I was introduced to the concept of "clocking" in
1998 by jazz trombone master Steve Turre during an afternoon “hang” when he was
in my town for a concert. It was an ear-opening experience.
My best description of the concept is this:
Some people believe that the way
your mouthpiece sits in your horn
affects the way you sound playing
it.
That’s the simple explanation. It should really have a
number of footnotes about “your mouthpiece”, “your horn”, and “sound”. I’ll get
to these issues below.
Much of what is written here was originally posted the the
Trombone-L Discussion List in late ’98 by myself and Dr. Wayne Dyess (Professor
of Music, Lamar University ) of Beaumont, TX. I’d like to thank Wayne for
allowing me to reprint his “take” on the subject.
Someone wrote in to the Trombone List a question:
“Someone told me about something called ‘mouthpiece
clocking’. I didn’t really understand it. What is it?”
I wrote in a reply that the basic premise of the “mouthpiece
clocking” concept is this:
A brass player experiments with:
1) Their horn, being played by
2) Themselves, with
3) Their own REGULAR mouthpiece (the one they play all or
most of the time)- placed in different positions (these are kept track of by
using a reference point on the mouthpiece and moving it into different
positions by systematically rotating and repositioning the mouthpiece- like the
movement of a clock’s hand).
During the discussion on clocking (most of which was VERY
skeptical), someone wrote:
>> Does anyone have a favored "clock"
position for their mouthpiece?
This was a good question, because it gets right to the heart
of the matter.
There is NO standard clocking position.
The sound for each position is unique to the three variables
of:
(1)
player,
(2)
horn, and
(3) mouthpiece (with it’s varied
positions).
Again, the main thing to understand about this concept is
that each player's "good" or “interesting” clocking position will
be DIFFERENT!
Even two mouthpieces of the same make and model played by
the same person on the same horn will get differing results!
Keeping #1 & #2 the same, you experiment with #3 until
you find a sound (and corresponding position) which you like. You can do this
by yourself, or enlist the help of other people to give you feedback on your
sound. If you do find a certain “clocked” position makes a difference in your
sound, take care to place the mouthpiece back in that same position every time
you play. Or you may find that there is a “clocked” position that gives you a
brighter sound which you like for playing big band lead, while there is also a
“darker” position which you prefer for solo playing. So you can take note of
these and use them for their purposes.
Why and how can these different “clocked” positions affect
your sound?
The concept is this: NO mouthpiece, instrument is perfect in
its dimensions, especially that of roundness. While the cup and throat of a
mouthpiece may appear perfectly round to the eye (or even to the computer which
may have been used to create it), it is in fact NOT perfectly round. There is
some variation in it’s shape at points; therefore, the vibrations of your
buzzing through the instrument will find slightly (if incredibly small) varied
paths through your horn. This will affect the sound, even though it might be an
imperceptible or very slight difference.
This practice of “clocking” has its believers and
non-believers.
Do I personally believe that mouthpiece position can alter a
sound?
Yes.
Does that mean I can always hear a difference in others
employing the "clocking" technique?
No.
But I can definitely hear a difference in MY sound because
of it.
I could hear a difference in Steve Turre’s sound because of
it. And Steve Turre is a living master of jazz trombone. What does that tell
you? I think it says that there probably IS something to this “clocking”
business.
Or else it could mean that brass players can be as
superstitious and obsessive-compulsive with their equipment as baseball players
are with their bats.
We are all the best judges of our own sound.
If you try clocking and like the results, fine!
If you try it and have no idea if it makes a difference or
not-- forget it.
Christo
Dr. Wayne Dyess: I had been actively involved with
the Trombone List for just over a year in late 1998, and I don't recall having
seen a discussion before then on the topic of "MOUTHPIECE
CLOCKING." It was a new one on me,
for sure.
Perhaps you'll find this little story interesting. I do.
The college where I teach put on a fall jazz concert in
November 1998, and prior to the concert we rehearsed with our guest artist --
Dennis Dotson, formerly with the Woody Herman Orchestra. After rehearsal, Dennis stayed around to
listen to our symphonic band rehearsal and commented favorably on our matched
set of
Bach 16's in the trombone section and matched Mt. Vernon's
in the cornet section. After rehearsal,
he wanted to loosen up some, so I took him to an ensemble room where he could
blow to his heart's content. We talked
some, and he told me he was taking lessons with one of the Houston Symphony
trumpet players and related something he found really interesting -- "mouthpiece
clocking", he called it.
Intrigued, I asked him to explain that concept to me. He said, "I'll do
better than that.
I'll show ya."
So he took his mouthpiece out to show me the Vincent Bach
inscription on it, and said “I'll play a few notes of the overtone series for
you with this "V" in the 12:00 position” (which he did).
It sounded like Dennis, yep. Then, he proceeded to work his
way from 12:00 o'clock, then 3, 6, 9, and back again.
I was amazed that I could indeed tell a difference, though
somewhat subtle, in his tone. One place seemed bright to me; at the opposite
end, more mellow. I couldn't wait to go
give it a try myself.
But on my way to my office, I decided to try it on our
trumpet
professor. No, he'd
never heard of it. I explained it; he
tried it --
it was obvious that a change in sound was there. But interestingly, the mouthpiece didn't
FEEL different. I went to my office and
played a few notes at each place on the mouthpiece. Since mine says Conn 5GR, I placed 12:00 o'clock at the "C"
and worked from there. I didn't feel a
difference until I started adding in the pedal register. Then, "Bingo" -- I felt it.
This is an easy experiment that EVERYONE from beginner to
the most seasoned pro can try.
Mouthpiece clocking, according to Dennis and his teacher, is
yet one
more variable that one can control. There are so many variables that we can't
control (like acoustics of the hall, for instance).
A year and a half since I was introduced to the idea,
mouthpiece “clocking” is something that I continue to do. Not with regularity, however. And yes, it is a bit on the obsessive
side. But if I am having a
"bad" day (don't we all?), then every little grain of
advantage is welcomed.
For me, I don't necessarily hear a difference. But I can FEEL it.
Most definitely. My
low register seems to work better if I'm clocked
in a consistent place.
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