Klarinet Archive - Posting 000011.txt from 2001/05

From: rgarrett@-----.edu
Subj: Re: [kl] Reed Balance
Date: Tue, 1 May 2001 09:12:44 -0400

At 10:38 PM 04/30/2001 +0100, you wrote:
>On Mon, 30 Apr 2001 10:41:00 -0400, fred.sheim@-----.net said:
> > I have noticed that some reeds are really sweet only when they are
> shifted slightly to the left or right on the mouthpiece, and really bad
> when centered. Is there a way to scrape them so they are good
> > when centered? Is it a matter of too much thickness on one side or the
> other?

Tony Pay responded:
>You can try -- but then, why bother? (Really sweet is really sweet:-)
>
>If it's not *really* so sweet, it may be worth making the effort to adjust
>the reed; though I sometimes find that the optimum position changes anyway
>as the reed ages, so it's worthwhile holding back.

In response to the the suggestion immediately above (implied I guess - as
it appears to be in the form of a question) - the idea of not bothering (to
scrape a reed), it is worth mentioning that balancing a reed by removing
material from one or both sides is a common, standard practice among
clarinetists at all levels. If done properly, it simply allows the reed to
vibrate optimumly for that particular player - perhaps without having to
move it left or right.

>Also, I think there is myth that there are good players who know
>*everything* about reeds, and who can make anything work by adjusting it

>Not so. All the really good players I know have quite a pragmatic
>approach, and realise that their own adaptability is crucial in making the
>best reed they have available, work. And, that their judgement of
>'what works' is fundamentally to do with their imagination and standards,
>related to the music they're playing.

Given the infinite "feel" of each reed, adaptation is a necessity - and, in
fact, something that can be managed simply by rotating reeds
frequently. Again, in a commercial box of 10 Vandoren V12 reeds, there are
a number which cannot be used at all, and there are a number which can -
all of which vary depending on the box of reeds and the level/condition of
the player. Clarinetists who are at their peak in terms of conditioning
and strength tend to be able to adapt to more reeds than those who are not
"evolved" in their approach to playing.

>Physical ability and knowhow counts, obviously -- we all try to develop
>it, after all -- but it's useless without the relationship with the music
>that puts a player in touch with that 'workability'.

Best wishes,
Roger Garrett

Roger Garrett
Clarinet Professor
Director, Symphonic Winds
Illinois Wesleyan University
School of Music
Bloomington, IL 61702-2900
Phone: (309) 556-3268
Fax: (309) 556-3121

"A man never discloses his own character so clearly as when he describes
another's."
Jean Paul Richter (1763-1825)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
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

   
     Copyright © Woodwind.Org, Inc. All Rights Reserved    Privacy Policy    Contact charette@woodwind.org