Klarinet Archive - Posting 001095.txt from 1998/01

From: "Benjamin A. Maas" <bmaas@-----.net>
Subj: Re:Eb reeds
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 1998 09:37:59 -0500

>Use VanDorens or Rico Royals but use a fine mpc and the HARDEST reed you
>can blow on. Eb clarinet is not as hard as all that, if you accept that
>it does not blow like a Bb.
>
>Interstingly, Ted Johnson, recently retired as Eb in the Clevelnad
>ORchestra, used cut off Bb reeds like Sarah suggests.
>
>Robert Howe
>

Personally, I use VanDoren e-flat reeds, but I feel I must disagree with the
suggestion of using the Hardest reed possible. Like a B-flat Clarinet, you
are going to want to use a reed that you won't struggle against. If you
must use an excessively hard reed, perhaps you have other problems with your
playing that you need to deal with. Play high notes with air support and
good voicing, not by biting on the mouthpiece. If you must bite, you will
end up with major sound problems (bright and pinched) and many intonation
problems.

About the B-flat reeds: If you have a mouthpiece with a wider table and
facing, B-flat reeds work great. They are often more consistent than the
e-flat reeds out there. Peter Hadcock (e-flat clarinet with the Boston
Symph. for 25+years and a former teacher of mine) often suggested this to
his students. For that matter, if he didn't have e-flat reeds on him, he'd
cut off the end and use that.

--Ben

Benjamin Maas
Clarinetist and Digital Recording Engineer
Student, University of Southern California
Executive Director, Digital Renaissance Consort
bmaas@-----.net
bmaas@-----.edu

   
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