 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2013-01-26 17:45
Just curious. I've been using Legere Signature 4.0 reeds for a few years and really enjoy them. Last week I opened a box of V12 3.5 reeds just for comparison purposes. A little light on the strength size for my mouthpiece/embouchure, but not too much.
I know a brand new, fresh out of the box V12 3.5 reed always sounds great. Seems like I don't have to adjust them at all. I feel also, that since they're a little light in strength, it's easier to control the tone/colors and I'm not fighting or fearing squeaks.
I was wondering if tthere were other cane reed players just say "forget it" and play whatever sounds good that day and don't bother with adjusting since climates, humidites, etc can change so often anyway.
EXAMPLE: I've met two very fine sax players (both classically trained) who simply use a box for a week, figure out which reeds are the best out of that box, and then use those two or three reeds for the next month. never adjusting, and only rotating through three reeds. They figure "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" and they prefer NOT to use their free time on working and adjusting reeds all the time (or in their case, at all).
I usually end up going back to legeres after my reeds go to crap in two weeks or so, but I normally haven't used slightly lighter strength reeds.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: BartHx
Date: 2013-01-26 18:41
I have tried synthetic reeds and do not find them particularly to my liking. However, I do keep a few around for emergencies. I am surprised to hear of players who use only those reeds that are fine straight out of the box. That's a lot of money for not many reeds (they were 25 cents each when I started eons ago). I use Vandoren 56s and, while I find a reasonably high number usable straight out of the box, I find that I can get eight or more good reeds per box by taking just a few seconds each to fine tune the balance or, in some cases, clip a tiny bit off the end. That doesn't seem to me like too much time to invest in getting more good reeds per box.
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Author: evasivechicken
Date: 2013-01-26 19:06
I agree with BartHx...with just a little careful preparation, a box of 10 reeds will go further. With the expense and how quickly one can get through reeds, anything to prolong the life is a money saver and stress reliever!
As in the thread "Working on Reeds" I'm relatively new to this process, having simply taken reeds out and played them for the past 15 years. It was fine in the beginning, then as the years went on, personal standards, expectations and attention to detail increased and the reed frustrations continued. Add in what appears to be a change in response to the current V12s for the last two years, and I'm finally looking into proper reed care.
But to answer your question specifically, I was one of those people who didn't take climate, humidities etc. into consideration. Often I would get a terrific reed or two through doing nothing but taking it out of the box, playing for about 15 minutes or so, then coming back to it the next day and so on. But it was a pot luck. I maintained, at the time, that I didn't have time to waste on such an arduous task, but now I see why my colleagues spent so much time working on their reeds. When you get a box or two prior to an important concert, you don't want to be at the mercy of luck. And if reed preparation still yields a batch of "crappy" reeds, then at least you can say you tried!
Saying all that, playing mediocre reeds in performance settings and indeed practice was something useful in as much as it forces you to make the best of what you have at your disposal. To perform badly in a concert because your reed is not good enough, and then complain about it afterward...well, that soon tired me out and just sounded like an excuse. If you can learn how to yield bad reeds into submission under pressure, then once again, you aren't at the mercy of things that are out of your control.
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Author: Sylvain
Date: 2013-01-26 19:15
Alexi,
I almost always do a little tune up at the tip and it almost always make the reed better.
I think that even if a reed is perfectly balanced when tested with a machine, my assymmetrical teeth and likely slightly imperfect mouthpiece facing make them it feel unbalanced.
I usually spend no more than a few seconds per reed, and mostly use Tom Ridenour's ATG technique.
Have you read the latest article on reeds in "The Clarinet" magazine?
There is some valuable information about the impact of the quality of cane on the quality of the reed and how to differentiate good from bad cane.
--
Sylvain Bouix <sbouix@gmail.com>
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Author: kdk
Date: 2013-01-26 20:34
evasivechicken wrote:
> Saying all that, playing mediocre reeds in performance settings
> and indeed practice was something useful in as much as it
> forces you to make the best of what you have at your disposal.
> To perform badly in a concert because your reed is not good
> enough, and then complain about it afterward...well, that soon
> tired me out and just sounded like an excuse. If you can learn
> how to yield bad reeds into submission under pressure, then
> once again, you aren't at the mercy of things that are out of
> your control.
I think it was Bonade who wrote in his Compendium about the value of learning to play on reeds that aren't optimal. And, if my memory is at all clear, even 20 years after his heyday, when I started taking the clarinet seriously, the generally available reeds (mostly Vandoren, Rico and Olivieri) were not nearly as consistent in cut or cane quality as they are today. So he may have spent a lot more time humoring non-ideal reeds than we need to.
Karl
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2013-01-27 13:33
When I started I got fussy all over with my reeds, with breaking-in, adjusting, sanding and pampering.
Some day I found a brand I liked as-is and have stopped adjusting altogether. When one reed dies, I take the next out of the box and resume playing.
(I should add that I have no solo parts, so the operative word is "adapt" anyway - adapt to your section, and to your reeds.)
--
Ben
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2013-01-27 14:33
I almost never adjust reeds, just can't bother. I use almost all the reeds in each box. Each reed lasts anything from minutes to months.
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Author: Clarimeister
Date: 2013-01-27 19:36
I want to NOT work on my reeds. But, I have recently fallen in love, again, with my ATG reed finishing system. It's so effective and extremely simple to use. It won't make a bad reed a good reed, eg. bad cane, etc. But, it will make a potentially good reed, even better. I love it.
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Author: LJBraaten
Date: 2013-01-30 03:58
"Play the Reed, don't let the Reed play you"
That has been said many times on this board, and has been one of the most helpful things I have learned recently. I found that I was too frozen in my playing style. I am now adjusting my embouchure and air supply as needed to get a reed to play well that is a *a bit* too soft or hard.
"A bit" is the operative phrase, so I would modify the statement a little:
"Everything else being equal, play the Reed, don't let the Reed play you."
Cane reeds are made from a living organism, and it is impossible for such to be 100% symmetrical in their fiber thickness, density, etc. (I'm no expert, just observation.) They're also not always cut to fit each players' unique oral cavity or mouth structure, especially if they have been designed by a professional player with an asymmetrical facial or air passage structure (that's another topic waiting for someone with a more biological bent to tackle). Maybe it's just me, but I don't know how to adequately compensate for a Popsicle stick stiff reed that will not play anything above C5 softer than fortissimo (or faster than andante), or one that is so mushy that after a few minutes of playing it starts sticking to the tip of the mouthpiece. I don't know how one would "play the" hopelessly out of balance reed other than tilt the mouth piece to the good side and attempt to tongue on an angle.
In such cases where "playing the reed" is not feasible (because it won't play acceptably), the player has a choice, throw the offending reed out, or make minor adjustments. (Of course there is always the bad reed in the box that simply won't play well for love nor money.) I confess that I have sometimes fussed too long over a reed that I should have tossed after a few failed attempts at improvement (I have a handful right now), but on the other hand, some of my best reeds have gone under the knife, sandpaper, or trimmer. (I don't think any of my reeds have been so perfect that they haven't needed at least a minor adjustment).
Back to the original question: For me, no, I am not NOT working on my cane reeds. ![[grin]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie5.gif)
Laurie
Laurie (he/him)
Post Edited (2013-01-30 15:10)
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Author: Ed
Date: 2013-01-30 14:51
I probably always do at least a little touch up, depending on the playing that I am doing. Some gigs are fine with just about anything as long as it sounds, others need more finesse for some orchestral or chamber music.
I find that being able to do basic reed adjustments such as balancing and making sure that the reed is perfectly flat goes a long way. Often a little tweak is all a good reed needs to have it suit ones mouthpiece and playing.
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Author: davyd
Date: 2013-01-30 16:43
I don't work on reeds because I never learned what to do, with what tool, under what circumstances. I suppose it's not too late to learn, though.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2013-01-30 23:43
Davyd,
I've used Tom Ridenour's ATG system and IMO, it is WELL geared towards learning how to adjust reeds. As a total beginner, amateur, never worked on reeds before, you can watch his DVD and reed the book and learn a lot. And it's a good simple system.
Ed, You have a good point about different types of music needing more finesse and that better reed.
Right now I'm doing ok with slightly lighter reeds and no touchups, but I will just have to wait and see how they are as they break in.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2013-01-31 08:48
I polish the table of my reeds on stationery atop a flat glass, and also polish the vamp. That's it. 80% of my reeds play great, and they all last a long time.
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