Klarinet Archive - Posting 000843.txt from 1995/10

From: Robert.Spring@-----.BITNET
Subj: Re: Selecting, adjusting, making reeds
Date: Mon, 23 Oct 1995 13:49:51 -0400

As a follow up to Alan's post:

I got sick of the reed game about 10 years ago. I was doing DMA work at
the time studying with John Mohler. He taught me how to make my own reeds
which I have been doing ever since. In fact, since that lesson in November
of 1985 I have not played a commercial reed. I make them in groups of
three, usually taking about 20 minutes per reed. I find that I can usually
play 5 out of 6 and that 1 out of 6 becomes a performance reed. The
process involves a 5 day curing process and alomst always insures that the
reeds do not warp and last a very long time...we are not talking
weeks....maybe up to a year!

I am a firm believer in this whole approach to the clarinet. You tailor
reeds to your own set up and mouth. The only problem is that you can
really never go back to commercial reeds.

I have spent about $100 on cane during this time and have gone through
about 1/2 of it. That means that in pure raw materials, I have spent only
$50 on reeds in 10 years!

I do not think this is the answer to everyone, but it works for me.

Bob

>To Neil Leupoild and others interested in reed questions:
>
>In reply to your suggestion (not mine) that time spent learning how to
>adjust reeds is pointless (of course it isn't), I offer the following true
>story. While also a student at the Eastman School of Music during the early
>1960's, I often observed clarinet majors in practice rooms with pianos and
>piano benches covered with commercial reeds as they tested, scraped, sanded
>and adjusted them to find that "perfect" reed. Many of these same students
>were experimenting with various mouthpieces, ligatures, etc. Some were
>making their own reeds as Mr. Hasty modeled for them. I experienced the same
>scene while at the University of Michigan in the early 1970's when John
>Mohler also modeled and taught reed making and adjusting for his students. I
>learned how to make and adjust reeds via the William Stubbins book, THE ART
>OF CLARINETISTRY.
>
>I have been blessed with an ample supply of good reeds over the past 45+
>years and have not had to spend much time selecting and adjusting reeds.
>Here's what I do - once every two months or so, I open several (3-5) new
>boxes of reeds and play each one with an initial test of its response. I
>note the date and a brief note about the type of response on the back of
>each reed in pencil. (Typical notes are: "stuffy" "too soft" "hard" "good to
>excellent" "performance" "YES" "OK but!", etc.) This initial test takes
>approximately 7-15 minutes per reed of playing in all registers and with
>various articulations and dynamic levels. The reeds are reboxed and left
>until another session a few days to a month or as long as six months later
>when I repeat the process, playing first those reeds that seemed to have
>qualities worthy of a performance reed and then the others. Again, a date
>and notes are made on the reed back. Once I find 4-8 of the best reeds, they
>are put on a rotation basis. These I use for practice sessions, playing with
>students in lessons and the best saved for orchestral and recital
>performances. For me, rotation of several reeds (I often play several reeds
>during a day and play one no more than every other day or two) preserves and
>lengthens its useful time. Some performance quality reeds have lasted (been
>performed on) up to two years from the initial testing period noted on the
>back of the reed.
>
>Over the years I've found that the reeds that upon initial testing had
>certain very stuffy and stiff qualities were almost never made into
>performance reeds even with careful adjusting. They are placed in the round
>file. "Time is money" is an apropos statement in this regard, at least for
>me.
>
>My circumstances may be unique. Pocatello, Idaho is at 4,500 feet above sea
>level. We enjoy very low humidity throughout the year. Whenever I travel
>outside Idaho to perform I always take several boxes of various strength and
>brands (3-4: Vandoren, Rico Grand Concert, Mitchell Lurie Premium and
>Olivieri Tempered) and do the same test - if my pre-selected reeds don't
>measure up to performance standards. Daily changes in weather patterns
>affect reeds to some extent here, but I haven't had a day when nothing
>seemed to work. Sometimes the reeds just play differently - some better,
>some worse.
>
>What do the rest of you think? CHEERS!
>
>
>Alan Stanek, Professor of Music at Idaho State University
>Pocatello, ID 83209-8099 e-mail <stanalan@-----.edu>
>President-elect - International Clarinet Association

----
Dr. Robert S. Spring
Professor of Music (Clarinet)
School of Music
Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ 85287-0405
Office - 602/965-4306, FAX - 602-965-2659, Home - 602/345-8013
Internet: Robert.Spring@-----.edu

   
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