Klarinet Archive - Posting 000001.txt from 1994/09

From: Jim Freeman <collnjim@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Reeds
Date: Thu, 1 Sep 1994 01:48:25 -0400

On Tue, 30 Aug 1994, NICK WINKLER wrote:

> Since we are on the subject of reeds, I'm curious. It appears that a
> lot of you out there use Vandoren V12s. These seem to be about a buck
> and a half each (better source, anyone?) Out of a box of ten, about how
> many of these turn out to be performance quality?
>
> -Nick-
>
> * QMPro 1.52 * No matter where you go, there you are.
> ------------------------------------------------------
> Views expressed by this individual are not necessarily
> those of the Tulare County Office of Education
> ------------------------------------------------------
>
I've been playing on V-12s for about 5 years. Ever since I started
buying them about a year ahead of playing on them (having stored them
rubberbanded to a piece of plexiglass in a desk drawer during the year),
I've gotten about one third to play pretty well. As a rule, I've tried
to work on reeds once every week and never to play on the same reed for more
than 10-14 days (usually 7). This has the effect of allowing my
embouchure to adjust to playing on only one or two reeds during a week,
being able to practice on good reeds (i.e. not succoming to the notion
that if a reed is too good, I should "save" it for a concert, by which
time the particular juxtaposition of climatic conditions and
embouchure which made it a good reed could be very different.), and not
having to go through the trauma of finally trying to find a replacement
for a good reed which one has nursed through too many weeks of playing.

Jim Freeman (collnjim@-----.edu)