Klarinet Archive - Posting 000776.txt from 1995/05

From: Bruce Hudson <HUDSONB@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: Vandorens vs. Mitchell Lurie
Date: Sat, 27 May 1995 09:25:21 -0400

>Yeah I figured that one out a long time ago.. I have 3 1/2 V12s.. still very
>hard.. yeah kinda a 'thing' haing to play 3's and stuff when youve come
>so 'far'.. I'll pick up some 3s tomorrow and see how they go

I'm certainly amongst the newest to the business reading here, but I had no
idea the strength of reeds was treated as something of a weight lifting
contest. I guess I'm bothered in that when I tell somebody I started the
clarinet nine months ago at a rather advanced age and especially if their
experience was limited to high school or college bands, it seems their first
question is what strength reed am I using-- "oh, a 3 1/2 well you're coming
along pretty well." It seems to me that my progress is measured in the
subtlies of articulation I can achieve, the development of tone over these
seemingly endless hours of long tones and how firm platform I can maintain
for the sound with my fledgling embouchure-- all of which it would seem has
very little to do the the number on the box of reeds I buy. And if I'm
right I think this has some dangerous implications for young players
thinking there's something to be gained by being pushed into the the hardest
reed possible as soon as possilbe-- like permanently locked jaw
muscles from prolonged biting.

Bruce Hudson, HUDSONB@-----.com

Raleigh, NC