Klarinet Archive - Posting 000619.txt from 2004/11

From: Roger Shilcock <roger.shilcock@-----.uk>
Subj: Re: [kl] HOW TO handle new REEDS?
Date: Mon, 22 Nov 2004 11:29:13 -0500

In message <000f01c4d09e$5ad90a00$3dabb3cf@-----.org writes:
> Players who have a great deal of trouble getting reeds to work or play may
> have major embouchure problems.
Yes - and players with physical difficulties with forming an embouchure clearly
need to pay very special attention to their reeds. Bad advice on or bad ideas
about reeds can damage the development of a player's embouchure, too.

In fact, alot of players and students tend
> to blame the reed on all their trouble, woes etc.
If they can't fix them the way they want, this could be quite reasonable, on some
occasions.
>

> When studying in France with Guy Desplus he felt "the Reed should not be
> something one spends more worry over then the time spendt on practicing."
>
> I feel he is right, instead today many players spend inordinate amounts of
> time switching from reed to reed rather then investigating in methods which
> may their reeds work...or work better..

These statements seem to contradict one another, to some extent. One can
spend plenty of time worrying about adjusting a reed just so - in the end, one
may well have to give up on it, for the time being.

> sadly alot of teachers spend little time with their students teaching the
> art of reed adjustment.
>
This seems true enough - there are useful books, though.

With regard to the bits I just accidentally deleted - if you have to do extra
work on a reed, then you *are* blaming the reed for *something*.

Roger S.

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