Of all the parts of the brass instrument, one part that seems to get both the most and least respect is the mouthpiece. Most players have several, can rattle off numbers imprinted on the side of them, and yet their maintenance is probably the least done.
There are really only 5 parts to each mouthpiece, each having a different roll. We're not going to get into how variation in shape or size affect how they play, as that could be endlessly talked about and there are entire mouthpiece catalogues that detail that. Rather, let's break the mouthpiece down into these parts to understand them.
Firstly, there's the rim. basically, this is the part where lips meet instrument. Rounded or more flat, this is the part of the instrument that can most affect how an instrument feels. The human lips are so sensitive they can feel a roughness difference of microns. Yes, microns. This means that any scratches, dings, dents, or gouges that happen will affect how you play. They can be removed to varying degrees, but this will result in removing metal, and that will affect how it feels on your mouth. We've all heard the mouthpiece that falls on the floor right before a performance, and most brass players will cringe once they do. keep a handle on them, and life will just be less stressful for the rim.
The next 3 sections are easy to address together, as they make up the interior of the mouthpiece. The cup, the throat and the backbore are in sequence from the rim to the other end. the biggest thing about this section is to keep things clean. The cup also makes some contact with the mouth, so cleanliness there is important for hygiene reasons. Once the throat starts to get dirty, it can impact how easy the mouthpiece is to play. The backbore also needs to be clean, as build up there can start to also impact air flow, plus will also break away and stick to the leadpipe. For these sections, a mouthpiece brush is all that is needed to clean it, using warm soapy water. These are extremely cheap from most places that sell instruments. Only 5 minutes of cleaning once a month can not only help keep your instrument cleaner, but will also decrease the chance of any illness from the bacteria, germs and moisture. It is a also a good rule to clean the mouthpiece frequently if you are sick, so as to get rid of any germs and bacteria that could cause a recurrence.
Lastly, there is the shank. The shank is the part of the mouthpiece that connects it to the instrument. It has a taper that fits in the receiver, ensuring that the airtight seal transfers all the sound to the horn. The biggest cause for problems here is dirt or dents. Either one can lead to a stuck mouthpiece. Every player has had this problem. If this happens, don't panic, and never reach for pliers. More often than not, it will only rip the lead pipe off the instrument, mangle the lead pipe, or do some other damage that will lead to a costly repair, and still won't un-stick the mouthpiece. If the mouthpiece is stuck, most repair shops will remove the mouthpiece, and hardly every charge if it comes out in just a few minutes (your local shop may have a different policy about this, and that is their right). Even if the mouthpiece is stuck, the horn will most likely still be playable, which means this is no where near an emergency. If it happens before a gig, play the gig and get it fixed later. Better to wait for a professional to take 2 minutes to remove it (with 90 seconds being getting the tool out and setting it up) than to have to buy a new lead pipe and have it installed while straightening the bent tuning slides parts.
The biggest part of your mouthpiece maintenance comes down to consideration. Don't leave it in the instrument, don't force it into the receiver, clean it with some degree of regularity, and just make sure you're not being careless with it. If not cared for, the repairs and maintenance could be costly when something goes wrong.
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
Sunday, April 2, 2017
Woodwind Tip #4: Welcome to County Cork
For woodwind players all around, cork is a very vital substance to the working of their instrument. From fitting parts together, keeping keys quiet and even making things move at the same time, it really is an unsung hero of the instrument. There is cork in many parts of the instrument you don't even realize, and this spongy light brown material is quite special.
Cork is actually tree bark. Yes tree bark. The cork oak, as it's commonly known, primarily grows in Portugal, with the major secondary source in Tasmania. Specifically, the inner part of the bark right next to the wood is the part we are all used to. The workers use hand axes to harvest the bark from the tree, with the butt of the handle shaped to pry the bark away from the tree. Special care has to be taken, both to get the bark in one piece, and also to not damage the wood at all. Far from damaging the tree by removing the bark, it's actually beneficial to the growth and health of the tree, as it keeps the bark from smothering the tree. Once removed, it's taken to be processed for the wine industry first. Instruments are low on the list for cork quality, as the bigger industries have a larger stake and lobby for the high grade materials
Being a natural material, cork will wear out over time. Once it does, it will typically be too small to work, like on tenons and such. It could start to peel off or crumble with age, and at that point, it needs to be replaced. Once that has been done, there are simple things to keep these corks in good shape. The easiest way is to use a small amount of cork grease. This product, typically made of a lanolin base, lubricates the cork to enable the joints to move together, while still providing friction to hold them together when well fitting. It also will act as a moisture barrier to prevent the cork from swelling.
Contrary to popular belief, cork grease does not need to be reapplied every time the instrument is assembled. It is an "as needed" product, and even then a little bit goes a long way. For a clarinet or saxophone joint, I recommend pulling some off the tube the size of a tic tac for one joint, and then use your finger to put that amount on the cork. if when you put the pieces together, a residue pulls up on the outer surface, it was too much. Something else to keep in mind is that cork grease only goes on joints where cork is a factor in the joint working. Flutes, that means no cork grease to help the head and foot joint move. It will actually gum up the joint and make things worse in the long run. The only place that there should be any cork grease on your instrument is when the technician put the head joint cork in your flute, and only he should be doing dealing with it then.
For other places, such as the cork on the key linkages, the best way to protect your cork is just to be careful. Clarinets, this means being careful when putting the upper and lower joint together. There is cork on both the top and bottom of the bridge key mechanism, and it's crucial for making sure the keys on the lower joint can help seal the pads on the upper joint for intonation and leak prevention. This also happens to be the most commonly replaced cork on a clarinet, as this cork is easy to damage.
A lot of the cork on an instrument is under the feet on keys for woodwinds. These corks are important for regulating how open a key is over the tone hole, which effects the playability of the instrument in interesting ways. Too open, and the note is hard to center on the pitch, whereas too low and the sound is muted and stuffy. Just like with the linkages, taking care of this cork means keeping an eye on it and being careful with it.
There are many synthetic corks out there, and depending on the application, they can be a good thing. On the feet for flute trill keys, for example, many manufacturers will have them. Some of the regulation areas benefit from the synthetic because it has a better ability to keep the keys silent when they move. However, I have yet to find a synthetic tenon cork alternative I like. They usually don't glue well to the tenon, or they are hard to thin down once on the tenon for a good snug.
Overall, the cork or cork alternative on your woodwind is more vital than you think. With some proper materials and keeping aware of how things are, they can last years and years.
Cork is actually tree bark. Yes tree bark. The cork oak, as it's commonly known, primarily grows in Portugal, with the major secondary source in Tasmania. Specifically, the inner part of the bark right next to the wood is the part we are all used to. The workers use hand axes to harvest the bark from the tree, with the butt of the handle shaped to pry the bark away from the tree. Special care has to be taken, both to get the bark in one piece, and also to not damage the wood at all. Far from damaging the tree by removing the bark, it's actually beneficial to the growth and health of the tree, as it keeps the bark from smothering the tree. Once removed, it's taken to be processed for the wine industry first. Instruments are low on the list for cork quality, as the bigger industries have a larger stake and lobby for the high grade materials
Being a natural material, cork will wear out over time. Once it does, it will typically be too small to work, like on tenons and such. It could start to peel off or crumble with age, and at that point, it needs to be replaced. Once that has been done, there are simple things to keep these corks in good shape. The easiest way is to use a small amount of cork grease. This product, typically made of a lanolin base, lubricates the cork to enable the joints to move together, while still providing friction to hold them together when well fitting. It also will act as a moisture barrier to prevent the cork from swelling.
Contrary to popular belief, cork grease does not need to be reapplied every time the instrument is assembled. It is an "as needed" product, and even then a little bit goes a long way. For a clarinet or saxophone joint, I recommend pulling some off the tube the size of a tic tac for one joint, and then use your finger to put that amount on the cork. if when you put the pieces together, a residue pulls up on the outer surface, it was too much. Something else to keep in mind is that cork grease only goes on joints where cork is a factor in the joint working. Flutes, that means no cork grease to help the head and foot joint move. It will actually gum up the joint and make things worse in the long run. The only place that there should be any cork grease on your instrument is when the technician put the head joint cork in your flute, and only he should be doing dealing with it then.
For other places, such as the cork on the key linkages, the best way to protect your cork is just to be careful. Clarinets, this means being careful when putting the upper and lower joint together. There is cork on both the top and bottom of the bridge key mechanism, and it's crucial for making sure the keys on the lower joint can help seal the pads on the upper joint for intonation and leak prevention. This also happens to be the most commonly replaced cork on a clarinet, as this cork is easy to damage.
A lot of the cork on an instrument is under the feet on keys for woodwinds. These corks are important for regulating how open a key is over the tone hole, which effects the playability of the instrument in interesting ways. Too open, and the note is hard to center on the pitch, whereas too low and the sound is muted and stuffy. Just like with the linkages, taking care of this cork means keeping an eye on it and being careful with it.
There are many synthetic corks out there, and depending on the application, they can be a good thing. On the feet for flute trill keys, for example, many manufacturers will have them. Some of the regulation areas benefit from the synthetic because it has a better ability to keep the keys silent when they move. However, I have yet to find a synthetic tenon cork alternative I like. They usually don't glue well to the tenon, or they are hard to thin down once on the tenon for a good snug.
Overall, the cork or cork alternative on your woodwind is more vital than you think. With some proper materials and keeping aware of how things are, they can last years and years.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)