Klarinet Archive - Posting 000521.txt from 2002/06

From: w7wright@-----.net (William Wright)
Subj: Re: [kl] Synthetic reeds
Date: Sun, 16 Jun 2002 16:33:58 -0400

<><> Sheri=A0Baldwin wrote:
Do they have strengths, just like cane reeds?

Yes, they do. The strength numbers are approximately the same.

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<><> What's the best brand and about how much do they usually cost?

"Legere" is the brand that most people talk about these days, but it's
like asking which brand of beer is best. Depending on where you buy
them, they cost about $15-$20 apiece.

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<><> Are there any drawbacks to using synethic reeds over cane reeds?
I noted that someone mentioned that the tone is not as full and
sometimes synethic reeds are not as expressive as cane ones

Again, which brand of beer is best? (Wait a minute, you're a high
school student, aren't you? Well.... which pizza topping is best?)

There is a slight difference in *my* sound when I play one, and the same
for my instructor, but I've heard several world class professionals play
them during master classes or concerts, and you'd never know that they
were playing plastic if they hadn't given their sponsor (the reed
company) a plug.

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<><> Would buying one be a worthwhile endeavor? Would I be wasting my
money?

You'll never know if you don't try one. This is probably the most
importasnt thing about equipment. *Your* resuts and *your* perception
will almost certainly be different from the next person's. Try the
equipment yourself and listen.

Cheers,
Bill

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What is the purpose of a language? =A0 To be beautiful or wise or
pleasurable in itself? Or to describe many different things ---
beautiful or not --- to other people? This is why the question of
whether music is a 'language' is relevant.

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