Klarinet Archive - Posting 000753.txt from 2004/03

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausmann1@------.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] reed thickness
Date: Fri, 12 Mar 2004 23:26:08 -0500

At 07:20 AM 3/12/2004 -0800, Kimber the Wrestler wrote:
>Hello list, I know I haven't really sent anything in a while. I made honor
>band this year, my 9th grade year, and got 1st chair, 2nd clarinet. Pretty
>good. Anyway, I was wondering, do any of you play a 4 1/2 thickness of
>reed? I've been playing Mitchel Lurie reeds, and have moved up to a 4 1/2.
>However, it feels like I need to go up to a 5, but I don't know if they
>even make 5's...so I figured I'd ask. I'm kind of in a dilemma...when I
>need to go up a level, I tend to squeak a lot more, and the Honor
>Band/Massed Band performance is next week...so if someone could let me
>know I'd be grateful...thanks!

I used to play Mitchell Lurie 4 1/2 reeds, but ONLY when I played an
O'Brien OB* mouthpiece, which has a very close facing. When I switched to
a Woodwind K10M, I had to drop back to a 3 1/2 to match that facing. I
believe Mitchell Luries are made up to a 5 1/2, but I suspect you would
have to special order them. According to the chart, their 5 is about the
same as a Vandoren 4, and the 5 1/2 is around a 4 1/2 on the Vandoren scale.

Of course, too-soft reeds may not be your problem. A misadjusted
instrument is more likely the cause of your squeaking. If the difficulty
occurs only when playing very high notes (like altissimo register), then
soft reeds are more likely the culprit. I would be very wary of going TOO
hard. I find it results in airy tone and unnecessary fatigue on the
embouchure, resulting in biting (and squeaking) when the chops fail.

Bill Hausmann

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is TOO LOUD!

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