Klarinet Archive - Posting 000089.txt from 2000/11

From: "Patricia Smith" <pattiesmith@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Reed vs. second register
Date: Thu, 2 Nov 2000 09:18:26 -0500

William Wright wrote:

The easy solution is to discard the reed, of course; but I am wondering what
sort of shaving or sanding or clipping a person would attempt if he
wanted to salvage the reed (or to understand better what makes a reed
behave this way?

Finishing (flattening) the back of the reed is the first step for me. I
next take minuscule bits off the tip with either wet Dutch rush or a tiny
piece of extremely fine sand paper. I usually sand across the grain gently,
and play after each little sanding, unless the thing is a plain 2x4. I also
own a reed knife, but I find that, unless it is fairly sharp, it mainly
gouges reeds for me, as I am not very neat handed at using it. I use it
mainly for more extensive work on the 2x4 that needs a lot taken off.
Also, it is my experience that most boxed reeds are unbalanced along the
rails. Using the same rush or sandpaper, I will take some off the rail
along the grain, eyeballing both rails for balance. (Of course, if you have
an asymmetrical facing, this would be an additional aspect to keep in mind.
Keep in mind that: 1) there are a number of gadgets that can take the guess
work out of fixing reeds. I do not use them, but others have had much
success with them. They are expensive. and; 2) it does take a while to get
a "feel" for where you want your reed to be and how it should respond, and
what exactly will achieve that for you. I daresay a lot of people would
find how I treat my reeds to be nothing short of scandalous. However, it
does work for me. I do like to try different approaches and if the new
approach makes something work better for me, I incorporate it. Lastly, 3)
be patient with yourself. Reed work can be very tedious. Don't let it
become an obsession and get in the way of your practicing and music making.
(sorry - personal bias...he, he)

Patty Smith

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Unsubscribe from Klarinet, e-mail: klarinet-unsubscribe@-----.org
Subscribe to the Digest: klarinet-digest-subscribe@-----.org
Additional commands: klarinet-help@-----.org
Other problems: klarinet-owner@-----.org