Klarinet Archive - Posting 000118.txt from 2006/06

From: "Lacy, Edwin" <el2@-----.edu>
Subj: RE: [kl] There were once a few good reeds
Date: Mon, 26 Jun 2006 15:32:16 -0400

<<<I kept playing with those same old reeds which slowly started to die
and, until today I had five of those ten reeds. I have kept clipping
and sanding the same old reeds for around eight years.>>>

Well, this is confusing to me. I am a woodwind doubler, and I use the
reeds for all my instruments for a considerably longer time than most of
the players I have encountered. My main instrument is the bassoon, and
I also play and teach the oboe, and you simply HAVE to make reeds for
these instruments. Almost every bassoonist and oboists wishes that it
were possible to buy reeds that would work, but we almost invariably
despair of finding commercial reeds that work.

However, given my experience with double reeds, I have never had a
desire to make reeds for the clarinet or saxophone. Since it is
possible to buy single reeds that will work, with a certain rather
minimal amount of adjustment, it is amazing to me that some clarinetists
want to spend the time, effort and trouble to make their reeds. That
seems to me to be time that could be better spent in practicing, or
other productive pursuits.

I remember well about 1970 when I was a graduate student at Indiana
University, and Kalmen Opperman was hired to teach clarinet in the
summer sessions for a few years. As those of my vintage and older will
remember, he was the guru of clarinet reed making during that period.
When he was at Indiana, all the clarinet players spent all their time in
the practice rooms cutting, scraping, sanding, and otherwise agonizing
over their cane and reeds. And, the level of clarinet playing went
steadily down in all the ensembles during the same time.

I have never seen any convincing evidence that a player of a single reed
instrument can make reeds that work better for them than the ones that
can be purchased.

I welcome all efforts to change my mind about this.

Ed Lacy
University of Evansville

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