Klarinet Archive - Posting 000745.txt from 1997/02

From: "Roger A. Lewis & Denise Gulliver-Lewis" <pmflewis@-----.net>
Subj: Reed adjustment
Date: Fri, 21 Feb 1997 20:07:49 -0500

On Feb. 21, Deborah wrote:
I have a question about reed adjustment. I have reeds that sound great,
but are too hard . What techniques do people on the list use to make
reeds easier to play in this situation?

This trick has worked for me. Using a knife or reed rush, scrape the
very sides of the reed, on the 'rails', an even amount on both sides a
little at a time. This should loosen things up a bit without thinning
the tip or messing around with the heart of the reed. Be gentle - only a
little bit should do it. You should also check at this time to make sure
the rails are even. Uneven rails can give the response problem that you
describe.

Denise Gulliver-Lewis
Principal Clarinet
Elkhart Symphony