Klarinet Archive - Posting 000022.txt from 2001/05

From: rgarrett@-----.edu
Subj: Re: [kl] Reed Balance
Date: Wed, 2 May 2001 05:18:21 -0400

At 09:35 PM 5/1/01 +0100, you wrote:
>Of course, as the reed ages, adjustments might be required. But sometimes
>those adjustments are *still* only changes of position. And even if in
>fact the reed ultimately requires scraping, my point was: don't think that
>it's necessarily better to make the adjustment *now*, because later might
>be better, in terms of how the reed serves you over its lifespan.

And a very excellent point to be made.

Interestingly to the person who asked the question, I rarely adjust the
balance of a reed on its first day - often waiting until it has aged a
bit. But, more often than not (due to impatience I am certain), I don't
wait long enough and sometimes destroy a reed that was pretty close to
being great.

>My point was rather that the ultimate judgement of a reed doesn't
>reallydepend on whether it is symmetric, or any other physical attribute,
>but rather on whether you can make it do what you want it to do.

I appreciate the clarifications. Sounds like good advice - to seasoned and
unseasoned players.

Best wishes,
Roger Garrett

Roger Garrett
Clarinet Professor
Director, Symphonic Winds
Advisor, Recording Services
Illinois Wesleyan University
School of Music
Bloomington, IL 61702-2900
(309) 556-3268

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

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