Klarinet Archive - Posting 000706.txt from 1997/03

From: Jerry Korten <Jrykorten@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: Reed Watering Issues - Related to Mouthpiece Cheese?
Date: Fri, 21 Mar 1997 11:07:06 -0500

Diane Writes....

<< A major component of saliva is mucus - between the physical
presence of the enzymes (even if they can't do anything chemical to
the cane) and the mucus, once the watery portion of the saliva
dries away, the mucus and the enzymes are left behind to physically
interfere with the reed. As a medical example of how thick these two
are (and damaging) - most of the symptoms of cystic fibrosis are the
result of the mucus (and in the GI tract, the enzymes) not getting
mixed with watery secretions. This renders them very thick and they
plug up the airways/pancreas.
Diane R. Karius, Ph.D.
Department of Physiology
University of Health Sciences
2105 Independence Ave.
Kansas City, MO 64124
email: dikarius@-----.EDU
>>

I also agree that neither pH nor Enzymes are at work here. But allow me to
give my best guess. The very same mineral deposits (eg bicarbonate that Diane
speaks about) that accumulate on the mouthpiece from evaporating saliva are
probably accumulating in the fibers of the reed as well. This is probably one
of the reasons Dr. Stubbins always had me rub my reeds on black newsprint -
probably clogging the cane pores and not allowing mineral deposits to
accumulate. He also advocated rubbing the fibers with a finger (pen) to get
them to close off as well.

If it is mineral deposits, soaking the reed in water after playing may be
better than soaking the reed before playing.

In my opinion, the reed gives up the ghost due to fibers swelling into the
windway long before the structure of the reed fiber breaks down from saliva.
This is especially true with the Bonade ligature, the Rovner does less. But
of course they both have different sounds.

Jerry Korten
NYC