Klarinet Archive - Posting 000206.txt from 1997/04

From: WWQUINTET@-----.COM
Subj: Re: Reed Contradictions
Date: Mon, 7 Apr 1997 03:17:08 -0400

In a message dated 97-04-06 20:33:31 EDT, you write:

<< 04/06/97 05:20 PM
The thing that bothers me about all these reed handling discussions, is
that there doesn't seem to be any science behind it. >>

That's precisely the point I was trying to make!
It's not like we're charting theories about quasars or dark matter that
resides somewhere in the far reaches of space. We're dealing with tangible
components that we can hold within our hand, and yet, we're still besieged
with diverse opinions that hold no real scientific proof.
I've read countless treaties on the importance of sealing the reed, only to
read a couple paragraphs later of the author's recommendation to cleanse the
reed in order to ensure a longer playing life for the hapless piece of cane.
It seems evident to me that if we're so concerned about sealing the reed, it
would be illogical to undermine the process with peroxide purification every
week. In my opinion, this type of dual treatment is a rather large
contradiction. Although I have no scientific data for confirmation, I do
believe any foreign substance that becomes lodged in the hollow tubes of the
reed will ultimately impede vibrations, and from my personal experiences I
have found that the reed becomes increasingly strident tonally, and the
overall pitch favors sharpness.
I'm beginning to believe that Mother Nature plays a larger role in the
longevity of reeds than we'd care to admit. In other words, if its a quality
piece of cane, blessed with the necessary physical attributes to vibrate
freely and
withstand the idiosnycracies of our individual embouchure configurations,
then the reed will have good longevity. If the reed does not meet this
criteria, it will quickly lose its resiliency, no matter how valient our
attempts to revive it. Thus, the so-called break-in procedure for reeds is
really just the time period to allow the cane to run its course of expansion
and contraction until it becomes insensitive to moisture change, and also the
process of determining which reeds in a box are "talented", if you will, and
worthy of a trip to the "big show", with the remaining lot destined for the
minor leagues.
But alas, this is just another opinion. When are those clarinet experts with
the scientific backgrounds going to provide a more definitive answer to this
obviously nebulous enigma?

Dave (Expecting to get flamed, but wanting you all to remember that he loves
the clarinet just as much as you do and is only searching for the truth. ;-p)