Klarinet Archive - Posting 001464.txt from 1997/10

From: Randy & Aimee Kratofil <kratofil@-----.com>
Subj: Re: reed strengths and types
Date: Fri, 31 Oct 1997 20:44:56 -0500

Concerning European setups, I can share one example. I had a German
student for awhile this past summer. He was a beginner from Bavaria,
who studied with a Czech man who traveled to their town to teach. He
rented a clarinet here. The student says his clarinet here had the same
keys as his clarinet at home (discussed earlier)--Boehm system. =20

But he was playing on such a light reed. (I don't remember the
strength.) His tone was soooo flat, especially as he went higher, and
not very attractive to me. (thin, small) I made him get heavier reeds
(probably 2=BD+) and made him support/use fast strong air, and hold his
mouth tighter all around--and he finally played with a big full sound.=20
His mother said "I didn't know he could play so well." She felt he
advanced a lot with me, and I think a lot of it had to do with a heavier
setup. (just my $0.02) =20

I will be writing his family a letter and will ask if he went back to
the original teacher. If anything interesting turns up, I will share
it!

Aimee Kratofil

> This is a very interesting thread that keeps coming up from listserv
> subscribers in Europe. They seem to use reeds that are a lot less stron=
g than
> those we use. Are there any Europeans who are studying here in the stat=
es who
> can try a US student's setup to see if we are really playing harder set=
ups?
> Or do we work our reeds down to an equivalent strength? Or are there an=
y US
> subscribers over in Europe who can try a European clarinet player's set=
up and
> report back to us?
>=20
> I did hear someplace that, in France, a performer will come in to the
> Vandoren factory and chose a reed to play for a concert that night. Thi=
s
> means it is not being broken in like we do here in the states. My reeds=
drop
> a full 1/2 strength (at least) after the third or fourth time I am play=
ing
> them during the breaking period (I buy 3 - 4 depending on brand and mak=
e).
> Does this account for the difference in reed strengths? What do you Eur=
opeans
> do to reeds when you buy them? Do you stop playing them after 4 times?
>