Klarinet Archive - Posting 000764.txt from 1997/02

From: "Robert D. Shaw" <theshaws@-----.NET>
Subj: Re: Reed adjustment
Date: Sat, 22 Feb 1997 20:07:36 -0500

Roger A. Lewis & Denise Gulliver-Lewis wrote:
>
> 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

Denise, this may sound like a stupid question, but how do you check to
see if the rails are even?

Deborah