My quest for a Bb clarinet mouthpiece began quite innocently.  The thirteen year old stormed into the house bellowing about how the band director said she needed a new mouthpiece.  I quizzed her as to why.  I had tested her mouthpiece and the sound quality from the horn was terrific.  She almost always sounded good when she practiced at home, especially when she would assemble the reed onto the mouthpiece properly.  Granted, my 20 plus years of playing had no bearing.  I had not really played since college, so what did I know.  My daughter often reminds me that's the old way or that was in the eighties/nineties, mom.

So it started.  I knew that the mouthpiece that she had was perfectly fine and, I might add, well suited to her particular needs and our budget-we already owned it.  Her main problem was application of the reed-sometimes too high, sometimes too low-however, I could not explain that to her in those simple terms because the band director is the ultimate authority.

For the novice, if the reed is placed too high you can see reed when looking at the mouthpiece, level, from the front of the horn.  Conversely, you should be able to see a thin line of black of the mouthpiece, but not too much, when facing the reed side of the horn.  I do not know why my daughter cannot get this.  But, every time she practices at home and there are tonal problems I can solve them with a reed adjustment. 

Back to the subject at hand, I asked her exactly what the director had said and she replied that she needed a Vandoren 5RV because her tone was airy.  Interesting.  He went on to tell her that she needed Vandoren 3 1/2 reeds to go with that mouthpiece-this just after we had purchased a box of LaVoz med-hard.

Here are some facts that I have discovered during my mouthpiece research.  According to Understanding and Selecting a Clarinet Mouthpiece, an article by one expert, Benjamin S. Redwine, four factors play into good instrumentation:  the body, the clarinet, reed/ligature combination, and the mouthpiece. 

I know from experience that good posture and a good embouchure are very important.  You must sit up straight so you can expand your lungs and really push/control you air.  If your embouchure is weak or lax your tone will be the same, and sharp or flat.  Practice, patience, mouth exercises, and a good straight chair can help with or eliminate much here. 

The instrument should be appropriate for the level of the player.  I am not going to go into this much here because there is so much variety out there.  My daughter has a Leblanc Jeffery.  It is made of granadilla wood and is categorized as an intermediate level horn.  It produces a sweet warm tone and we are very pleased with it.  We will eventually upgrade but that is in the future.

Ligature and reeds have been another source of agony ever since she began playing.  If Suzy gets a fancy reversed ligature then my daughter wants one too.  Regardless of the fact that her ligature is just fine and allows for good reed vibration.

Reeds are another story.  They vary in strength soft to hard, 1 to 5.  Usually, the beginner starts on a soft reed and progresses to a harder reed.  There are several brands out there, and, I believe you just have to try out different brands until you find what you like-really the same goes for mouthpieces but we are getting to that, bear with me.

With my daughter we are presently trying the LaVoz, a Rico brand.  I prefer Mitchell Lurie, a Rico brand.  Most band directors suggest Vandoren, which we tried with her but the tone just was not quite there.  Granted, reeds are made of cane, usually, and they can break, split, warp, etc.  You can also find a lemon in a bunch of cherries; it is a matter of trial and error with reeds, among other things.

One must find the right set up to suit their needs.  I say research mouthpieces until you turn into one.  Johnny may play well on the Vandoren 5RV while Suzy plays well on a Selmer C (both have similar dimensions).  For a Opened Tip mouthpiece - use a softer reed, easy to play, projected bright sound.  For a Closed Tip mouthpiece - use a harder reed, more effort to control, and a darker sound. 

In the scheme of things, where Vandorens are concerned, an M13 has a closed tip and then we have the 5RV to B45 and you would end with the opened tip 5JB.  The 5RV has a medium tip opening as does the Yamaha 4C and the Selmer C.   

Here are some promo tid-bits that I found about Vandorens that may help you during your selection process:

• 5JB is a Jazz selection

• 5RV or 5RV LYRE is the industry standard, Lyre being student; I assume it means student or student quality

• B45 DOT wide pallet round sound, DOT means there is an actual dot after the B45  

• B45 or B45 LYRE round sound 

• 2TONE all round enhancement, fairly new 

I have found out, thank you to a fellow ebayer, that LYRE is an insignia that means the mouthpiece has a longer facing with the same tip opening. This helps keep the player from biting as the reed bends over a longer curve.  (I will not post their name until I have permission.)

Presently, my daughter is using a Yamaha 4C.  The Yamaha 4C is similar to a Vandoren 5RV in dimensions, openings, and facings.  I gave this information to my daughter and it was passed along to the band director and I have not heard another peep about that mouthpiece that should be replaced.  When the time comes we will be upgrading but I believe we will go for a Vandoren B45 or the M13, of course we will not know until we try both. 

Mouthpieces can be expensive.  I have seen the Vandoren 5RV at our local music stores for around $80.  The Yamaha 4C is slightly less, while the Selmer C goes for around the same to slightly more.  Of course you can go for the really expensive professional or even custom mouthpieces at around $400, but I would wait until you have that recording contract in your hands.  Personally, we are going to stick with ebaY for our purchase when we try out the B45 or M13 because $30 to $60, + s&h, seems about average for final cost.  The 4C is about $30 and the Selmers are slightly more than the Vandorens on ebaY.

The article I mentioned above, by Mr. Redwine, is very informative.  It goes into details of measurements, facings, openings, and probably more information than you might need, never the less a good reference.  The most important fact in the article is the emphasis on trying different mouthpieces until you find the one that suits your needs and allows you to produce the sound quality that you are looking for.  Essentially, we are not all built the same; different mouths need different mouthpieces.

Ultimately, when it comes to mouthpieces and reeds, you may have to try several before you get the right set up.  Reeds will have to be altered per recommendations by manufacturers or personal preferences when you are trying out different mouthpieces.  Find a mouthpiece that produces a good sound and feels comfortable to you when you are playing and you will be happy.  Upgrade your mouthpiece when you feel it is necessary.  Mouthpieces that are chipped anywhere along the rails or tip rails are unacceptable and must be replaced. 

Good luck in your mouthpiece quest.  

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