 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Sovek
Date: 2005-05-21 03:45
I just picked up a box of 10 Vandorean reeds, at 2 1/2 strength. These things seem to be a bit too stiff for my level, now the odd thing is I keep hearing how Vandorean are softer, so being able on the same strength Ricco reed, I thought no problem, but its a bit too hard. I need tips on softening these reeds up a bit.
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Author: GBK
Date: 2005-05-21 03:59
Attachment: Rico Co. Reed Comparison Chart0090.JPG (152k)
Although reed comparison charts are only rough guidelines, a 2 1/2 strength Blue Box Vandoren reed would be closer to a #3 strength Rico reed.
A 2 1/2 strength Rico reed would be closer to a #2 Blue Box Vandoren reed.
Check the comparison chart issued by Rico ...GBK
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Author: donald
Date: 2005-05-22 02:04
kia ora
i'll try to be brief, but helpful
play each reed for 5 minutes
repeat this for another 3 or 4 practise sessions
then sand the back of each reed (some players do this after each session).
(a cheap and easy way to do this is to have a sheet of glass that is about A4 size, and buy a sheet of 600 grit sandpaper- put the sandpaper flat on the glass, and rub the reed up and down on the sandpaper. If you wet your fingers slightly they will grip on the reed better. To avoid thinning the tip of the reed too much, you can sand with the end of the reed over the edge of the sandpaper)
with reeds made from good cane, this is a fairly standard "break in" proceedure. Vandoren reeds tend to me made from cane that doesn't last long, so this process will actually take about .25 to .5 a grade of strength out of the reed. It will also make the reed sound "clearer"
i hope that this was helpful
donald
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Author: GBK
Date: 2005-05-22 02:27
Donald's method of taking material off of the reed to bring down the strength is a good one. Follow his advice.
As mentioned above, sand the back of the reed on 600 grit sandpaper or using the handy Vandoren reed resurfacer (an excellent product)
Be careful not to sand all the way to the tip, but rather keep the reed over the edge of the sanding surface.
For players who are new to adjusting reeds, this method of lowering the strength of the reed works much better than taking material off the vamp.
The 2 biggest mistakes most players make when adjusting reeds is either taking too much material off the vamp, or taking unequal amounts of material off each side, thus altering the basic profile of the reed and ruining the response...GBK
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Author: Sovek
Date: 2005-05-22 12:12
so sanding also helps the sound of the reed as well? might help somewhat with my terrible Ricco reeds (of course I think some it might be my fault)
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Author: stevensfo
Date: 2005-05-22 18:59
I was just about to ask what on earth is a 'vamp'.
Then I did a google search:
http://home.comcast.net/~czrzbz/clarinet/reeds.html
Steve
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Author: stevensfo
Date: 2005-05-22 19:08
Re. the link I just gave, I read this comment which made me laugh:
"The playing life of a commercial reed can vary from one or two days to approximately two weeks. "
I've bought old clarinets and saxophones, togther with old reeds from Ebay that were possibly used by Noah to entertain the animals while they waited for the rain to stop.
Some reeds seemed perfectly fine and played well.
I once had a reed that played so well that I kept it for months and months till it got accidentlly chipped.
Comments?
Steve
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Author: GBK
Date: 2005-05-22 19:23
stevensfo wrote:
> I've bought old clarinets and saxophones, togther with old
> reeds from Ebay that were possibly used by Noah to entertain
> the animals while they waited for the rain to stop.
>
> Some reeds seemed perfectly fine and played well.
>
> I once had a reed that played so well that I kept it for months
> and months till it got accidentlly chipped.
>
> Comments?
Everybody has different standards as to what is an acceptable reed to play in public ...GBK
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