Contrabass Digest

1998-06-14

list                           Sun, 14 Jun 1998            Volume 1 : Number 3

In this issue:
 

•         Re:  list V1 #2

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Date: Sun, 14 Jun 1998 00:46:43 EDT
From: <PaulC135@aol.com>
To: list@contrabass.com
Subject: Re:  list V1 #2

In a message dated 6/14/98 2:31:07 AM, you wrote:

<<I recall having heard (a few years ago) that customized Ab Clarinet
mouthpieces work really well for most sarrusophones. I have never used
one, so don't know for myself. I would think that they may work better
than some small sax mouthpieces since clarinet mouthpieces usually flare
slow inside the bore since the instrument itself is cylindrical. I
assume this would be closer to the feel and vibration of the double reed
than the taper of the sax mpcs.
But hey! Sarrusophones ARE conical. Would indeed be nice to have an
opinion and comparison from someone who has used all three (sax,
clarinet, and dbl reeds). I have not, however, ever seen any kind of
clarinet mpc with a round chamber :)
just relaying what I've heard..
Matthew Hanson>>

I've experimented and performed on a wide variety of sarrusophone mouthpieces
and original-sized reeds.  This ranges from the sopranino/soprano sizes (much
like Paul Winter uses) to roughed-out and filled in alto mouthpieces, to the
original  single reed mouthpieces that came with the Conn and Evette-Schaeffer
sarrusophones, and many more.  Without a doubt, the mouthpiece size of the
alto gives the most satisfying tonal and intonational results (for me).
Perhaps approximating the width of the reed as much as possible to the width
of the opening of the single reed mouthpiece interior (before it scales down
to the bocal diameter) has something to do with the more robust, deeper and
more responsive sound.  I always relate the quality of the various single reed
mouthpieces to the sound of the original reeds as played by myself and (even
better - much better) played by a professional contra bassoonist colleague who
is familiar with a saxophone fingering system.  He enjoys playing the
sarrusophone as long as it is not taking up one of his orchestral slots,
sarrus part or not.

        By the way, my best use for my bassoon mouthpiece is on my tenor rothophones.
It is an aural experience few forget, now matter how they try! My bassoon
mouthpieces are from the 1930s, made along with my oboe mouthpieces from the
same period.
Paul Cohen

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End of list V1 #3
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