A Brief Guide Vandoren Clarinet Mouthpiece Terminology and Product Background

Vandoren Clarinet Mouthpiece Terminology and Product Guide

The Vandoren clarinet  mouthpiece range is large and can be confusing. The guide / tips below are reinforced by the Vandoren Reed and Mouthpiece Catalogue – well worth a read by all interested musicians – and my additional comments.

Terminology- 

1) In the Catalogue tip openings are listed from narrow to open and the appropriate reed strength suggestions offered by Vandoren are a good indicator of the relative tip opening and the expected successful reed matches. Generally beginners are (or should be) advised towards more open to moderate tip mouthpieces, including B45, B40 and M30. VERY WIDE tip openings are best left for knowledgeable players with the experience to choose to match their soft reed preference or a requirement of jazz playing (5JB, 7JB). VERY NARROW (Closed) tip openings are options for more experienced players seeking a mouthpiece to suit their preference for stronger reeds.

2) Profile 88 simply refers to an option in the beak angle (slightly more acute than the traditional beak) that many players will prefer but few will know by name. I believe this should be the ‘default’ choice for many players as it both likely to be more comfortable to play and more like any other familiar mouthpiece in ‘feel’.

3) The LYRE versions of any standard Vandoren mouthpiece are variants in the length of the facing, often paired with subtle changes in the tip opening, that will affect the playing feel of the mouthpiece. Lyre mouthpieces should retain the same tonal quality and pitch of their standard non-Lyre equivalents. 

4) The 13 Series is all about pitch and is designed to help modern instruments (often pitched at 442) to more comfortably play at A440 (as is the standard practice in the USA and UK). They can help any musician with a consistent sharpness in their tuning and will reduce the amount of ‘pull’ needing to bring the instrument to A440 tuning. The 13 Series is not intended to have any effect upon tone when compared to a non-13 'traditional' mouthpiece.

Additional product background –

Mouthpieces are made from a variety of materials including plastic (associated with student mouthpieces and ease of manufacture) hybrid materials (often for cost reasons but also for specific timbres of sound), crystal (glass) and various types of metal in addition to the traditional ebonite.

The reason the Vandoren range is made from ebonite (sulphurous hard rod rubber) is that this material provides the greatest manufacturing stability, warmest sound and workability for the purpose. Vandoren use only the finest quality of ebonite for their production and have the most accurate computer machining and finishing in the business. Their products are remarkably consistent – so much so that I would assert the performance differences between identical examples (if found at all) will almost always be down to the placement of the reed during the comparison by the musician.

The original and popular Vandoren mouthpiece was / is the 5RV. Designed by Robert Vandoren for French professional clarinettists desiring a bright sound, consistent performance and a comfortable match to their mid to stronger reed strengths. Vandoren call the 5RV their ‘time-proven standard’. It continues to be popular but it can be selected for the wrong reason, i.e. it will play very easily with soft reeds and if a player is not yet ready to move to the correct reed match, performance in the upper register will suffer.

The most successful and more often recommended mouthpiece in the Vandoren range is the B45 designed by Bernard Vandoren. It is intended to successfully match the lower and mid-strength reeds more regularly in use by improving players (around GD 4-5 and above). The B45 works well in many applications and for many levels of players. Vandoren call this their ‘Universal’ mouthpiece.

The more recently introduced M30 model offers a darker tone with a mellowness and warmth not found in the other mouthpieces of the standard range and works well with mid-strength reeds. It has proven popular and I believe it is worth all players experiencing.

The Masters or CL series of mouthpieces (CL4, CL5 and CL6) are recent introductions with a specific new design derived from the older, handcrafted designs favoured by many American orchestral players. They have an ease of playing, stability of tuning and clarity of sound that is distinctive and attractive to more experienced players.

The most recent release is the Black Diamond which is the result of much experimentation, with both internal and external design changes, and is intended to offer an option that generates a richer tonal palate and offers greater control of the entire range of the instrument – notably helping with the production of the altissimo (extreme high) register.

NB - Vandoren used to make a glass crystal mouthpiece that was popular but has for many years now been discontinued due to high production costs and the inherent fragility of glass.

 

General Trial Suggestions-

When trying mouthpieces it makes sense to have some idea of what one wishes to achieve with the change. For example - what type of sound is desired or which style of music will be performed most often, what aspects of instrumental control are the concern to be addressed via a change of mouthpiece (articulation, projection, tuning, response, comfort, range, etc) and what reed strengths and brand of reed one will wish to use. Armed with these thoughts a selection of appropriate mouthpieces can be suggested. Trying them briefly and consistently with new reeds, using a familiar scale, perhaps a passage of music and a variety of articulations and dynamics can quickly establish a likely choice - which may or may not lead to further comparable mouthpieces being tried and a winner selected. I suggest that anyone trying mouthpieces be prepared to consider matching different reeds to their new mouthpiece as this very important pairing may well determine the long term success and enjoyment one will experience. 

In Conclusion - 

The potential for improved performance that is so often found with a change of mouthpiece is potentially so profound that all players would be well advised to take whatever opportunities they have to become aware of new products, gain an understanding of the various options in specifications that are available and take note of any changes to their own playing requirements or instrumental progress that might benefit from a change of mouthpiece. In terms of playing satisfaction the finding of a mouthpiece well suited to purpose is hard to beat!

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The tips and comments above are the result of many years of providing help and advice, my personal interest and study, and the teaching that I have done during my career. I have many colleagues and teachers to thank for sharing their thoughts and suggestions on this and other topics. In addition I am indebted to Woodwind & Reed, Cambridge ( www.wwr.co.uk ) where, in the course of helping customers, many of these concepts have been refined and have proven helpful.

Thomas Dryer-Beers

Woodwind Instrument Clarinet and Saxophone Mouthpiece Advice - 'Mouthpiece Maniacs'

I refer to this posting series as 'Mouthpiece Maniacs' with some fondness as I have heard this term applied in admiration, frustration, sympathy and dismay to a wide variety of players who share an appreciation of musical performance and a curiosity about their equipment and how the right 'gear' can help their playing. I believe an element of this knowledge is absolutely vital for anyone in the position of advising other players, i.e. teachers, performers, music shop assistants, repairers, etc. In addition I believe that knowing something about the aspects of design, how equipment 'works' and what choices we have as players is both enlightening and empowering when we begin taking responsibility for our own performance. Thomas

Clarinet and Saxophone – why is the mouthpiece so important?

Want to find out why your teacher makes such a fuss about her/his mouthpiece? Tired of working had and getting very little for your efforts? Hear a sound you just can’t get from your own set-up? It is time to examine the basics. 

If you get the right match between your reed and mouthpiece you are at least 70% better off – vibration starts with the mouthpiece and reed set-up and it is by far the biggest single determinant of your success. Your instrument acts like a megaphone to the sound from the mouthpiece – bad mouthpiece fit equals bad tone, good mouthpiece fit equals good tone. The more you have experienced by trying mouthpieces the more important you realise they are to the process of personalising your music making. What others hear from you determines the largest part of what they think of your playing!

You can help your high notes, even up register response, improve tuning, aid projection or mellow your sound and most importantly enjoy your practice and performance more - all benefitting from a change in the mouthpiece. 

 

Important features explained –

 

Tip Opening 

This is the measure from the plane of the table (the flat surface upon which the reed is positionee and secured with the ligature) to the maximum opening of the curvature measured at the tip of the mouthpiece. A narrow tip opening makes for very easy playing with softer reeds. With harder reeds both response and focus are improved and pitch is very stable. A wider tip opening is not very comfortable to play with reeds which are too hard - softer mid-strength and softer reeds are the order of the day. A wide tip introduces more flexibility and freedom but requires more care from the player to control the result!

 

Facing Length 

This is the measure from the end of the tip rail to the point at which the curvature begins as it leaves the horizontal plane of the facing. A longer facing allows for more freedom of vibration and flex for the reed making soft reeds feel even softer and harder reeds feel comfortable. A shorter facing requires a ‘softer’ reed as a hard reed will not be able to work without lip fatigue, and the shorter facing adds a ‘snap’ or ‘bite’ to the sound as it emphasis the tip vibration of the reed.

 

Tip Rail 

 At the very end of the mouthpiece where the reed tip ‘seats’. This area must be clean and undamaged or the vacuum necessary for the creation of the sound will be inefficient or impossible to obtain. A narrow tip enhances higher harmonic partials in the sound as the reed vibration is less muffled. A wider tip helps to ‘cut-out’ some of the higher partials and brings about a darker ‘warmer’ sound.

 

Side Rails 

The reed seals all along the length of the side rails in the process of vibrating. These rails need to be parallel and undamaged or performance will suffer.

 

Table

This is the point where your ligature holds the reed. It is meant to be either flat (preferred) or slightly scalloped (a minority choice) where an airtight fit, which contributes to successful vibration of the reed, is obtained. If this area is damaged or poorly finished your reeds are likely to play with more difficulty and suffer warp more quickly.

 

Baffle

The baffle is the area just behind the tip rail and it has a very important role in the production of the sound. It is useful to understand the terminology when discussing this area. A ‘high’ baffle is one that restricts the vibrating air column; effectively squeezing it once the air has passed the opening of the reed. It excites the air, disturbing the flow and this adds a bright, 'edgy quality' to the sound – this is what is usually associated with a ‘jazz’ mouthpiece. A ‘low’ baffle does the opposite – it allows for the expansion of the vibrating air column in this critical area and emphasises the lower partials of the sound – creating the qualities associated with ‘classical’ orchestral, wind band or solo playing.

 

Throat 

This is the transition area where the opening beyond the baffle is focused into the straighter bore of the mouthpiece. Here you will see many variations of shape (round, square, tapered, blunt) but each intended by the manufacturer to complement the other areas of the internal flow of air in the mouthpiece.

 

Chamber – Saxophone  

 This is the region found after the baffle and before the throat of the mouthpiece. Most mouthpieces now utilize a fairy standard medium chamber. This is so common that unless specified otherwise you can assume that this is what is in use. A small chamber, when available, adds a further compression to the flow of the vibrating air column boosting the feeling of projection by emphasising ‘edgier’ higher partials in the sound. Conversely a large chamber, when available, ‘rounds out’ the sound by not restricting the airflow and creating a warmer sound. This style of mouthpiece was very popular in the early days of the saxophone and is sometimes referred to as an ‘old boxcar’ style alluding to the large space inside.

 

Bore – Clarinet

 The bore is the area after the throat that begins the internal dimension of the clarinet taper leading into the barrel. Bore sizes have largely been standardised with the popularity of the nominal ‘French’ bore clarinet being now dominant but some types of instruments with unusual, usually larger bores themselves, must be matched with an appropriate larger bore mouthpiece to obtain proper tuning.

Material –

Most student mouthpieces (and even some supplied with much more expensive instruments) are made from modern plastics to keep down costs. Plastic resonates easily and, if well designed and crafted, works well to encourage early playing. Ebonite or rod rubber is the preferred material for most professional range mouthpieces. The inherent vibrational qualities of ebonite are superior and mouthpieces can be crafted by cutting, not moulding as in the case of plastic, allowing for greater finish quality and consistency. Some ‘jazz’ mouthpieces exploit an ebonite/plastic highbred material that adds a ‘brightness’ and liveliness to the feel of the mouthpiece with its distinctive vibration characteristics. Various metals (brass, stainless steel, and alloys) are used in some saxophone mouthpieces largely for manufacture reasons when wishing to create high-baffle ‘jazz’ mouthpieces. The vibrational qualities of metals are different to those of ebonite and plastic both for the player and the audience but I believe are not inherently darker or brighter – that depends much more upon the design.

My advice is try to not go 'mad' chasing the perfect mouthpiece - they all exist for a reason and players are all different. What you prefer will be likely to change not only as our playing needs change but also as time passes and we tend to look for different aspects of performance from the mouthpiece. It is not unusual to own and use several different mouthpieces and enjoy them all for what they do to enhance your playing.


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The tips and comments above are the result of many years of providing help and advice, my personal interest and study, and the teaching that I have done during my career. I have many colleagues and teachers to thank for sharing their thoughts and suggestions on this and other topics. In addition I am indebted to Woodwind & Reed, Cambridge ( www.wwr.co.uk ) where, in the course of helping customers, many of these concepts have been refined and have proven helpful.

Thomas Dryer-Beers