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Hard to hit high notes

Author: Funnpun
Date: 2012-11-21 20:07

I recently got new reeds and it's really difficult to hit the altissimo. This has never happened to me. Is the reed defective or do I have to break it in?

Post Edited (2012-11-21 20:09)

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Re: Hard to hit high notes

Author: kdk
Date: 2012-11-21 20:33

There's no way to know from your post what's going on. What reeds were you using? What are the new reeds? What mouthpiece are you using? What does "difficult to hit the altissimo" mean - won't speak, out of tune, not stable?

Whether or not the reed is "broken in" shouldn't have anything to do with this if the altissimo problem is extreme. Whether the reed is defective or not is best answered by trying a few others from the same box to see if it's the individual reed, some of them or the whole lot of them.

Karl

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Re: Hard to hit high notes

Author: Funnpun
Date: 2012-11-21 21:46

I am using blue box vandoren 3s on a 5RV lyre. It's hard to play altissimo and when it does, it's not stable.

I have tried other reeds and I still have the same issue

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Re: Hard to hit high notes

Author: kdk
Date: 2012-11-21 22:18

Have you tried any reeds that worked for you in the altissimo register? How are the chalumeau and clarion notes with this reed/mouthpiece combination?

Vandoren Trad (Blue Box) #3 on a 5RV Lyre should work. You should try the rest of the reeds in the box. If everything but the altissimo is OK, then your problem may not be with the reeds, but somewhere else - voicing, the instrument itself, embouchure.

Karl

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