Klarinet Archive - Posting 000667.txt from 2004/11

From: Karl Krelove <karlkrelove@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Sandpaper vs. Reed knife
Date: Wed, 24 Nov 2004 09:36:44 -0500

Erik Tkal wrote:

>One question I do have, though, is regarding the fiber ends. I read somewhere, and was told by a teacher as well, that one should rub the surface of the reed with your finger in order to close the ends of the fibers to keep water from soaking in. This runs counter to the earlier mention that this is undesirable because working it with your finger can ruin the reed. What's the right answer? Should the ends be closed off somehow, or does this really not make a difference?
>
> Erik Tkal
>
>
The right answer is "yes".... and "no."
I'm not sure that anyone's said it doesn't make a difference. The real
question is: how do you want your reeds to feel and sound when you've
done whatever you do to them? In some previous discussions we've heard
from a couple of players who go as far as painting the butt end of
their reeds with nail polish in addition to closing (to the extent they
can without poisoning themselves) the tip ends of the fibers. Certainly
none of this makes a reed waterproof, and cane doesn't vibrate well when
completely dry anyway.

There are players who find that reeds last longer when they slow down
the absorption of saliva by closing the fibers in some way. But the
question still revolves (or should) around whether or not the reeds
sound and/or feel better. There's not much point in preserving a reed
that doesn't do what you want it to do.

Once you've determined what, if any, difference you feel and hear, you
might even want to seal some reeds and not others, depending on how
their playing characteristics are when they come out of the box.

Whether or not closing off the fiber ends has a *benefit* (as distinct
from an effect) depends completely on whether you as a player like the
result.

Karl Krelove

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