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Amazing fluidity in your playing. Your analysis is interesting too. Would love to see you compare some Rovner or fabric ligatures as well. Does it matter if the ligatuure is a single screw or double screw? Any preference?

I’m never playing before with that mouthpiece. I use only Vandoren but now I would like to try one I think would be super!!! Also which ligature you use?

I was one of those players who ended up playing on what was basically plywood. It was only when my tension got so bad that it hurt to talk that I started the process of slowly finding a more sensible set-up. There was a good while that I just couldn't play. When I finally could start playing again, I had to go for really soft reeds and only do short sessions of playing. I'm finally able to play for extended periods again without tension or discomfort. I'm now playing Vandoren 56 Rue Lepic #3.5 reeds on a Vandoren BD4. I learned the hard way that playing a harder reed doesn't make you a better player. In fact, after a point, it can actually make you worse.

One other potential downside I can see to handmade mouthpieces is that if you've found a maker whose work you like, and they stop making mouthpieces for any number of reasons, you might find yourself in tough spot while you try to find someone you work well with for mouthpiece maintenance or replacement.

Sergei Rachmaninoff Symphony No.2 Adagio clarinet solo

Thanks for playing this! I love your way! Which ligature is this?

Oboe?

All of them sounds amazing.

I tend to switch ligatures when I feel like it and then after just couple of days I forget that I changed the ligature. Among them is this Eddie Daniels/now Versa ligature. Yes I do hear a difference between it,the Charles Bay Rhodium,Vandoren leather ligature and Vandoren optimum ligature to name few in my collection. But they all do the job and just sound myself after using each for couple of days. Best quote is what the renowned clarinetist John McCaw said in a masterclass in 2001: A bad ligature can ruin a good mouthpiece. Ps. I'm sorry you already said the same thing about ligatures in the first part which I hadn't watch when I commented.

11:09 OOOOOOHHH HE SAID IT!!

Charles Bay mouthpieces are the best I've owned. Sadly he is not making any mouthpieces anymore and I don't know if he is alive or if his son is still making mouthpieces. My favorite one is from 2001. Brown one with MO-L facing and Vandoren V-12 3.5+ reeds. I miss the most important thing here at least in my mind: How did the mouthpiece tune ?

Thanks for this helpful video. I found the segments on water removal especially helpful. As a new clarinetist I am constantly trying to learn and add instrument care best-practices to my practice routine. I bought the best (IMHO) new instrument that I could afford (Yamaha YCL-650II) when I started playing at the beginning of this year, and it is the first wooden instrument that I have ever owned, so I want to do everything that I can to protect my investment, and minimize barriers to my learning. Thanks again for your videos. They are much appreciated.

I'm not even a clarinet player (saxophonist actually) yet I'm still glued to these videos. Your explanations help me get a good insight in what to keep in mind testing other ligatures and what you out of them. Thank you for presenting the information so clearly. I'll be following your ligature saga closely. (I wonder if you'll try out the Brancher gold plated ligature in your metal video, I always think it gives such a clear sound and response.)

Ishimori?

I have been doing the paper trick for way too long, whoops!

Bravo 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏 ❤

You said the best ligature is your thumb. So what I did was put a piece of bicycle inner tube rubber between the reed and my Yamaha ligature. What a difference. No more note splitting in upper clarion, no more miss-notes in altissimo. Wow!

Wodkowski is much better!! Bravo!

Returning to clarinet after many years off, and I've been enjoying the videos you and Jay put out. This video speaks to my experiences as an undergraduate while I was still a music major. So many in the studio used a Pyne, a Vandoren, or a few Lomax. We were fortunate to have Lomax in town, as my undergrad studio was in Springfield. I never had much play experience with Vandoren after beginning band, so I wasn't drawn to them. I tried some of the Lomax mouthpieces, looking to move on from the Woodwind Company K10 (yes, I'm old). I just couldn't fall in love with my sound with them, so I tried Pyne. This is not a place for long stories, but I fell in love with my Bn. I still have it, and this video has me thinking I should ask them if they can check it out for me. Joel Lomax looked it over for me while I was in Springfield (again long story), but it was played a lot after that, before being put in a case for 12 years. Anyway, the others who became principal clarinetists in our orchestra, Wind Ensemble, etc., all had different mouthpieces. It comes down to what you like. Price plays a role too, especially for high school or for people playing in their communities but not professionally. Thank you for entertaining and informative content, it's keeping me motivated through the frustration that I'm extremely rusty!

Nice video. Many aspects of your approach are familiar to me, but I noticed your specific direction--reinforced in the video demonstration--to lay the reeds flat-side-up on the table after wetting them, which I have not heard before. If I may ask, what's the reason for this?

You guys did an amazing job! I wanted to ask if you have ever made a video on backun mouthpieces. I’m thinking about getting the McGill Signature Mouthpiece. I’ve owned a Vocalise H for quite and as a high school player thinking about submitting more auditons and taking it further I just wanted to see if you think this would be a good investment so to speak

Thank you for the great video! In my opinion, Wodkowski mouthpiece sounds more colorful and crispy than BD2. BD2 gives some stability but sometimes sounds bored.

Nice sound! On both- but I can understand how you mean about the BD. Did you try the BD5 and 4? I have those, and like them at the moment. BD4 has the biggest opening. It works with strength 2,5-3. Harder is impossible for my style and emboushyre

I usually use around 8 out of 10 in a box with maybe 1-2 concert quality ones. If you know how to work on reeds you can use most of them that is if the quality is there. That's at least my experience playing Vandoren V-12 for over 25 years.

I’m an Eb clarinetist and I’m recently practicing III Concerto by O. Navarro, which contains Bb and Eb solo parts. When I practice only with Eb clarinet it sounds all well and good. But when I’m going through the whole piece and switch from Bb to Eb, I can’t even play a satisfying long note. I was shocked bc I just got my brand new buffet Tosca Eb clarinet half year ago, and I’ve had a lot of doubling experiences with clarinets and even saxophones. I realized doubling when playing a concerto is much harder than in wind band. That’s why I found this video and I hope it helps.

i'm a freshman and REALLY want to try All-State I'd say I'm at like a Sophmore or Junior level tbh but I'm TERRIFIED. I play clarinet are there any tips?? ESPECIALLY for fast tempos, sixteenth notes and all that stuff

Sounds great as usual! Love the Eb clarinet

Didn't know this piece. Definitely going to check it out. Thnx 👍

Great band 👍

Suena genial 👏👏👏👏👏👏

Very nice.

This feels like something out of a James Bond or similar detective action movie. Love it!

Yay E flat! It's an unusually catchy piece! The performance came through; I hardly noticed the mic difference since y'all were so well balanced!

Wonderful!

thank you

yall sound amazing ! thank you for posting

Hi John, thanks for the video! It’s was incredibly informative. What did you think of the ishimori?

You sound great on both mouthpieces! Thanks for the video!

Like!

Perfect, now for balancing, asp please

Have you tried the Baroque ligatures by Charles Bay? I got one a couple days ago and I’m a big fan

Have you tried the Rovner Vangogh ligature?

🎉👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

Bravo! Wish I were there

Superb Tone 😀

So pleasant to my ears! I love it. The punctuation, rhythm, sounds fitting into each other, this is a beautiful collaboration. Thanks for posting it, Mr Kurokawa!

You two play so well together, like extensions of each other's voices! Edit: Flying back to Chicago is quite a story! What did you do at Yamaha? I heard they're developing a new model; were you testing that? Loved this new kind of video :)

Wonderful, John. What are the pedals you both are using?

Hope you’re enjoying the festival. Would be good to meet in person if there’s time P. Cigleris