Klarinet Archive - Posting 000574.txt from 2000/10

From: "Karl Krelove" <kkrelove@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] VanDoren Reed Preparation - balance
Date: Wed, 11 Oct 2000 13:21:04 -0400

> -----Original Message-----
> From: William Wright [mailto:Bilwright@-----.net]
> Another common step in the process is "balancing", which means to
> play an open G in the normal way, and then rotate the instrument a bit
> -- perhaps 30 degrees -- without changing your embouchure, such that
> your embouchure is mostly in contact with only one side of the reed.
> Then try to play open G again. Then rotate in the other direction and
> repeat. If the reed is unbalanced, the sounds at either side will be
> different than when you play in the normal position. This tells you
> that you should shave a slight amount -- maybe 2 or 3 strokes -- off the
> side WITHOUT SHAVING THE ACTUAL EDGE -- that sounds stuffy or has
> reduced volume.
>
>

I am pretty well lost as to who said what in this thread - the quotes have
gotten hard to separate from the responses. I'd only have one nit to pick
with the above description:
If you use this test (some players I know question its reliability), you may
well find both sides play differently from the middle position. The more
important point is whether each of the two sides plays the same way as the
other.

Of course, some players argue that the reed should be stiffer on the left to
compensate for a counter-clockwise rotating effect they feel is caused by
the way the clarinet is held on the right thumb. My experience has been that
Vandorens (traditional or V12) _seem_ actually to be cut this way and need
more often to be thinned a little on the left side. I don't own measuring
equipment sensitive enough to actually measure the cut. Does anyone else?

Karl Krelove

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