The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Verdino
Date: 2000-02-27 23:04
Has anyone ever tried storing their reeds underwater and just taking them out to play?
Is this a good idea or not?
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Author: Eoin
Date: 2000-02-27 23:10
This sounds very unsanitary to me. How do you stop things from growing in the water? The only way I can think of is anitseptics in the water, and those are not going to make the reed taste good.
I also think that the reed will go soft if left too long in water.
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Author: Katherine Pincock
Date: 2000-02-28 00:58
I've never heard of storing reeds in use in water, but I know some clarinettists recommend soaking reeds for long periods of time to cure them. Even when they've never been used, though, it's very easy for mold to grow in the water. As well, they always need to be dried for quite a while before they're used, because too much moisture in a reed will make the sound muffled, so I don't think storing them this way is feasable.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2000-02-28 01:29
I tried keeping oboe reeds in water for some time, they didn't grow mouldy, but they were much too soft and didnt play at all well, conclusion, bad idea! Likely the same for single reeds IMHO, I dont do it! Don
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Author: ron b.
Date: 2000-02-28 06:03
Well, Verdino -
I've heard of soaking reeds in 151 proof rum but not water. Don't know if it helps anything or not. The taste might not be conducive for the concentration factor in playing well. What's wrong with the old fashioned way? My guess is, if soaking a reed overnight or whatever, in whatever, works for you, what the ...
None of us has a corner on what may work best for someone else. I've seen reeds (and MPs) that looked like they needed a good soaking in *something*.
ron b.
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Author: Nicole Y.
Date: 2000-02-28 23:35
Well...I soak my reeds in peroxide to break them in. It works best for me...I've tried water too...then I lightly sand them. But storing reeds in water, no. They'd be too mushy to play.
The Freshman,
Nicole Y.
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Author: Jodi
Date: 2000-02-29 19:49
I have found that soaking reeds for too long makes them waterlogged and they won't play well. I do, however, try to wet my reeds with water before putting them in my mouth- my reason being that the reed cells will fill with the relatively clean water before filling with my spit and thus, saving the reed from breakdown from the starches in my mouth.
I also do a dip-dry-dip-dry technique when breaking in reeds. I will dip them in water, shake the excess off, let them dry flat, dip again and so on until all of the resin stuff is off and they are cured a little.
Good luck to you!
Jo
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