Klarinet Archive - Posting 000511.txt from 2001/07

From: fred.sheim@-----.net
Subj: RE: [kl] Double Jointed fingers cont.
Date: Wed, 18 Jul 2001 07:51:59 -0400

To me the strength of the reed is determined by the opening at the tip of
the mouthpiece. The two factors work hand in hand. Given a mouthpiece
with wide enough tip opening, a #1 reed would seem hard. It is the
combination of tip opening and reed strength that make the "blowability" of
the clarinet easy or difficult.

Fred

At 04:57 PM 7/18/01 +1000, you wrote:
>There's no question that stronger reeds suit many people, and I don't mean
>to say that they're foolish for using them. Only, it disappoints me when
>clarinetist, and especially those in early developement, strive for harder
>reeds simply as a matter of course. I guess I'm not so much proud of using
>#2s, just that I'm not ashamed of it. And nobody should be ashamed by their
>reed size, or feel compelled to change reed size when their current setup
>works well for them. I don't think anyone would disagree with that.
> ______
> /o ,~~~>
>HALLY /o /
>_____ / O/
>(_____) /Oo/
> / / O/
> O \__/O /
> \_O__O_/
>http://afrohally.cjb.net
>
>
>>From: "Stephen C. Moore" <stmoore@-----.edu>
>>Reply-To: klarinet@-----.org
>>To: <klarinet@-----.org>
>>Subject: RE: [kl] Double Jointed fingers cont.
>>Date: Tue, 17 Jul 2001 15:57:16 -0600
>>
>>
>>I tend to be the "enigma" of these kinds of problems, but I've found
>>that the reed strength issue has a lot more to do with the
>>characteristics of the person and how they are taught rather than
>>mouthpiece. It might be just me. My reasoning behind this is that I
>>play on V12 4.5 reeds. My two other partners in crime one of them being
>>Shouryu Nohe :) also play on 4.5's, but we have different setups. I had
>>once decided to try out the Vandoren B45 Lyre after I heard how
>>wonderful Jonathan Cohler sounded on it, he plays a 3 on this setup (at
>>least according to his website). I found that a strength 3 reed made
>>this mouthpiece nearly uncontrollable for me although that is Vandoren's
>>recommended strength for that mouthpiece. I started using my 4.5's with
>>this mouthpiece and had great results. I don't play on this particular
>>mouthpiece (I use a Ridenour ZMT-36 now) but no matter what mouthpieces
>>I try, I don't seem to get the results I want by drastically changing my
>>reed strength. I can't explain why this is, that is my 2 cents however
>>:)
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: emily worthington [mailto:emily.worthington@-----.com]
>>Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2001 11:15 AM
>>To: klarinet@-----.org
>>Subject: Re: [kl] Double Jointed fingers cont.
>>
>>
>>Michelle said:
>> >For a
>> > clarinet player of 7 years does this seem right that I have such a
>>weak
>> > strength of reed??
>>
>>Dirk said:
>> > Why do people feel so inferior, and are so reticent about admitting to
>>a
>> > sub-#4 reed?
>>
>>I haven't noticed this attitude much in the UK - perhaps it's just never
>>come up in conversation (and I don't know anyone who plays on heigher
>>than a
>>#3.5, including teachers and tutors) - but I was always taught that
>>there
>>was no 'correct' reed strength, or that 'stronger is better' but that
>>certain mouthpieces suit different strength reeds. For instance, the
>>standard beginner's B12 MP which I learnt on and which comes with the
>>B12
>>clarinet is suited to a strength 2. Though for my first few lessons I
>>played
>>a 1.5, I never tried to play higher than a 2 on it in the 3 years I
>>played
>>on it.
>>
>>I remember trying MPs once in a shop and finding that a reed (#2.5)
>>which
>>felt hard on a vandoren MP felt much softer on a Selmer (C85 I think).
>>Am I
>>right in saying that the mouthpiece can change the feel of a reed, or is
>>this a false memory?
>>
>>I now play a 2.5 on my Weinberg M1, and have in fact been pulled up by
>>my
>>teacher when a reed is harder than normal because she can hear a
>>difference
>>in sound. The reed sounds too hard. Tony W also recently mentionned that
>>the
>>mouthpiece I play on is designed for softer reeds. I think it's
>>important to
>>remember that it isn't the number that counts, it's the sound you make.
>>
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: "Hally Man" <afrohally@-----.com>
>>To: <klarinet@-----.org>
>>Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2001 1:21 PM
>>Subject: Re: [kl] Double Jointed fingers cont.
>>
>>
>>'The stronger the reed, the better the clarinetist' is one of
>> > the biggest myths I've ever heard. I'll admit it. I play a #2 reed,
>>and
>> > I'm proud of it.
>> >
>> > I can remember in my beginning days, when we lined up to collect our
>>horns,
>> > we were all told to "go out and buy a couple of Rico Royal #1.5s, and
>>I'll
>> > show you how to put it together on Monday". It can't have been more
>>than
>>a
>> > week or two before my first bandmate stuck out his chest with pride
>>and
>>said
>> > "I'm already up to a #2, and my teacher says I'll be onto a #2.5 in a
>> > month." And off we all raced...
>> >
>> > For some poeple this becomes a lifelong obsession. I'll never forget
>>the
>> > first horrified, then superior look on the face of a cross-town rival
>>of
>> > mine just a few weeks ago when I revealed the meagreness of my reed
>>compared
>> > to her *far more advanced* #4. But, others, myself included, come to
>>their
>> > senses sooner or later. Not to say that it's more sensible to have a
>> > *weaker* reed, just that different reeds suit different mouthpieces /
>> > people.
>> >
>> > My epiphany, as it were, came as I listened once to a recording of *I
>>think*
>> > the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and I was particularly struck by
>>the,
>> > well, largeness of the tone of it's Principal Clarinettist. A short
>>time
>> > later, I spoke to someone who had attended a master class with this
>>man,
>>and
>> > he told me that this guy's sound was so huge, you wouldn't believe the
>>way
>> > it simply filled an enourmous amphitheatre, and yet, had the sweetest,
>>most
>> > supple piannissimo you'd ever want to hear. So, I did some research,
>>and
>> > was gobsmacked to discover he used a pathetic #1.5!!! But, this made
>>me
>> > reassess what was good for me, and what sort of setup I could use to
>>get
>>MY
>> > desired sound.
>> >
>> > I suppose the sort of thinking that leads to reeds of outrageous
>>strength
>> > becoming the norm is something that will stay a part of reed playing,
>> > especially in the beginning stages, forever. The new third
>>clarinettist
>>in
>> > my school band was positively disappointed to discover that the guy on
>>1st
>> > chair, who's been playing for close to a decade, played a #2. I can
>>only
>> > hope that he hears something in my playing that he likes, and decides
>> > against going for the 'strongest reed in the section' crown. But, I'm
>>not
>> > holding my breath...
>> > ______
>> > /o ,~~~>
>> > HALLY /o /
>> > _____ / O/
>> > (_____) /Oo/
>> > / / O/
>> > O \__/O /
>> > \_O__O_/
>> > http://afrohally.cjb.net
>> >
>> >
>> > ----Original Message Follows----
>> > From: Dirk Kussin <dirk@-----.de>
>> > Reply-To: klarinet@-----.org
>> > To: klarinet@-----.org
>> > CC: klarinet@-----.org
>> > Subject: Re: [kl] Double Jointed fingers cont.
>> > Date: Tue, 17 Jul 2001 10:41:15 +0200 (MET DST)
>> >
>> > Dear Michelle,
>> >
>> > do you really think that reed size 3 is too weak? (And what means TOO
>> > weak? If you are satisfied with your sound, then it is ok.) I am a
>> > leisure time player, starting for 3 and a half years, and I am using
>> > V12 size 2,5 on my B40 or B45 lyre, or 2,5 - 3 on my 5RV; the clarinet
>> > is a RC Prestige. Even some of the reeds of this strength are too hard
>> > for me. I have to admit, that 1.) I do not know how open/closed your
>> > mouthpiece is, and 2.) my embouchure (?) maybe a little weak since I
>> > am playing only for 3,5 years, and also not too often. But I was often
>> > confused to see people here on the list playing sizes 4,5 or 5. I
>> > think I will never have the power to blow such a reed. My questions to
>> > the list: It is possible that in the US the average reed size is much
>> > higher than that in Europe? And what maybe the reason? Does the R-13
>> > "need" a stronger reed? What is the secret of the ability to blow such
>> > hard reeds?
>> >
>> > Greetings
>> > Dirk
>> >
>> > Oh and I might add that when my teacher corrects my hand position,
>>my
>> > hands sometimes start to hurt. I have been trying some technical
>> > exercises to strengthen my right hand. But, I am not sure it is
>>helping.
>> >
>> > Here is some more random information:
>> > I am playing a Buffet R-13. I have a Mitchell Lurie mouthpiece. I
>>have
>> > used Vandoren v-12s size 3 in the past. Now I am trying Zonda size
>>3.
>>It
>> > seems that for reeds size 3 is too weak, but 3 1/2 is too much. >
>>Michelle
>
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