Klarinet Archive - Posting 000122.txt from 1995/12

From: Fred Jacobowitz <fredj@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: changing reed conditions
Date: Wed, 6 Dec 1995 12:35:31 -0500

Bill,
Welcome to the wonderful world of fickle clarinet reeds! Yes, all
of our reeds do this. Even those which you say don't change really do, if
only subtly. Right now I have a big problem because the weather is
alternatively warmer and moister and cold and dry. So my reeds are having
fits. Basically I have two sets of reeds. Softer ones for summer and
harder ones for winter. However, during this in-between period I'm often
in trouble. It helps to be an experienced, skiled player because you've
got training and skill to fall back on but it's not much fun. And then
what do I do when the room I play in is moist but outside it's cold and
dry? And vice versa? I just had to play the Kegelstatt Trio in a carpeted
room which was so dry my throat hurt. And it was already dry outside so I
had my stiffest cold-weather reed on. Well, my reed got so soft and soggy
that I almost couldn't play. Sorry to break the bad news to you but this
is what we all live with. Try not to be too disheartened.

Fred Jacobowitz

On Tue, 5 Dec 1995, Bill Fogle wrote:

> I am a non-professional clarinetist and new to reading the posts of this
> group. I have a comment/question that I hope may be of interest to
> readers. I note that certain (but not all) of my reeds *change* playing
> characteristics during a playing session. This change is sometimes very
> marked, sometimes subtle. [Some reeds retain the same characteristics for
> the whole practice]. I would say that the main "characteristic" is
> response, but also sometimes tone emission. My suspicion is that this is
> a change in the physical properties of the reed in relationship to the
> mouthpiece lay during the course of practice. I would like to eliminate
> or reduce this phenomenon because, well, I find it irritating during
> playing. Does this happen to commonly?
>