Klarinet Archive - Posting 000767.txt from 1997/09

From: Jrykorten@-----.com
Subj: Re: sharp reeds
Date: Tue, 16 Sep 1997 03:02:27 -0400

If the vamp (the cut - non bark) portion of the reed is significantly longer
than the window of your mouthpiece, the reed will play flat. If it is
significantly shorter it will play sharp. The only remedy is to 1)
significantly trim and re work a flat reed, or 2) revamp and refinish a sharp
reed. Both of these are outside the scope of reed maintanence if you are not
already making your own reeds.

If you really like the way they play you can either keep them for practice or
have a selection of mouthpieces around that have differing length windows, or
that play at different pitches, and match the reed to the mouthpiece.

Jerry Korten
NYC

In a message dated 97-09-12 02:41:00 EDT, Nancy writes:

<<
SNIP
Does anyone have suggestions for working with a reed if it sounds great but
is sharp or
flat? I guess that this is a relatively new revelation to me - that a reed
itself can be out of
tune. Are there ways to work on it to, for instance, sharpen or flatten
high notes, low
notes, or throat tones; or if any part of the clarinet, or the whole
clarinet is significantly
out of tune from a particular reed, should you just give up on it?
SNIP
>>