Klarinet Archive - Posting 000818.txt from 1995/10

From: Neil Leupold <nleupold@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Reed strengths
Date: Sun, 22 Oct 1995 19:33:49 -0400

In a recent posting, Alan Stanek applauded the suggestion to simply play on the
reeds that work and throw away the rest. "For those clarinetists who spend
uncountable hours fussing with reeds, please don't offer to help me
change any lightbulbs," he writes.

Alan, are you implying that time spent learning how to adjust reeds is
pointless? Did Stanly Hasty have it all wrong when he required all of his
Eastman students to make their own reeds? Surely there is merit in
knowing how to shave here and sand there in order to balance a
potentially usable piece of cane. I've pulled reeds out of the box that
seemed to play perfectly on the first try, but even those reeds need some
adjustment as they acclimate to the effects of moisture and vibration.
And many (if not most) of those in the box which are not readily playable
can also be brought "up to speed" with some educated adjustment to the
right areas - and without an overwhelming expenditure of time. I've
NEVER encountered a reed straight out of the box which played beautifully
right away and then stayed that way for several more weeks without some
conditioning and adjustment. How many boxes of reeds to you go through
in a month with the philosophy of "play only the best and chuck the rest?"

NBL