Klarinet Archive - Posting 000576.txt from 2001/06

From: agalper <agalper@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] The way to adjust reeds
Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2001 22:34:34 -0400

The way to adjust reeds.

This appeared in the renovated Klose method that appeared in the
thirties.

The reed is very rarely perfect. Here are few way of curing the faults.

1) When it opens well but seems to be too open, it should be closed a
little by pressing on it from the bottom to the top, right along the
beveling and at different times with a previously moistened thumb.

2) When it opens scarcely more that is necessary, do not overdo the
above procedure; it will close of itself with the pressure of the lips.

3)If it is too stubborn, place it against a window pane so as to judge
its excessive thickness by transparence; take some Dutch rush previously
wetted, or better still some very fine sandpaper, and scrape the reed at
its tip.
If Dutch rush is used, the scraping should be done lengthwise, whereas
with sand paper it may be done in any direction.
The latter process is preferable, for in scraping the reed across its
width it is evened more and not hollowed.

Then scrape the reed immediately below its tip and sometimes a little
lower.
First remove the bumps and then, if necessary, any excessive thickness.

If after these operations, it is still too thick, it should be scraped
lower down.
It is approximately towards the middle of the beveling of the reed which
is most sensitive to the pressure of the lips, a pressure which varies
with each individual.
If the reed is too thick at this spot, it does not sufficiently obey
this pressure, and the opening ramains big, to the detriment of the
quality of tone.
Thus it is necessary to diminish this thickness with care, for a reed
that is thinned down too much
will become bad.

It the reed is too weak cut it again with the small reed knife as many
times as necessary, taking care to do it cautiously i.e. trimming only
a hair's breadth each time.
When it bcomes strong enough, lightly scrape the tip, for too thick a
tip generally gives the sound a brilliance which should be moderated.

Avrahm Galper

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