Klarinet Archive - Posting 000250.txt from 1995/08

From: Mark Gustavson <FilbertCat@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: Clarinet reed advise
Date: Sat, 19 Aug 1995 11:26:21 -0400

In response to reed strength discussion:

Discussing reed strength without mention of mouthpiece specifications is
meaningless. There is a rule of thumb (and it comes with ever box of
Vandoren reeds): an open-tip mouthpiece uses a softer reed and a
close-facing uses a harder reed. A long facing uses a harder reed and a
shorter facing uses a softer reed.

The reasons for this are clear. If a facing is long it needs a stiffer reed
to be able to spring back for rearticulation. A short facing doesn't need
such a stiff reed because less of the reed is used. An open tip needs a
softer reed because there is more distance for the reed to travel for closure
and a stiffer reed would cause, among other problems, fatigue. A close
facing needs a shorter distance for closure and therefore a stiffer reed can
be used. If one uses too soft a reed on a close facing, the result is
usually a collapsing reed, mushy and unresponsive tonguing.

What we are in search of is a response that requires minimal effort. But at
the same time the reed must be able to handle both a large dynamic range
without loosing tonal quality and have the potential for various timbres.

Other factors also come into play in reed strength, for example, rail
thickness, tip design, desired flexiblity and the style of music that is
being played.

Mark Gustasvson
New York City

   
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