Klarinet Archive - Posting 000683.txt from 1996/10

From: "Nichelle A. Crocker" <crockena@-----.EDU>
Subj: The great secret of reed adjustment
Date: Sat, 26 Oct 1996 23:55:49 -0400

Clarinetists get superstitious when it comes to reeds. I learned most of
what I know about reeds by experimenting on the nine bad reeds in each box,
and trying to learn how to make these bad reeds more playable. You can learn
a lot of good 'tricks' that way. I don't spend much time on reeds, and don't
think I'm any farther away from unearthing the Great Reed Secret than anyone
else. On the contrary, I am pleased (generally) with the quality of my
reeds, and my sound is said to be one of my strongest points as a player. I
think my time is best spent practicing the clarinet and studying the music
I'm working on. Please don't misunderstand me- I believe that learning to
adjust reeds is an important skill. (...and it's more reliable than the Reed
Dance.) But, when it comes down to it, the audience doesn't care whether
you've got a bad reed any more than it cares how difficult a particular
passage is to finger...

Another pet peeve, faulty equipment too often becomes an excuse. I can't
tell you how often I've seen fellow musicians fussing with their equipment
during difficult passages. Great soloists and orchestral players surely get
the same nine crummy reeds in their box of ten Hand Picked Deluxo Reeds, but
still manage to sound pretty darn good on stage.

As for chirping (I forget who asked.), I find that this only happens to me
when the back of the reed isn't entirely flat. (This is often a big problem
with many of my students' reeds, especially since most kids will play on the
same reed until it breaks in half, despite their teacher's pleadings.)

Nichelle Crocker
crockena@-----.edu