Klarinet Archive - Posting 000766.txt from 2000/05

From: LeliaLoban@-----.com
Subj: [kl] Reed numbers
Date: Tue, 16 May 2000 08:45:04 -0400

Samuel Burrows wrote,
>At 54 years of age, I've just taken up the clarinet AND I LOVE IT.
>However, I'm a bit confused by the reed numbers. I started on 11/2 but
>my teacher (I've had one lesson) suggested I go to 21/2 or 3, which I
>did. They are certainly harder to blow but that's the only difference I
>can perceive. If I can make a nice sound with 11/2, why go to the
>heavier reeds? They just seem to get out of control & squeek more
>readily.

Bill Wright wrote,
>> From 1-1/2 to 3 is a big jump, all at once. It's unlikely that you
>>have the strength to use a 2-1/2 or 3 properly yet. What you are
>>hearing now is not what you will hear twelve months from now. (I've
>>been playing for about nine months now, and I just graduated from a 2 to
>>a 2-1/2.) In particular you will hear major differences (less shrill,
>>more 'clear' and uniform pitch) between reed strengths when you begin to
>>play notes above the staff.

It's true that a higher number means a stiffer reed and that going from 1-1/2
to 3 all in one swell foop is a big jump. IMHO, it's easier to change reed
strengths in smaller increments. However, it's a common misconception among
beginners that, with experience, one "graduates" from lower reed numbers to
higher ones. The underlying assumption is that using a stiffer reed is a
sign of maturity as a clarinetist.

It's an understandable error, because it's true that a new beginner will find
a very flexible reed easier to use, and will squeak more and have more
trouble controlling a stiffer reed. However, it *does not* follow that all
clarinetists *should* eventually move on to a stiffer reed. I prefer to use
the terms "stiff" and "flexible" rather than "strong" and "weak" because the
latter terms are so psychologically loaded -- people assume that "weak" must
be bad and "strong" must be good. Unfortunately, this mistake leads many
students to try to force themselves to "graduate" to a reed that's too stiff
to work well with their equipment (tip opening of the mouthpiece, for
instance) or their embouchures.

It's true that most clarinetists can't produce a good altissimo tone with a
*very* flexible (say, 1-1/2) reed, but so much depends on individual
embouchure combined with mouthpiece and instrument that it's dangerous to
generalize even to that extent. Someone on this list mentioned a
professional soloist who uses a 1-1/2 reed. For now, I'd suggest doing as
the teacher recommends, since the teacher can hear your results and we can't.
Later, with more experience, you'll probably want to experiment with reed
sizes. Most clarinet players do that eventually. (The trick is not to end
up like the equipment junkies who experiment so obsessionally that they
confuse themselves, never give themselves time to get accustomed to anything
and end up dissatisfied with everything.) But please don't assume you're not
progressing if it turns out that you play best on a flexible reed.

Lelia
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anything worth doing is worth doing to excess.

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