 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: pzaur
Date: 2003-04-25 19:39
I'm looking to find a reed strength chart that is accurate so I can post/make one for my classroom for my students to refer to.
I pulled up charts online and found that they all looked to be from the same source.
So my question is: Are the placements of the different brand strengths accurate in relation to each other?
These are two of the charts that I found online out of many more:
http://www.andersonptsa.com/band/StrengthChart.pdf
http://www.saxgourmet.com/reed_strength.htm
I'd hyperlink 'em, but I don't have the time to learn to do so right now.
[ Just put < and > around the blasted things - it's not too hard to read the Help page, is it? You of course read the Help/Rules page before posting anyway, right? Mark C. ]
Thanks,
pat
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Author: tww
Date: 2003-04-25 22:25
I'm not sure, but I think that relative strengths of different brands of reeds vary from player to player. I've always heard that Vandoren 3.5 equals Mitchell Lurie 4. But for all practical purposes, I find Vandoren 3.5 to be equivalent in strength to a Mitchell Lurie 5. Perhaps it's just me or my mouthpiece. Thus, I personally think there are no guarantees on the accuracy of any reed strengh comparison chart.
- tww
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Author: Karel
Date: 2003-04-26 11:27
IMS on-line catalogue has a comparison chart covering most reeds.
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Author: Karel
Date: 2003-04-27 03:32
David, I have not found them true-to-life either; but they do provide some sort of starting point, don't they?
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Author: pzaur
Date: 2003-04-27 04:57
The charts will never be 100% accurate, but I'm looking for something that will provide a "guide" for my students when they try different brands. Every reed player knows that no two reeds with the same stength rating are identical.
Hypothetical situation:
Think of beginning students. When they start out, their parents will usually buy the least expensive reeds available. Typically, it'll be a Rico made reed of some sort. (That isn't what I recommend...but I'm not the one buying the reeds.) Maybe it'll say Rico on the back, maybe it'll say the store's name where the reeds are purchased. As their embouchure begins to strengthen and they begin to purchase harder reeds, would they actually be moving only a 1/2 strength going from a Rico 2.5 to a Vandoren 3? Or would they instead be moving up a whole strength, as the comparison charts suggest, instead of the 1/2 strength?
That is the type of situation I am trying to avoid with the Reed Strength Charts. So the question remains, are they typically accurate? If so, then it would be in my and my students' best interests to have this information readily available.
Karel -
What is the URL for IMS Online. I'm not familiar with that site.
pat
- sorry for the lengthy post...
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Author: Karel
Date: 2003-04-27 05:58
David, I have not found them true-to-life either; but they do provide some sort of starting point, don't they?
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2003-04-27 12:30
It also depends alot on what the company who produces the reed thinks the relative size should be. sometime in the mid 80s Vandoren totally changed all the cutting tools and therefore all their sizes changed. I found 3 1/2 closer to 4s etc. Its all relative to what the company who produces the cane thinks the size of the reed should be.
David Dow
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