Klarinet Archive - Posting 000207.txt from 2009/03

From: Michael Nichols <mrn.clarinet@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Sqeaking
Date: Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:55:36 -0400

I think you probably either need a different reed brand or a lighter
strength. If it's the sound I'm thinking of, it's a little chirp at
the beginning of a tongued note. If you listen very carefully the
chirp I'm talking about almost hiss like. If it's what I think it is,
it probably has something to do with the tip of the reed not matching
the shape of the tip of the mouthpiece quite right, so there is a
little bit of air leakage at the beginning of a note. You don't get
this problem so much with softer reeds because they bend more to
accommodate the mismatch. The sound I'm talking about is essentially
like the hiss you get with reeds that are too hard, except that it
lasts for such a short interval of time that it sounds more like a
chirp than a hiss, but if you were to slow it down, it's actually a
very short hiss.

Don't know if that's really what you're experiencing, but I hope that helps...

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