Klarinet Archive - Posting 000234.txt from 2004/01

From: "Lacy, Edwin" <el2@-----.edu>
Subj: [kl] RE: warm-up and doubling
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2004 16:40:46 -0500

<<<Here's s question. How do you make sure your reeds are wet enough
when switching between Sax and Clarinet (or other reed instruments)?>>>

There are a number of strategies you can use. Generally, I try to keep
a glass of water beside my chair. If I anticipate a quick switch to a
reed instrument in the next number, I may take a second to dip the reed
in water before the piece begins. In the case of clarinet, that can
mean just inverting the clarinet and dipping the reed and mouthpiece in
the water.

The most difficult thing is keeping the double reeds sufficiently
moistened. Sometimes, there isn't time to keep the reed separately from
the instrument, so you may just have to wet it as much as you can
between numbers, and do the best you can when the time comes.

This is one of the motivations many people have for using synthetic
reeds. These have improved enough in recent years that I think it is
something that I can consider in the case of clarinet and saxophone
reeds. However, I still haven't found a synthetic oboe or bassoon reed
I can use.

I have had a number of occasions when I have had to play as many as
seven different instruments for a single show. I can't remember exactly
what each one calls for, but it seems to me that the book I played in
"How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying" called for piccolo,
flute, alto sax, oboe, English horn, clarinet and possibly bassoon or
bass clarinet. Another show that was a big challenge for me was playing
the 1st reed book in "Hello, Dolly." This was in the national touring
company at a time when Betty Grable was the star in the show. That one
is for piccolo, flute, clarinet and alto sax. However, I learned after
I accepted the gig that about half of it is on piccolo, which I regarded
as my weakest woodwind instrument. That required about two weeks of
hard work and sweat to get the piccolo in a better shape, or rather to
get myself in better shape.

I also once got myself roped into a recording session for a full studio
orchestra. What I didn't know was that I was the woodwind section. I
recorded about 9 or 10 tracks on different instruments. But, at least
that one was for only one instrument at a time.

Such occasions make it a pleasure to play a show such as "Camelot,"
where I had to play only bassoon, which is my major instrument. I don't
recall if all of the books are for a single instrument. This would have
been the original instrumentation, and there are a couple of later
versions out, I think.

Ed Lacy
University of Evansville

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