 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Mark R.
Date: 2002-09-18 20:54
I teach beginning band and was wondering what you all thought of reed choices and strengths. I know the standard is Rico for beginners but I'm looking for something with a little better quality but still manageable for young beginners. Also what are some things that can clue me in on when to switch reeds?
Any other information is much appreciated!
Thanks,
Mark R.
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Author: Dee
Date: 2002-09-18 21:08
Regular, plain Ricos are not of a particularly high quality. I started both my daughters on Mitchell Lurie 2.5 reeds at the age of 11. The latter are much better reeds.
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Author: Frank
Date: 2002-09-18 21:30
I'd try the rico blue box, the Royale I believe. La Voz also makes a good beginner reed.
I'd go for something that's cheap and can stand to be broken. I'm a music educator myself, and still deal with beginning band kids. I often find that a reed gets broken everyday, so try the less costly reeds. Make sure they're not too soft of a reed. Move them to better reeds, ex. vandoren, in middle school. Leave the rico, mitchel lurie and LaVoz for the beginners.
Frank
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Author: Katfish
Date: 2002-09-18 23:09
I agree with Dee that Michell Lurie 2 1/2 are your best bet. Roy Mayer aren't too bad if you can find them. Never let them start on anything less than a 2 1/2 or they will develop bad emboucheres. Try to get them on Hite Premier , Fobes Debut or Pyne Polycrystal mouthpieces, this will help alot in the long run.
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Author: Dee
Date: 2002-09-18 23:44
If you were to start kids on Vandoren reeds, I would recommend a #2 as Vandorens tend to run harder than other brands.
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Author: Simon
Date: 2002-09-19 03:25
I read the above comments with interest , so can someone please advise of which reads would suit an intermideate to professional player?
Simon
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Author: Swing Band Queen Katai Katai
Date: 2002-09-19 03:28
Wish someone had told me this when I started clarinet 3 years ago...I got started on rico #2 reeds, they were awful, so were the 2 1/2's, only now have I actually gotten a decent setup for my bad horn (a really beat-up plastic Bundy. Heh, I like my Mitchell Lurie #3's just fine at the moment, they work nice with my Vandoren B45 mpc and rovner dark ligature ^__^)
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2002-09-19 12:07
Simon wrote:
>
> I read the above comments with interest , so can someone
> please advise of which reads would suit an intermideate to
> professional player?
Somewhere between 1 1/2 and 5 ...
It depends on what kind of music you're playing and what kind of mouthpiece you're using. If you're using Vandorenv V12s, you'll find 3, 3 1/2, and 4 to be the strengths most often used with a good mouthpiece. (Anecdotal evidence - go to any conference where free reeds are being given out as promos. 3 1/2 is the 1st to run out, followed very quickly by 3s and 4s.)
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2002-09-19 12:14
There are certainly professional players working happily with lower reed numbers. The word 'strength' is oftne misconstrued as a degreee of achievement, rather than a measure of flexibility.
Lower reed 'strengths' are more flexible, and conform more readily to large tip openings favored by Dixieland clarinet players, and higher reed 'strengths' are stiffer which is a proper match for less open reed tip mouthpieces.
The reed hardness number is less important than the quality of the raw cane, cut and finish or the surface.
What you may want to consider is buying fewer, better quality reeds or learning to adjust them to suit.
For those not wanting to deal with the pleasures and frustrations of natural cane use, the Legere Synthetic reed is quite good.
There is a growing body of thought that the medium facing mouthpieces with medium strength reeds offer more flexibility and tonal control for most players.
The notion that 'one size fits all' can lead to unproductive forays into mouthpiece and reed matching for us mere mortals.
***********
A search of the archives on "reed strength" will flesh out the long trod path this thread covers.
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Author: Jim Mougey
Date: 2002-09-19 13:06
To S. Botch: That "growing body of thought" has been going through various phases of "life" since somewhere in the 1950's! My first teacher (1938) told me never to play more than a medium lay mpce. He continued " you'll never practice nor play enough to really make the larger lay worthwhile." Ha!My first road band the lead alto player played a 8 Beechler with a J.G. Mercado 4 1/2 reed. Selmer had to build a new neck for his alto to match that setup. Funny thing, he had a great lead sound and the section (4) blended well.
Jim (M)
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Author: Mark S.
Date: 2002-09-19 17:03
I have a number of young students, and I try to start them all on decent reeds right away (V12, Grand Concert/Select, rarely Luries, sometimes Gonzalez). The poor parents get ripped off at the local music stores, paying $1.50+ per Rico reed. You can get a box 'o Grand Concerts for $10.40 from Weiner. There is no reason any kid should have to play on crappy reeds. The savings aren't that great, and the consequences to their technique and ability to progress and enjoy the instrument are grave. Just inform the student/parent that they can do better and cheaper by going to one of the big houses (WW/BW, Weiner, IMS, etc.)
Please all, I do not want to start a debate in this thread on which brand of reed is best. I just want to make the point that there is no reason to put a kid on junk just because they are new to the instrument. There are lots of good reeds that don't cost that much more than the "discount" reeds.
Mark R. -- best of luck with your students!
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Author: Bob Arney
Date: 2002-09-19 19:45
It seems to be an unfortunate fact of life that "shopping locally" gets such a bad press. Our "local" music stores are 52 miles (round trip) in both directions. Maybe Wallmark ought to sell reeds, and fundamental Band music, then there would be no reason for your local shop to stay open except by appointment.Bob A
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Author: Kat
Date: 2002-09-19 20:50
Hah, Bob A.
Sam's club already sells clarinets...lol
One of my student's parents asked me if they were any good...she said they were $129.00. They had paid about $350 for a Vito from WW/BW. I told her the "instruments" at Sam's club are nooooooo good...They'd end up paying more to fix it up after a month...lol
Katrina
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Author: Dee
Date: 2002-09-19 21:22
Jim Mougey wrote:
>
> To S. Botch: That "growing body of thought" has been
> going through various phases of "life" since somewhere in the
> 1950's! My first teacher (1938) told me never to play more than
> a medium lay mpce. He continued " you'll never practice nor
> play enough to really make the larger lay worthwhile." Ha!My
> first road band the lead alto player played a 8 Beechler with a
> J.G. Mercado 4 1/2 reed. Selmer had to build a new neck for his
> alto to match that setup. Funny thing, he had a great lead
> sound and the section (4) blended well.
>
> Jim (M)
This "growing body of thought" is even older than that. For example, Danial Bonade's "Clarinet Compendium" also says basically the same thing.
However that does not rule out the exceptions (i.e. never say "never"). It does release the general player from the "great mouthpiece/reed search." The medium lay mouthpiece with a medium strength reed is adaptable to a broad range of playing situations. This is why it makes a good fundamental primary setup. There are circumstances that call for other setups.
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Author: RA
Date: 2002-09-20 01:47
How do you know what kind of mp you have? I will be moving on to Mitchell Lurie 4's soon and am a late intermediate/beg advance student who is self taught but keeps in contact with her old instructress. Any advice?
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Author: Clarence R.
Date: 2002-09-20 03:10
The best reeds that I have ever played are Marka Reeds. Number 2 1/2 works for me on a B45 dot mouthpiece.
cgr
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Author: d dow
Date: 2002-09-20 14:24
Interesting...I know that later in Bonaade's career apparently he started making open mouthpieces which he forced a number of his students to play on. ...
these we're quite open and why he changed over to open mouthpieces is questionable.
Apparently bonade had alot of teeth trouble, and he could only play on these.
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Author: Dee
Date: 2002-09-21 00:53
As far was what reed is best for an advanced or intermediate player that will be a matter of personal preference. I've tried a number of brands and the only bad ones were the plain Ricos (i.e. orange box).
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Author: /
Date: 2002-09-23 00:48
I think that LaVoz reeds are not solely for beginners. I play primarily jazz, and LaVoz reeds work great for my clari, alto sax and bari sax. I like their consistency.
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