 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: BGBG
Date: 2015-08-11 02:13
Not a question but comments welcome.
Have 8 reeds in rotation - 2, 2.5, 3. Tried each one today. If only soak thick end 1 minute and dip tip in water and wipe it like I had read, reeds start to squeak in a minute or so. Reeds are 6-12 months old including 1 new one I have started breaking in only a few days. Thought it might be because they were old but new one squeaked also. My Rovner III ligature said soak reed 1-3 hours. So today I soakd all for 1 hour then played scales and song about 5 minutes each reed. The longer soaking seemed to help and all played well. Except one I had labeled as Fair which sounded wavery like a 'kazoo'. Set it aside. Then rinsed all in water and cleaned with Dawn dish soap solution and soft toothbrush as the Rovener sheet also said. Will see how this procedure works, or doesnt. Only the newest 5 have had a formal breakin procedure.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2015-08-11 03:01
FWIW, none of the few writers I have read who recommend soaking the butt end of the reed suggests a time as short as 1 minute. The squeaking almost certainly happens because the tip fibers aren't uniformly damp and the moist areas vibrate more easily than the drier ones, causing the reed to divide into partials (harmonics). A quick dip of the tip end probably won't moisten the tip uniformly enough to ensure even vibration. Uneven vibration = squeak.
I've never found that butt-soaking works well, although Ben Armato, one of its advocates, was certainly a highly respected player and it apparently worked for him. I think he talked about soaking the butt end for more like 20 minutes.
Karl
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-08-11 05:25
I think most would say you soak the thin end (refer to Ed Palanker's website) rather than the butt end. I place the butt end in water for a few seconds, then turn it around for a 2 minute soaking of the tip and vamp.
WOW........you have six to eight month old reeds that you've played on for that amount of time?!!!? I am surprised that you are not getting a sound more akin to the whine of a jet engine out of those - squeaks would be preferable!
Look, I'm all for getting the most out of your equipment but I have never experienced a reed that would go more than four months (and that's with a full rotation of 10 and very little play time). A month and a half is about the practical life of a rotated reed (and I mean playing one reed ONCE every six days or so).
As for the LOOOOONG soaking times, I think more that five minutes (on a really seasoned reed) is overkill. I have been "called away" while a reed was soaking for longer (more like 20 minutes) but approached the situation with trepidation, expecting the worst. Thankfully, well broken in reeds survive periods like this, but DO NOT make it a habit (there is no analog in a playing environment and actually playing situations are hard on reeds for the lack of moisture involved).
..............Paul Aviles
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Author: BGBG
Date: 2015-08-11 06:43
https://reedhelp.wordpress.com/tutorials/basiccare/
This is one of the tutorials I was reading. Havent read many. seems there are so many different ways of doing things that all seem to work for some but not others. I am searching for one that works well for me. I dont keep the reeds wet all the time but I have, and now I lay them on a glass surface until dry then put in a reed holder they came in. I havent decided upon any other storage. Have used jars, plastic ziplock bags. Obviously to play well they need a certain amount of moisture but how much? Some never seem to wet them; others soak 24/7 in something or other and either seems like too much of extreme to me. But some of mine have been soaked and others not and all but one seems to play. I had 4 earlier ones but they became damaged. I also have a number of unused reeds. I dont play professionally or anywhere but home, and I keep the damaged ones to work on and see if I can make them play. Have a dial digital caliper .0005" so I can tell how one is different than another. Not an expert at this but have had some success.
I will try some of these aforementioned things and see how they work for me. Most confusing thing for me is how so many different things all seem to work for different people.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2015-08-11 07:06
Reeds are objects with a limited life expectancy, and you should expect to replace them when they cease to function well. Learning how to tweak them for optimum performance is a useful and necessary skill, but never lose sight of the fact that they do have a point where it becomes counterproductive to waste time on them. Concentrate on playing the instrument and just replace reeds as required.
Tony F.
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Author: knotty
Date: 2015-08-11 07:29
Hmm. Where I live it's always 60% humidity, occasionally it'll get down to 50 but not for too long. I just soak the tip for maybe two minutes and play. When done dip it in water, squeegee it off with fingers and place it on two bamboo skewers to dry both sides evenly. Next day, repeat.
~ Musical Progress: None ~
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-08-11 12:45
I think "Knotty" brings up a very interesting possible answer to the issue of why so there are so many different approaches. We experience different humidity, different air pressures (high altitude vs sea level), temperatures etc.
For me though looking at the big picture, there do seem to be more similarities in these methods than not. You get the reed damp prior to playing (just stick in your mouth for a moment or a container of water), play, let dry afterwards, store in a reed guard of some sort (perhaps with the aid of some extra humidity), and repeat.
Oh, as for drying, I'd let a reed get dry to the touch flat side up before storage. Folks I know who actually make reeds force them to warp (so they can flatten them with sandpaper etc.) by wetting and slapping them down flat on glass to dry (during the final part of making it a playable reed).
.............Paul Aviles
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2015-08-11 18:53
Read my website as suggested about reed warping. I know Rovner very well, his ideas about reeds are just plain wrong. He's not a 'Ligit' clarinet player. Basically you should never soak the butt end of a reed because all wood of any type will warp as it gets wet and dry, period. I explain it on my web page but if you think about how wood warps it just makes sense and warping cause a reed to become unstable and squeak. I'm talking about a reed sealing on the facing of the mouthpiece not the tip having waves in it. I've Never, and I mean NEVER, had a reed NOT seal on my MP for the past 30 plus years once I leaned to stop wetting the butt of my reeds at all. And I only soak the front tip end for a few seconds and slightly press the tip against the MP table for a second or two to "flatten" it out. That's all it takes. Play for a few seconds and it's on it's way.
ESP eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: BGBG
Date: 2015-08-13 06:06
I have a question regarding how long a reed 'plays' and how 'plays' is defined. Does it mean they wont make a note at all, or make notes but not exactly on pitch, or simply doesnt sound as good as it did. Perhaps I am keeping them too long because no one else is judging me. How do I tell if a reed has reached end of life? I have some that wont make a note at all, and a few of these I have clipped and sanded until they do. But I dont pretend they are like the the 1 excellent one in a box of 5 or 10. It would help to know what to look or listen for.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-08-13 14:15
I found that as reeds start to get to the end of their useful life they begin to sound brittle, thin, less full and eventually lose their ability to respond well. The insidious aspect of using one reed all the time is that you get used to it and as it changes, you adapt to how it feels and how it plays.
How do combat this tendency?
You rotate through reeds. That is, use a different reed from one day to the next. Then after about a month, break in a new set of reeds. This way you don't fall into one reed dependency, and you can compare the sound/response of the newer reeds to the older ones. Vibrancy of the reed's sound is a key component to having resonant clarinet sound, and a sound that projects.
Of course if you only play at home, for you own enjoyment, you don't have to concern yourself with having a state-of-the-art sound.
..............Paul Aviles
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Author: eac
Date: 2015-08-13 20:27
I know results vary but am curious how long you play a reed for its rotation slot. One hour to two hours? More? Thanks!
Liz Leckey
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