sax and no matter what I do, it wants to produce a pleasant, conservative, classical sound. I can’t get that slightly tinny, jazzy rasp to it. I’m guessing the metal clarinet, when it shows up, will sound more tinny than the plastic, but not necessarily better. I think there’s a reason clarinets aren’t typically made out of metal.
When it comes to musical instruments, wood is almost always better than plastic. This is a total WAG, but I’m thinking it may have something to do with the wood vibrating or resonating along with the reed/strings to produce a better sound.
But more important for the sound, if I understand correctly, is the shape of the instrument. Compare a clarinet which is roundbored with a saxophone that is conical. And what about other woodwind instruments like the oboe or the bassoon?
Oboe, bassoon, cor anglais, and sax are all conical bore. Clarinet and flute are the straight bore instruments. It makes a difference as to which overtones are emphasized in the timbre. The straight bore of the flute cuts down on the overtones so much that it can produce a near-perfect sine wave. The conical bore brings out many more overtones. This is why a clarinet no matter how metallic can never sound like a sax. But they do have the single-reed nature in common, so they can’t be totally dissimilar either.
I’ve been playing the clarinet for about ten years now.
That would depend entirely on your embochure and the brand and thickness of the reed. When you play, do you generally choke up on the mouthpiece or do you use as little as possible? And what kinds of reeds are you using?
Ligature markings are merely general guidelines to be discarded as soon as the musician finds a place he likes.
What kind of mouthpiece do you have, by the way?
Well, I happen to love my Vandoren and would foist it on just about anyone. The B45 is a solid quality rubber student model.
There really are two categories here: the best mass produced clarinet and the best handmade ones. As I am not quite on the level that a custom made clarinet would make any difference for me, my brand of choice is Buffet. Other people swear by LeBlanc, including such luminaries as Stanley Drucker. Nevertheless, I am a Buffet kind of guy, through and through.
The difference in sound is downright enormous. A plastic clarinet sound is less textured and mellow, and much, much more strident. They are better suited to outdoor use and less suited to anything orchestral. Metal clarinets are even more extreme: they are designed to project shrilly and to resist weather, hence they are traditionally used for marching bands.
Go to a music store with your mouthpiece and try out half a dozen instruments. Even with limited experience, the difference should be quite clear.
Just my two cents. I played a metal clarinet, very nice sound, but not really like a sax. I have also played wooden clarinets, slightly mellower sound. Either one is fine to learn on, when you are more advanced, you will know yourself what kind you prefer.
I second Vandoren mouthpieces. They’re fabulous. There are several different styles of ligatures–as you get more advanced, some reccommend that you use one that places even pressure all along the reed (i.e. the screws to adjust it are on the front). As for the material–plastic just doesn’t sound as good, but they’re great if you’re in marching band (especially if it’s cold where you live) because the fine slivers in a wooden instrument can swell and snap due to moisture + cold air. Finally, I was told metal instruments became popular during WWII because it was more difficult to get the tree (which I belive is African). Thus, it would appear that they were designed with supply and demand in mind, rather than sound (though I think it would be kinda cool to play on one).
Time to “me, too” on the effects of material on sound. In some cases it can even override the effects of the bore shape. Some time back, I made a straight-bore bamboo woodwind; I used a tenor sax mouthpiece and reed, as that was what I had on hand. The resulting sound was surprisingly sax-like, despite the fact that the instrument much more resembled a clarinet in design. The overtones possible with a thin-walled bamboo instrument made all the difference. It doesn’t quite have the brassy quality of a sax, but I’m hapy with it.
I much prefer wooden instruments (well, at least for woodwinds–the idea of a wooden trombone disturbs me). Plastic instruments are generally OK to learn on, but I’ve never been satisfied with the sound they provide.
Ligature Placement
In general, the ligature should be placed so that it is somewhat in between the lowest “cut” of the reed and the bottom of the reed. Thus, you’ll see equivalent amount of the shiny (uncut) part of the reed above and below the ligature.
Don’t crank the screws too tightly, either. The ligature only needs to hold the reed snugly. Tightening it a lot will prevent good resonant vibration of the reed.
Clarinet materials
The wooden clarinets will always sound better than metal or plastic ones. I think that the metal ones were created for marching bands that wanted all of the instruments to look all silver (not because someone liked the sound of a metal clarinet). Plastic ones don’t sound too good either, but it’s a good option for use in marching bands, or for younger students who might tend to “bang up” the instrument a little more than an older person would. Wooden clarinets will deteriorate much faster outside.
I believe almost all professional classical clarinetists play on Buffet clarinets. I’m sure there are jazzers who play on something else, like Selmer, Yamaha, etc, and those few who play something else to get endorsement dollars.
The brand does make a big difference. When I switched from a wooded Noblet to a wooden Buffet, I noticed an immediate improvement in sound.
But for someone who has been playing for less than a couple of years, they probably won’t sound much better, however.
Reed talk
A lot of clarinetists don’t get a good sound simply because the reed hasn’t been soaked enough. Before playing, soak the reed in water for 2-3 minutes. Make sure that both the top and bottom of the reed gets soaked.
I usually play on Vandoren reeds.
And feel free to throw away reeds that aren’t working well for you. Only a few reeds per box are worth playing on.
I second the use of Vandoren reeds and mouthpieces. Rico (if they still make them) reeds are ok for student use.
I think the Buffet clarinet is the finest instrument out there clarinet-wise. Selmer for saxes, Armstrong for flutes.IMHO of course.
Seven, don’t worry about all this reed talk. It’s important later on. For now, just worry about getting used to the instrument. If clarinet reeds run along the same lines as sax reeds, you’ll want to find a thickness you’re comfortable with. Usually, thinner works better for new players. Just tell the guy at the music store how long you’ve been playing and what brand/size reed he recommends and he’ll set you right up.
Place the ligature halfway down the bark (shiny part) of the reed. An equal part of the bark should be exposed at the top and bottom of the ligature. Be sure that you have the ligature turned properly for that model (screws on top or bottom). Also be sure that the reed is centered over the hole. The butt of the reed should be in line at the bottom. I tell my clarinet section to be sure they “get their butts in line!” The love it.
If your mouthpiece is the same material as the clarinet, it’s probably awfully stiff. I recommend that my students (beginner through high school) use VanDoren 5RVLyre mouthpieces. Be warned, however, that they’re a bit expensive ($80 - $100). Each time I move a student to that mouthpiece, his/her tone dramatically improves. The “crystal” mouthpiece by Selmer is actually a clear plastic. It’s the same as their other mouthpieces, it just looks different. For reeds, I recommend VanDoren 2.5 to begin. Move as quickly as possible to a 3. Our high school students play on 3.5 to 4.
The clarinet I prefer for our students is from Buffet. I pay (at school price) just under $900 for a very nice, intermediate level instrument.
Wood makes a HUGE difference. Go to the store and try one, you’ll see (or hear). Metal, as I understand it, was used during WWII when grenadilla was scarce and plastics were consumed by the war effort. The plastics at that time were also not very good for musical purposes.
I cannot emphasize enough the importance of some of the details. If your mouthpiece is poor, you will never get a good tone, no matter how much you try. Then you give up in disappointment. If you are serious about learning this instrument, make the investment in a quality mouthpiece. Only then will you get a quality sound. It’s like your home sound system – you wouldn’t buy a great amplifier and cheap speakers.
To talk to a other band directors, try these forums:
