Klarinet Archive - Posting 000595.txt from 2001/10

From: "Tony Wakefield" <tony-wakefield@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] reeds and things
Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2001 11:10:47 -0400

> He (Charles Draper) once admonished a pupil for fiddling around with his
reed by
> saying:"Now, my boy, how do you think you are going to get the reed back
> to the same position"?

If and when the reed becomes minutely indented (on it`s flat side) to take
up the shape, when the ligature is tightened, of the mouthpiece table rim,
wouldn`t the tightening of the ligature slowly move the reed into this
'groove', and back into 'exactly' the same position as before?
I`d defy anyone to say that 1 or even 2 thousandths of an inch will affect
tone, or even simple note production, because of the accurate way,
(certainly when experienced) we can position the reed, to help it to pretty
much take up <exactly> the same position as what we have always been used
to.

If you like, I`m questioning the validity of Charles Draper`s remark.
It sounds like, to me, a gentle reminder to an inexperienced pupil to not
'fiddle' about too much, as opposed to what could be superficially perceived
to be a much more scientifically involved question.

Tony W.

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