Getting the chirping in notes below the staff (clarinet) on several mps I've been working on. It's not real bad but annoying none the less. Remedies??? Also still haven't found a way to make the reeds blow easier. I know I can use softer reeds but I'm trying to develop these for students and want them to blow easy for them from the getgo. Does it have anything to do with length of window because it seems like my models that blow easier have a shorter one. If so is it possible to shorten a window?
Thanks

Too short a lay makes the low register more resistant and may be
contributing to the chirping.  Most good clarinet mpcs have a longer lay.
32-34, if my memory serves me correctly.

On 6/7/09, Steve <stebinus@...> wrote:
>
>
>
> Getting the chirping in notes below the staff (clarinet) on several mps
> I've been working on. It's not real bad but annoying none the less.
> Remedies??? Also still haven't found a way to make the reeds blow easier. I
> know I can use softer reeds but I'm trying to develop these for students and
> want them to blow easy for them from the getgo. Does it have anything to do
> with length of window because it seems like my models that blow easier have
> a shorter one. If so is it possible to shorten a window?
> Thanks
>
>  
>

--- In MouthpieceWork@yahoogroups.com, "Steve" <stebinus@...> wrote:

"Also still haven't found a way to make the reeds blow easier."
---
Not sure if you are talking about adjusting the reeds or the mouthpiece here.
Making a 'piece with the entire length of the curve a little narrower will help reeds play with less effort.
If you are talking about reeds, then you can use a knife to take out a little wood at the heart and/or at the heel of the vamp to allow them to flex a bit better.
Special note- if your students are using any softer strength Vandoren then you might want to find them a different brand.  I have a student that was using Traditional Van2.5 and was struggling in the last couple lessons (weather change).  It really didn't matter which reed he used because the quality of the cane was retched on all of them.  Not unlike spongy drift wood in many ways.  I was shocked that Vandoren has gotten this bad.

Talking about the mp itself. Not clear on what you mean by 
"Making a 'piece with the entire length of the curve a little narrower". Could you explain this in another way?
Thanks


--- In MouthpieceWork@yahoogroups.com, "skygardener1" <skygardener1@...> wrote:
>
> --- In MouthpieceWork@yahoogroups.com, "Steve" <stebinus@> wrote:
> 
> "Also still haven't found a way to make the reeds blow easier."
> ---
> Not sure if you are talking about adjusting the reeds or the mouthpiece here.
>  will help reeds play with less effort.
> If you are talking about reeds, then you can use a knife to take out a little wood at the heart and/or at the heel of the vamp to allow them to flex a bit better.
> Special note- if your students are using any softer strength Vandoren then you might want to find them a different brand.  I have a student that was using Traditional Van2.5 and was struggling in the last couple lessons (weather change).  It really didn't matter which reed he used because the quality of the cane was retched on all of them.  Not unlike spongy drift wood in many ways.  I was shocked that Vandoren has gotten this bad.
>

Well the lays are about 32-34 so I'm thinking that's not the problem. Any other ideas?

--- In MouthpieceWork@yahoogroups.com, John Delia <bzalto@...> wrote:
>
> Too short a lay makes the low register more resistant and may be
> contributing to the chirping.  Most good clarinet mpcs have a longer lay.
> 32-34, if my memory serves me correctly.
> 
> On 6/7/09, Steve <stebinus@...> wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > Getting the chirping in notes below the staff (clarinet) on several mps
> > I've been working on. It's not real bad but annoying none the less.
> > Remedies??? Also still haven't found a way to make the reeds blow easier. I
> > know I can use softer reeds but I'm trying to develop these for students and
> > want them to blow easy for them from the getgo. Does it have anything to do
> > with length of window because it seems like my models that blow easier have
> > a shorter one. If so is it possible to shorten a window?
> > Thanks
> >
> >  
> >
>

I have a FAQ answer on my site about chirping.  My experience is more with fixing chirping sax mouthpieces but most of the concepts should apply to clarinet too.
 
You could shorten a window by adding epoxy and working it into the desired shape.  I doubt this will do much but make the chamber volume smaller and add some resistance.  


      

Could you please give me a url for your faq about chirping? Thanks

--- In MouthpieceWork@yahoogroups.com, Keith Bradbury <kwbradbury@...> wrote:
>
> I have a FAQ answer on my site about chirping.  My experience is more with fixing chirping sax mouthpieces but most of the concepts should apply to clarinet too.
>  
> You could shorten a window by adding epoxy and working it into the desired shape.  I doubt this will do much but make the chamber volume smaller and add some resistance. 
>

Check out: http://www.MojoMouthpieceWork.com



      

> --- In MouthpieceWork@yahoogroups.com
> <mailto:MouthpieceWork%40yahoogroups.com> , "Steve" <stebinus@...> wrote:
> 
> "Also still haven't found a way to make the reeds blow easier."
> 

Balancing the "ears" of a stuffy reed, as described by Tom Ridenour, can
often turn it into a responsive player. It may also help squeaks.

Buy his DVD, book, and tool-  it'll be some of the best money you ever spent
on the art of playing a single-reed instrument.

If the reed is balanced but still blows hard, especially on the low
register, taking off some cane at the very base of the vamp may help (at the
last 20-25%). Bootman's "reed drilling" is a version of this, but one that
is, IMO, very hard to control.

Taking off cane at the "heart" of a reed is a fast way to take the life out
of a reed, and probably should be the last thing one tries.

If I had students, and was trying to set them up,  I'd consider Fibracell
reeds - a good one will last for months.  I'd also teach them Ridenour's
reed finishing method at some point.  When do double-reed teachers start
showing their students how to prepare reeds?

Barry