Klarinet Archive - Posting 001203.txt from 2000/05

From: "Karl Krelove" <kkrelove@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] NOTHING IS WORKING!!!!!!!!!!!!
Date: Sat, 27 May 2000 18:56:09 -0400

> -----Original Message-----
> From: BassClar84@-----.com]
>
> Can it be the reed brand or strength?

Laura, of course it can be the reed strength (not as likely the brand). It
can also be any of the problems others have suggested, or a combination of
several. If this is a new problem, you haven't changed anything recently on
purpose, and it isn't happening with just one particular reed, it's more
likely than not a mechanical (instrument) problem. If it's been a tendency
all along and just gotten worse, your anxiety about the exam may be
aggravating it. If you can't diagnose it yourself, get your teacher or a
repair tech to tell you if it's a mechanical problem or not. That's easy -
if they have the same problem you're having, it's somewhere in the
mechanical setup (instrument/mouthpiece/reed). My best advice is don't keep
stewing about it, because your anxiety is going to rise astronomically and
make it worse. Even if it didn't start out as an execution problem, it will
have become one in a short time as you try to adjust ("fix") things that
aren't wrong. Get help from someone who can actually hold and play on the
instrument (which none of us can).

> I'm playing on
> Vandorean 3s. Are there any
> better reeds
> that are cane?

There's no way for us to know whether #3 is right for your mouthpiece or
not. The quick test is to try a 2.5 and a 3.5 and see if either works
better. But again, the best advice will come from someone knowledgeable who
can actually hear you play in person. Vandoren should be as good as
anything else, although straight out of the box their inconsistency is
legendary.

Karl Krelove (who has been through squeaks and chirps more than once)

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