Klarinet Archive - Posting 000050.txt from 2004/12

From: "Krelove, Karl" <kkrelove@-----.us>
Subj: [kl] Re: Reeds
Date: Fri, 3 Dec 2004 12:22:41 -0500

The short answer is that they exist because people play on them.

You haven't said what mouthpiece you tried this with. A #5 of nearly any =
brand requires a very close and generally a long facing curve. The =
mouthpiece facing (and to some extent resistance generated elsewhere in =
the mouthpiece) makes all the difference. I sometimes wonder why they =
make 1-1/2s. But I know someone plays on them very successfully, =
probably on a facing at the opposite end of the spectrum from mine.

Besides that, a single example of any reed is never a good basis for =
judgment. There's too much variation among reeds to take one single =
specimen and assume that all others of the same brand and strength are =
identical.

Then, too, all brands do not grade their strengths identically. A =
Vandoren #5 is much harder than the last Lurie #5s I tried. Zondas, =
Grand Concerts, Olivieris, Marcas, Queens, etc. all have different =
blowing characteristics out of the box at any given strength.=20

Finally, many players prefer to start with a reed that's a little too =
heavy and adjust it to the right resistance.

That's why they make #5s.

Karl Krelove

-------------- Original message --------------=20

> Can someone here tell me why they make a 5 strength clarinet reed?=20
> Does anyone actually play such a thing?=20
>=20
> I bought a Mitchell Lurie (or was it a Vandoren?) 5 once just as a=20
> novelty, and it was like trying to blow through tree bark.=20
>=20
> Really, what is the point?=20
>=20

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