 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Christoffer
Date: 2001-05-27 20:18
Sometimes I encounter a reed with which I can't help making squeaks on every possible occasion. It is not something they do right from the box, it starts after they have been in use for some time. It is hard to say exactly how long, because I have a lot of reeds in rotation, but other reeds have definitely been used far longer than those 'squeakies', so I think they shouldn't be outworn. I wonder if there might be a treatment that could cure such reeds for their inappropriate squeakiness - any kind of trimming, cutting, sanding on selected spots, exposure to obscure chemicals, recital of secret formulae - or do they simply belong to those hopeless cases that one should not waste any efforts on?
I should say that I normally don't do a lot of things to my reeds, a little bit of back sanding or nothing at all - simply because I almost never seem to get completely unplayable reeds. Some are better than others, sure, but the only ones that I currently can make no use of whatsoever are those that no matter what I do squeak on every second note.
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Author: connie
Date: 2001-05-28 14:21
I was told by one of the professionals in the area, whom others defer to as a reed wizard, that to try to fine-tune a squeaky reed to get rid of the squeaks was not worth the effort. Apparently, it takes a LOT of experience, patience and luck. I'll be watching this thread to see if anyone has some concrete advice.
connie
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Author: Bill
Date: 2001-05-28 14:39
I wonder if it might be mouthpiece sensitivity to the squeaking reeds. Have you tried the offending reed on another good quality mpc??
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Author: William
Date: 2001-05-29 14:35
Two possible problems come to mind: 1) If most of your reeds are "playable" right out of the box with little or no adjusment, then you are probably using reeds that are too soft that will be prone to squeak a lot. Try a half-strength stronger box and resort to balancing the sides and tip to match your mp. IMHO--VanDoren V-12s, 3.5 or 4.0 strengths should be just about right for most people. Personally, I find sanding the backs to be a waste of time--with modern high-tech production standards, reeds are much more uniform than they used to be and sanding just makes the reed less vibrant (dull, dead, etc.). 2) You may be putting too much mp into your mouth. There is a fine line between "too much" and "too little" and finding the correct amount may be tricky and will vary from mp to mp. Generally, inserting the mp just short of sqeaking is the rule. Too little mp will give you a "pinched" tone that will not allow you to play loud--only soft. If it is any comfort, there is not a clarinet player alive and performing that has not squeaked at some time during a performance, recording session, lesson or practice--YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!!!!! But most, eventually, learn to control the devil lurking in their instruments. Good luck and Good Clarineting
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2001-05-29 23:16
Christoffer -
First, make sure the bottom of the reed is flat. See my posting at http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=19738&t=19636 .
If the reed continues to squeak, it's probably unbalanced. Hold the reed with the tip toward the floor and hold your hand up to a lamp so that your eyes are shaded and the light shines through the tip. You'll probably see a light spot, often near the corner of the tip. You may also see large, dark fibers that run all the way to the tip.
Put the reed on the mouthpiece and twist the instrument as far as possible clockwise, and then counterclockwise, to find which side of the reed is stiffer. Scraping down the stiff side is the first and most productive step in reed adjusting.
Then check the tip for evenness. Hold the reed in your left hand at about a 45 degree angle down and to the right. Press the tip of the reed gently against your right thumbnail, rolling it from side to side. The amount of bending will show you whether there is a weak spot at the tip, which often causes whistles and squeaks. If part of the tip is too weak, you need to clip back the tip about 1/16" and rework it until it's even.
If there are dark fibers mostly on one side of the reed, you can use a needle or the tip of a reed knife to weaken them. Avram Galper's book, called, I think, Reed Wizard and Beyond, has a good illustration of this.
On the other hand, the problem may not be with your reed. Biting and lack of support can also cause squeaking. I have posted a couple of exercises to help with this, at http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=32180&t=32149 and http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=43807&t=43777
I recently came across an excellent exercise to cure both problems, which involves blocking the bell with a swab. See http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=44343&t=44230 . It sound's silly, but to learn to do it, you have to stop biting and support like crazy. When you put that much air through the clarinet, it blows right through the squeaks.
Good luck.
Ken Shaw
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