Klarinet Archive - Posting 000220.txt from 2002/03

From: "Robert" <LetsReason@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Reeds and and
Date: Wed, 13 Mar 2002 12:43:59 -0500

<<Wayne thanks for the great post. It more than makes up for all the drivel
on reeds today. ;-)

Gary>>

Amen Gary,...and Wayne! {:-D

<<Pardon me for sounding like an "ignorant" high school student, but last
I checked I got a better tone by....practicing my tone!!!! You have to have
a good setup that works for you, but please, stop fussing about what brand
reed your using and get in the darn practice room!>> [Alexander Brash]

It's okay, Alex. We are all very patient here. ;-)

But seriously, while there is, in my opinion, some merit to exploring reed
possibilities in the various brands, it IS in the practice room where some
of this issues need to be resolved. I personally sold my reed knife to a
bassoon player and only ever use my reed clipper in dire emergencies. I
have tried various methods of adjusting my reed (adjusting, meaning removing
material from the reed in this case) and have come to the conclusion that
for me...BAH..."this one works...this one doesn't! Now let's play!" Maybe
I should alert the local middle school clarinet players and tell them that
each Friday afternoon I will begin practicing the "Iggy"-method of reed
choosing and tossing the losers out my apartment window.

This is not to say that I do not "do things" to my reeds to coax them into
playing better or lasting longer. I have two reed holders: one is a Selmer
case with the flat glass piece and a lid (holds 10); the other is a Vandoren
plastic reed case with the humidifer do-hicky in it (holds 4). The Selmer
holds the "soon to be" reeds that I have "processed" and are waiting to move
into the limelight with in my Vandoren case. They are laid out from
consistently slighty soft on the right to consistently slighty stiff on the
left. When one of my friends in the Vandoren case gives out on me, I have a
meeting with my Selmer friends and promote the best candidate to replace
them.

We all have our own ways of dealing with reeds, but don't be fooled into
thinking that just because you learn to scrape some wood here and clip some
wood there that you are going to alleviate reed problems. You cannot adjust
a reed to play perfectly in all situations and you younger newbies might
very well drop that dream right now. Fine, become close to your reed knife
and clipper. Take them out to dinner, read them "reed" books at night
before you go to bed...maybe you and they will someday produce a "perfect"
reed. As for me...I'm going to practice right now on my "out-o-the-box,
slightly-lowered and tilted left, a little dingy reed" and try to be more
comfortable playing this damned Montbrun Concertstuck.

Cheers,

Robert

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