By: ianman47

ianman47 — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 23:38:30 +0000

Clark Fobes, Vandoren is good, Pomarico Crystal, Selmer C*. Go to this website, and get the number, and tell them what sound you are looking for.http://www.wwbw.com/

By: Lady Prism

Lady Prism — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:17:19 +0000

Well, Benny Goodman did use a 1.5 strength reed, but remember that the manufacturing process was a bit different. Also, I don’t think Vandoren makes a 1 strength reed- I think 1.5 is the lowest they go (don’t quote me on that though! lol).
Anyways, I too was trained mostly in classical until I got to college. I had played bari sax in jazz band for years, but in college I finally got the chance to play some clarinet in the big band. It really becomes a whole different way of playing, and you almost have to forget everything you’ve learned about playing the clarinet!
With classical, you try to achieve that high-brow, almost on the sharp side tone and pitch. In jazz, you want it to be more flexible… you need to be able to bend and slide, and the tone should almost be fat (note- not splat).
One of the main problems with playing clarinet in a jazz band is that you have to be able to project over the band, and often without a mic. Most of the time, if you get a clarinet feature piece, you take over the role of the lead alto- you are responsible for phrasing and dynamics, as well as articulation and overall style for the whole band… they HAVE to be able to hear you. The other thing is that composers realized this, and have written the clarinet solos (or at least the embellishments) in octaves that only dogs can hear!
Both of these scenarios require a harder reed… you will have one heck of a time trying to project or pop the high notes with a soft reed… you run the danger of cutting your sound off completely or just squeaking like a 3rd grader. However, if you go too hard, you won’t be able to do many of the stylistic things that are expected (bends, slides, etc).
Personally, for jazz I switch to a Rico reed, strength 2 or 2.5 (from a Vandoren 3.5). I also use a really generic mouthpiece… a Zinner blank that cost me $20. These are most likely not going to work for you though.
Just like trying to find the right mouthpiece and reeds for your classical playing, you need to go to your local music shop with your horn and try some things out for yourself. Take your tuner! First, try some different reeds with your CURRENT mouthpiece… play the entire range of your horn (as high and low as you can go) and see how it feels and if you like the tone. Make sure you’re not biting trying to get the high notes out… this tells you that the reed is too soft and you will end up developing bad habits that will transfer to your classical playing. Next, play your low “C” into your tuner… see how flat and how sharp you can make it go by opening and closing your throat, repositioning your tongue, etc. Then do the same with the next octave “C” (3rd space), and again for the high octave (2 ledger lines above the staff).
It will be up to you what works… nobody’s embouchure is just like yours. Just play around a little and you’ll be playing jazz in no time.
Good luck, and have fun!

Comments on: I Am Wondering About Some Things In Jazz Clarinet?

By: ianman47

By: Lady Prism