Klarinet Archive - Posting 000785.txt from 1997/02

From: "Roger A. Lewis & Denise Gulliver-Lewis" <pmflewis@-----.net>
Subj: Re: Reed adjustment
Date: Sun, 23 Feb 1997 14:38:29 -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

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

Deborah

Deborah;

You can check this by holding the reed up to the light. If you see heavy
areas on one side or the other, the rail on that side is heavier at the
top and should be corrected to match.
To check the bottom, you can do it visually by looking directly at one
side of the reed and then the other. You can also measure the bottom
with calipers, placed as closely to the edge as possible.

Hope this helps!

Denise Gulliver-Lewis
Principal Clarinet
Elkhart Symphony