 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Sneakers
Date: 2001-10-20 04:47
I was just reading a previous thread about reed brands and someone commented that they have never known a music teacher or band director that recommended Rico reeds. Well, I was just talking to one of the local junior high band directors and that is what she sells to her students. She says they are cheaper and the students just chip and crack them anyway. She did not seem interested in having better quality reeds available. Also, the only brands of reeds available in town are Ricos and LaVoz, which makes me wonder what the rest of the band directors are telling their students. I fortuneately have a place to order Vandoren reeds for myself. Does anyone have any suggestions on ways to tactfully help my band director friend see the importance of using good quality reeds, or should I just let future generations of Smallville, USA clarinet players suffer the consequences of playing on not as good a quality of reeds? By the way, the band director's major instrument is not the clarinet.
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Author: Kirk
Date: 2001-10-20 11:48
Sneakers -
Two possible reason come to mind about the director's reed choices. First, perhaps the school's budget calls for only a certain amount to be allocated for reeds and the least expensive are all she can order even though they are the poorest quality. Secondly, the old joke about car washing applies according to her logic. "Why wash my car ? It will only get dirty again." Since clarinet is not her main instrument, she may not take into consideration the effects of her students esteem that playing with low quality reeds that "chip and break anyway."
How about this suggestion ? Donate a box or two of Vandoren reeds and let the powers that be notice the difference in the way of results and better morale within the woodwinds. Perhaps that will convince them to continue the trend.
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Author: jmcaulay
Date: 2001-10-20 23:10
My public school band director was a Tuba major, and she didn't know a reed from a roof shingle. These teachers can't be expected to know, much less teach, all the nuances of each and every instrument. Years ago, there were the massed "Clinics," opportunities for the better band members from several schools to gather under directors who were accomplished on those instruments. Unfortunately, most of the "sectional" time was spent rehearsing for the big concert, rather than learning neat stuff about the instruments. I don't know what's happening in that world today.
I've played Rico reeds, same as everyone else. But when my band director aimed me toward references where I could learn how to select, prepare, and care for reeds, I began using other brands. Perhaps most would agree that Rico reeds are consistently sub-mediocre; but at least they are *consistent*. Some Vandorens right out of the box are great, but some are virtually unplayable. Or am I just weird? Personally, I'm glad there are Rico reeds, so that student requirements can be met. I have heard of only one clarinet player who claimed to have quit playing because of disgust over reeds. That was Artie Shaw. I doubt that he was using Rico at the time.
Regards,
John
now climbing into Nomex suit
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Author: ron b
Date: 2001-10-21 00:39
Well, Sneakers and... anyone -
By way of relating to this topic from personal experience... Please let me preface my statement with this: I try to be the first to admit that I have a lot to learn. I'm sure there is a lot of reed information I'm unaware of.
I''ve played Ricos, the plain ol' cheap ones right outta the box, almost all of my clarinetting life :] While I've tried other kinds of reeds, including plastic ones and home made ones, I still use Ricos today. A majority of my clarinet tooting friends use them. A couple of folks from my distant past used them (one, a Julliard graduate by the way).
Maybe I'm not sophisticated enough but, I really don't find a need to use anything else.
Are brands other than Rico made from different varieties of Arundo Donax? Is the cane cultivated or fed differently by different makers? Is the soil better for cane in some regions of the world? Is some cane growth, structure, better than others? Does the machining process vary by different makers? I'm asking, not to be snide or contrary, rather because I really don't know :|
- ron b -
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Author: Dee
Date: 2001-10-21 12:13
ron b wrote:
>
> ... Are brands other than Rico made from different varieties of
> Arundo Donax? Is the cane cultivated or fed differently by
> different makers? Is the soil better for cane in some regions
> of the world? Is some cane growth, structure, better than
> others? Does the machining process vary by different makers?
> I'm asking, not to be snide or contrary, rather because I
> really don't know
Well I don't know what is causing the differences but here are some of my observations.
1. The reed surface is rougher than other brands and I find that unpleasant.
2. The reeds have a nasty chemical taste of some type that takes awhile to go away.
3. When handling the reeds, the cane feels "spongy" compared to others as if it might be a lower grade of cane.
3. Although I can get a good sound out of them, I have to work harder to do it than with other reeds. They seem to go shrill in the altissimo.
I played Ricos for many years as I had never even heard of other brands. When I tried Mitchell Luries and Vandorens, I felt as if I had found reed heaven.
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Author: Dee
Date: 2001-10-21 12:15
jmcaulay wrote:
>
> ... Some Vandorens right out of the box are great, but some are
> virtually unplayable. Or am I just weird?
Many people have this same complaint though I have not had this problem myself. So you're not weird anyway. I find that Vandorens are consistently playable out of the box.
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Author: ron b
Date: 2001-10-22 05:05
Hello, Dee
Thanks for your observations. Maybe it's time I revisited the reed department.
Perhaps Ricos are so consistently 'bad' that I got used to them. So, I don't find any variance. They all play the same - consistently.... ahh, blissful ignorance :
From your description, I'd guess that the roughness is either inferior spongy cane or not quite as good machine processing as some others.
Chemical taste - preservative?
I suppose the process(es) are 'trade secret' but, it would be interesting to know a little more about 'how'd they do that'? I think to most of us it's a mysterious subject. Maybe they want to keep it that way. I do know that store bought reeds are consistently better and far less expensive than whittling your own :]
- ron b -
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