 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Ralph Peters
Date: 1999-12-21 16:25
My ten year old plays Clarinet, and I've just heard about this reed sanding. How is it done, and why?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Meri
Date: 1999-12-21 16:38
Reed Sanding is done in order to "smooth out" the reed, so that warpage is removed, the reed is easier to play, and so the reed does not absorb as much moisture.
It is usually done by using really fine sandpaper (at least 600 grit, found at hardware stores), reed rush, or even typing paper. The general method of doing it is laying the reed on a flat surface and sanding it vertically from the bottom of the cut portion to the top. (with a small piece of sandpaper of course) Some players, like myself, sand the back side of the reed as well, and others like to wrap the sandpaper around one or two of their fingers.
Hope this helps!
Meri
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: steve
Date: 1999-12-21 17:26
this may be stating an obvious point, but make sure all abrasive material is off the back of the reed after sanding!! if not, your mouthpiece table could look like a cat walked over it!!
s.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Kevin Bowman
Date: 1999-12-21 17:41
Sanding alone will not "seal" a reed against excessive moisture retention or warping. Massaging the reed - rubbing it with your fingers - will. Although sanding the back of a reed will often _remove_ (or at least minimize) the effects of an already warped reed.
A reed is sanded in order to balance the reed - or otherwise modify its physical dimensions. Balancing a reed is the process of making the reed play symetrically (i.e. both sides vibrate with equal response). If a reed is too stiff the reed tip can be sanded a bit thinner but I've always found this to be dangerous work (it is often better to sand the entire back of the reed to thin it).
Without going into great detail, I'll just say that adjusting reeds is an art that takes quite a bit of practice. There are a few books and articles available that discuss this subject.
Kevin Bowman
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: yakkom
Date: 1999-12-21 17:56
It is also important to note that sanding the bottom or front of a reed to early in the break in process is counter effective. One should soak new reeds daily and play on they briefly ( one to five minutes with not heavy articulation ) for atleast 5 days before doing any sanding. Hope this is additionally helpful.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ginny
Date: 1999-12-21 18:04
Some one else posted a Sax website on reed sanding and diagnosis that I found helpful. I don't know how to post so you can get click and go, but here's the URL
http://www.geocities.com/BourbonStreet/Delta/7851/diagnosis.html
They also have some other info on reeds.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: donn
Date: 1999-12-21 23:54
Reed rush works well for thinning or balancing. Rub toward tip. Rush should be soaked in water to soften first, as I found out after buying some.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Dee
Date: 1999-12-22 00:37
You say your 10 year old has just started clarinet. This is way too early to worry about reed sanding. At this stage of the game, he/she is probably using a student mouthpiece with a rather soft reed. This will enable him/her to get good sounds in the low and middle register, which should cover his/her playing for at least the first year if not the first two years.
Sanding reeds (and other adjustments) is a skill that is useful for the intermediate and advanced students. Beginners have too many other things to cover first before this will make a significant difference.
One of the best things you can do for your beginner is buy decent quality reeds (make sure that they are the appropriate strength for his/her stage of development). Stay away from the el cheapo plain Rico reeds (the other types of Rico reeds are fine) and stay away from the gimmicky Flavorreeds. The latter are a cheap, poor quality reed that has been soaked in a little artificial flavoring.
Another one of the important things to do for your beginner is to make sure that they have a sutiable mouthpiece. The ones that come with the clarinets (even pro level instruments) often are rather poor. People on this board speak well of the Hite and Fobes student mouthpieces and of the Vandoren B45. The latter is a reasonably priced hard rubber while the former two are plastic but of very good quality and cost significantly less than the Vandoren B45.
Finally, regardless of the brand and model of clarinet, keep it in good repair. Keys get bent, pads deteriorate, springs get bent or become weak. Any of these can lead to problems for your young player.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Kevin Bowman
Date: 1999-12-22 14:35
Thanks, Dee. I neglected to mention in my post when I normally get my students to start thinking about reed selection and preparation.
Depending on a student's progress, I normally get them thinking about reeds after a year or two. For clarinet students, they are generally playing consistently (and with a correct embouchure) in the upper clarion register (up to high C or altissimo D above the staff). Usually, the student will discover for him/herself that each "new" reed they try plays a bit differently. This is when I start feeding them information about reed selection, preparation, and maintenance. This is also a good time to explore different mouthpieces because the student can now detect and appreciate the differences in feel, response, tone, etc. to some extent.
For what it's worth, I have noticed that sax students usually reach this point (of recognizing reed differences) much earlier than clarinet students. I suspect this is due to a slightly larger reed and greater ease of tone production (although not always better quality sound!).
Kevin Bowman
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Sara
Date: 1999-12-23 03:57
I agree with the two above-I only started sanding my reeds when my private teacher mentioned this around June, but didn't really begin until I realized just how many reeds I could improve the quality of with such a simple task. Now instead of getting 3 or 4 good reeds- I get just about 7 or 8 great reeds and 2 or 3 mediocre but playable ones. But sanding would not have helped two years ago when I first began playing.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
