Klarinet Archive - Posting 000089.txt from 2011/03

From: "Kathy Williams-DeVries" <kathleenwilliams76@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Reed adjustment
Date: Sun, 13 Mar 2011 19:26:31 -0400

Hello everyone

Just wanted to start a topic on reed adjustment, and point folks to a three
part series I compiled on my youtube channel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wb6P59GPE4g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxAjnhsLqZo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kS8t1u0XWr0

All that I know of reed adjustment I learned from legendary Brisbane
teacher Floyd Williams, with also some self learning by experience. I have
heard stories about clarinet players buying a box of reeds, usually the
expensive Vandorens, and throwing out 6 or 7 of them because they don't play
immediately. That sort of story gives me the horrors. Not only the cost, but
I feel that you build a relationship with a reed that I don't give up on
rather like bunny boiling Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction. Each reed has a
distinct life cycle and you adjust your playing of the reed just as you
would treat your five year old differently to Grandpa.

The first thing I do when I put a reed on the mouthpiece, if it is a bit
fuzzy, is shine it one a piece of paper. Does wonders and is often the
trick. For me, the main cause of fuzziness is an imbalance in the amount of
wood on one side to the other. Now, I very hesitantly go for the reed rush
straight away. Floyd taught me that one can blow on one side of the reed
than the other to decide which side is the harder side, then move the reed
slightly on the mouthpiece away from the harder side. It's in the videos.
Only in extreme cases would I use the reed rush, as I have discovered that
it is the position of the reed on the mouthpiece, how far up, to which side
etc that is the crux of how it will play. If you have ever watching my
practice videos, you will see what I mean.

There is also a psychological element to reeds and playing style. If you are
confident with the reed, feel you can get a good staccato, reed is nice and
strong, not too strong, not too weak, not too fuzzy, then you play a lot
better than one on which you are not confident. The interesting thing I have
noticed is that no matter what you think the reed sounds or feels like,
there is very little difference in you sound. It's amazing.

Anyway, I'm sure there are many venerated teachers out there with lots more
to contribute to the art of reed adjustment that I will end the argument
here. Have a look at the videos if you are interested, there is about 25
minutes of material over the three videos. You may agree or not agree, but
it is the debate that I welcome.

Regards,

Kathy Williams-DeVries

BMusPerf (Hons)

Grad Dip Arts (Shakespeare Studies)

ATCL, LTCL

0404946839

www.kathywilliams76.com

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