Klarinet Archive - Posting 000367.txt from 2003/05

From: EClarinet@-----.com
Subj: [kl] Re: reeds/cases, rotating
Date: Mon, 19 May 2003 11:30:42 -0400

In a message dated 5/19/03 3:16:36 AM EST, Oliver writes:

<<
Thanks, Martin, for the good press (for a change) about Rico. My teacher
used to tell me that Rico reeds were made from bamboo grown on the banks of
the Santa Ana River here in southern California. >>

Then Martin said that the cane is french.

The Rico company makes many different grades of clarinet reeds: Plasticover,
Rico, Rico Royal, La Voz, Mitchell Lurie, ML Premium, and Grand Concert. I
believe all except the ML and GC use California cane, and the others are
french cane.

About reed cases and rotating reeds, the number one problem with using the
same reed until it dies and then putting on a new one is the deterioration of
the embouchure muscles as the reed gets weaker and weaker. When you then put
a new reed on, it will tire your embouchure. This cycle goes around and
around, putting unnecessary strain on your mouth muscles. If you have
several reeds in rotation, you have choices, and your embouchure doesn't ever
have to go through the constant up and down. As someone else mentioned, you
phase out the weaker reeds one at a time, so you have reeds in several states
in your reed case: new and firm, broken in and prime, starting to be soft,
and too soft and time to take out!

The other big problem with not having several reeds in rotation is that if
your one reed breaks, you are in trouble. Or if your one reed isn't very
good, you are stuck. Or if your reed is good for say, soft playing, like
chamber music, it might not be good for loud playing, like band music. I
have actually switched reeds in a concert because I needed one for a
particular piece that would play a certain way.

The only way around this is to just use a new reed everytime you play, or
nearly every time, and that is what I suspect some people who don't rotate
reeds actually do. I know I heard a famous orchestral player say he did
this. Seems expensive, though.

btw, I use two Vito reed cases with room for 4 reeds each and the air slots
for ventilation. I have 3 other brands of reed case, which I don't use much.

Elise Curran
Orlando
EClarinet@-----.com

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