Page 9 - Embou-Sure Book Series

Clarinet Embou-Sure
PREPARATION
It is my basic assumption that you will be teaching this concept to several el- ementary (or at least beginning) students at one time. I also assume that right now you have a clarinet (in its case) in front of you and that you will follow along step by step to carefully learn this concept.
LABELLING BARRELS
Using self-stick, peel-off type labels, remove and label each student’s barrel for easy identification. Add the mouthpiece to make up the basic mouthpiece/ barrel combinations and slip the ligatures over the mouthpieces. This will allow you to take all of these units to one area for addition of reeds. If you can possibly work it out to have this done before the students arrive, it will be a significant time-saver.
SOAKING REEDS
Now, using a pan or bowl filled with water, dump in about twice as many 2 1/2 or medium (not soft) reeds as there are clarinet mouthpiece/barrel com- binations. Let the reeds soak for a couple of minutes and then begin “setting up” the mouthpiece/barrel/ligature combinations with free blowing reeds. \[Here is the one point in this whole operation where you need my assistance; but, as I’m not there to help you, enlist the most experienced clarinetist you can find to set you up with a free-blowing reed (tested on your clarinet!).\]
COLOR AND SYMMETRY
Now that the reeds have soaked, select reeds that are golden brown with absence of heavy black streaks in the bark of the cane.
Figure #1
Do not use
reeds which are asymmetrical in shape.
Figure #2
REED HELD UPSIDE DOWN TOWARD LIGHT
by M. Max McKee
Embou-Sure – 11
FACE OF REED
BUTT-END OF REED
Also check the reed to see if the cut is symmetrical (figure 1) both on the face and on the butt-end. Now hold the reed upside down and look at the heart and tip area while holding it toward a strong light. Be sure that the shaded areas of light and dark cane (translucent and opaque) are also symmetrically cut as shown in figure 2.
Though control of these factors can never guarantee a free-blowing reed, it definitely places the odds finally in your favor.
REED PLACEMENT & LIGATURE TIGHTNESS
Place the soaked reed in position against the mouthpiece, but to avoid the possibility of chipping the tip of the reed, leave the ligature on the mouth- piece. Raise it just far enough toward the tip of the mouthpiece so that the butt-end of the reed will slide under it and into approximate position. Now, carefully align the reed both at its tip and at the butt-end: Reed tip even with or a hairline below the extreme tip of the mouthpiece; butt-end centered side to side on the flat area (table) of the mouthpiece.
Then push the ligature snugly downward and check to be sure that the (hope- fully present) engraved line (nearest the tip if there is more than one) around the mouthpiece is an eighth to three-sixteenths of an inch above the ligature. Now tighten the two screws until very snug but not until they can cause damage to the cane! (Maximum tightening once screw friction begins: 1 1/2 turns.)