 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: BGBG
Date: 2018-08-02 02:09
am sure this is somewhere in my notes but if I twist the clarinet in my mouth clockwise and the note sounds better, where and how do I sand it?
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2018-08-02 02:24
When you twist the clarinet "clockwise," you are damping the right side of the reed and allowing the left side to vibrate freely. In comparing both sides, if one is more RESISTANT than the other, you would (ideally) use a reed knife or perhaps a rounded Xacto blade to scrape the more resistant side.
[Here is where an image is worth a thousand words] The best area to do minor "scraping" is the little "patch" midway between the heart (V shaped dense area you see as you look through the reed....toward a bright light) and the tip. It is probably a good idea to scrape at the angle of the heart as well.
Sometimes, it is beneficial to do a longer scrape along the outside edge from about the lower edge of the heart up to the level of the area described above. This sort of scrape allows a bit more depth to the sound if the reed (or just that side) sounds a bit "brittle."
All such adjustments should be done a little at a time (one or two quick movements with the knife; then check; then again......if necessary}.
.............Paul Aviles
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Author: Musikat
Date: 2018-08-02 05:58
Paul, your explanation made me wonder something. When you say "outside edge" do you mean the top of the read on the far left or right side, OR do you mean the actual edge of the reed?
Am I the only one that sands that? Sometimes when a reed is unbalanced on one side but otherwise very good and I don't want to soften it anymore, or if it is getting a little soft otherwise I run the side edges of the reed (one or both) along very fine grit sandpaper once or twice. I have never seen this advice and can't remember why I started doing it. It makes the reed every so slightly narrower, it does seem to improve response so I kept doing it.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2018-08-02 07:24
Attachment: Reed Adjustment.pdf (376k)
Ok so here is a quick sketch.
Bob Scott showed me the side scrape technique eons ago. I used this one almost more than the typical balance scrape.
Just remember, this is FINE TUNING. You won't get huge changes and shouldn't. But it can help tweak a reed to a better place.
................Paul Aviles
Post Edited (2018-08-02 07:25)
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Author: Ken Lagace
Date: 2018-08-02 18:22
I hope you rotate the mouthpiece both ways to find which side needs work.
With due respect to Paul Aviles, I work a different way, since learning to make reeds from Kal Opperman in the 1960's.
It takes less skill and does less damage to sand the problem side with 400 grit Wet or Dry sandpaper. I have measured both 'ears' of the reed tips and found that one side can be thicker on some reeds by 2 thousandths of an inch!.
Just the dull side tip is vibrating so it is best to start on a quarter of an inch of the problem side tip, with just a few swipes.
A slight gouge from a knife there will let that part of the tip vibrate by it self at a high frequency and you know what that is.
Another easier fix is to align the dull sounding side a bit toward the center of the mouthpiece. Sometimes that is enough to balance the reed. I mark my reed with a small arrow and don' bother to work on it.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2018-08-02 21:33
Ken,
I agree with you wholeheartedly. Working the tip as you described is the most direct method. Once one is comfortable with that process it is the best method. You did learn from the best!
I was "one-of-those" taught to fear the tip of the reed. It is too easy for a those of us who are ham fisted (of which I am one) to turn the tip of the reed into....well, a piece of paper.
I remain a "tweaker."
..............Paul Aviles
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Author: Ken Lagace
Date: 2018-08-02 22:24
All the best players are at least, 'Tweakers'. They have to be to get the best out of a reed.
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Author: BGBG
Date: 2018-08-04 01:11
One thing I found that helps is that I had been using a double embouchure with bottom and top lip. When I used bottom lip and top teeth I found the tones were better. Maybe it is better to use teeth on top???
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2018-08-04 01:44
Oooooh......long discussion on that one.
Short answer is that there are great players that use both. I mean either one not both.
If you are comfortable double lip, the advantage is that you have the greatest flexibility it tone and pitch. You could look up Harold Wright to listen to his playing. Amongst the most beautiful sounds ever. My favorite recording of all time is the Boston Chamber players performing the Schubert Octet for Winds and Strings.
The vast majority of players out there are single lip which allows a bit more physicality (and in my opinion trade off some subtlety). I'm pretty sure Ricardo Morales is a single lip player and he sounds fantastic.
But whichever works best for you is the way to go.
................Paul Aviles
Post Edited (2018-08-04 01:45)
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Author: BGBG
Date: 2018-08-04 06:39
Wouldn't call myself a "great player" but it IS nice to have two ways to try in case problem with one.
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