Klarinet Archive - Posting 000457.txt from 1997/07

From: Adam Calabrese <adam.calabrese@-----.gov>
Subj: Re: Reeds
Date: Tue, 15 Jul 1997 13:11:00 -0400

At 10:34 PM 7/14/97 -0700, you wrote:
>Hi everyone,
> I'm a newcomer to all this (adult beginner), and would like to know
>what the best choice of reed is. Is this strictly a personal preference;
>can someone point me in the right direction in general? Right now, I'm
>using Rico Royal 2 1/2 and beginning to use the 3. I don't think I'll
>progress to the point of making my own reeds for several years, nor want
>to! Thanks,
>Carol

You are correct that reed choice is very personal, and you just have to try
several before you decide which ones are best for you. I would suggest
trying Vandoren reeds (2-3 strength for now) in addition to the rico. They
are good, and widely used (hence available). Maybe Mitchell Laurie also.

If you can, obtain a copy of a book about playing the clarinet that has a
section on reed conditioning. While some of us never end up making our own
reeds, knowing how to "break in" a reed and keep it conditioned is a
required skill. Look at the sneezy or clarinet web pages - there is perhaps
an online article giving the basics of reed conditioning. I'll send a
reference list from Sneezy in a separate message.

Also realize that from a box of 10 Vandorens, usually 6 or so will be
playable with standard conditioning. The rest may need some more work, or
may never be playable. The same is true for all manufacturers. However, I
have read that some of the "higher end" (ie, more expensive) reeds have a
better percentage of good reeds. You have to try the more expensive reeds
and decide whether or not you feel the extra cost is warrented. I haven't
tried many of them yet. I am experimenting with Vandoren V-12's, but they
are a different (thicker) cut. I've also experimented with Olivieri in the
past. They provide a nice sound, but didn't seem to last as long as the
Vandoren. However, that was several years ago, and Olivieri may have
changed for the better since.

An aside - by conditioning I mean some sort of soaking, closing the pores
by rubbing the backs on the back of sandpaper (or brown paper bags),
playing only 5 minutes per day for a few days, etc. The books or online
sources can give a detailed process - the order is fairly critical.

Good luck-

-Adam Calabrese
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899