Klarinet Archive - Posting 000217.txt from 2001/08

From: Richard Bush <rbushidioglot@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] ligature tightening/Vandoren Optimum
Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2001 15:01:16 -0400

One point that my have a baring on ligature tightness, or the perceived
need to tighten a ligature to an extreme degree, that hasn't been
mentioned is the flatness of the underside of the reed. Whether the
table of the mouthpiece is flat or has a concave area behind the window
way, the reed needs to be perfectly flat to maintain a seal and be
efficient.

Because the crowning of the cane causes more wood to be in the center,
and because wood swells when it takes on moisture, clarinet and
saxophone reeds will almost always swell in the center on the
underside.....the side that is supposed to be flat.

Once a reed is slowly broken in and conditioned, and once the underside
has been repeatedly sanded and burnished so that it stays flat when wet,
there should be less of a need to use extreme tightening of the
ligature.

After several soaking and drying cycles, I first polish the underside of
the reed by rubbing it on a sheet of clean typing paper. The paper is
placed on a large piece of 1/4" plate glass. By holding it to a strong
light source, it can be determined how flat or not flat the reed is. The
high points or areas will shine because only these areas made contact
with the paper.

If it is deemed necessary to sand the reed, I use 400 or finer
wet-or-dry and sand it. I do not sand the front 1/3 of the reed, but
position the reed so that the tip stays off the edge of the sandpaper. I
then turn the sandpaper over and burnish it on the smooth paper side.
Again, I hold it to the light to see where it shines. When the reed is
perfectly flat, all of the back 2/3 of the reed will show a burnished
finish.

I believe that it is extremely important for the sides of the reed to be
flat where it covers the back half of the window way of the mouthpiece,
the part where the side rails are still, or should be, flat with the
table of the mouthpiece.

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