Klarinet Archive - Posting 000297.txt from 1996/08

From: Roger Shilcock
Subj: Re: chirping (was: your mail)
Date: Sat, 10 Aug 1996 05:43:38 -0400

On Fri, 9 Aug 1996 niethamer%URVAX.URICH.EDU@-----.UK wrote:

> On Fri, 9 Aug 1996, Linda Bakker wrote:
>
> > This might sound strange to some people, but what do I do if the reed I'm
> > playing on starts squeaking? I don't mean those big loud squawks; I mean
> > when it does a little "squeak" at the beginning of each note you tongue.
> > Usually it dissappears by the next time I play/practise, but it's not too
> > good when I'm at an orchestra practise and it starts doing it.
> > Any ideas?
>
> Fred had a number of good ideas, but if the reed starts chirping *after*
> you've played on it for a while, it is *probably* the reed that is
> warping. Reeds can dry out on the mpc as they're being played, or
> otherwise misbehave due to changing moisture content. Also, if your mpc
> table isn't completely flat (and some are not, on purpose!) this change
> in moisture could cause a leak in the seal between reed and mpc, and thus
> your chirp.
>
> As you warm up your instrument, some pads may swell (if they're not in
> first class shape) and create a leak, but in general, this sounds like a
> reed/mpc seal chirp, and that's what I'd check first.
>
> At the first opportunity, I'd change reeds. I also *do* flatten the
> backs of reeds before putting them away (rub them with the grain on a
> piece of plain white paper - backs of Symphony memos are great!) to keep
> them from warping quite so much. A good reed case helps this too.
>
> David Niethamer
>
Bass clarinet reeds of some makes seem very liable to warp when drying, as
they are
all too often cut too thin. Fortunately, they also recover easily from
warping. If it recovers visibly (using the the
sucking-a-mouthpiece-with-your-thumb-in-the-end trick), then the reed is
probably a good'un.
Roger Shilcock

   
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