 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2006-01-18 19:27
After serving overtime for two days in a row (and consequently no practicing) I got a very sobering session today. The reeds (the Preferred One plus two fallbacks) were non-responsive, renitent and reluctant, they felt like an old sock in my mouth.
After warming up, clarion legato was somewhat acceptable but staccato had this dreadful rough onset (instead of a daaaa or taaa it sounded like a pfwhrraaaa every time) and I thought I could brighten my mood with some loud chalumeau tunes. Those just sounded stuffy and gooey.
I quit highly frustrated after half an hour or so.
Maybe it's better tomorrow. Sigh. Not my day today.
--
Ben
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2006-01-18 20:06
Maybe your reeds totally dried out and warped.
That happens sometimes when a reed isn't played for a couple of days.
Check the reed on a plate of glass (or a CD case) and see if it's totally flat. If it isn't, then you wouldn't get great results.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2006-01-18 20:19
Humidity - dunno. The heating is still on. But outside it went up from -5°C to +5°C which usually has some effect on the relative humidity. Especially when it's raining.
I store my reeds in a Reedguard so I'd expect them to be reasonably flat.
Maybe it isn't so much a Reed Thing than a Head Thing. Maybe the clarinet is just trying to tell me something.
--
Ben
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: susieray
Date: 2006-01-18 21:02
Ben,
Did you try a fresh new reed and see if that responded any better?
Sue
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2006-01-18 21:37
I wasn't in the mood of sacrificing a good reed to a bad mind.
--
Ben
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Sylvain
Date: 2006-01-18 21:48
I share your frustration.
Here is a quick summary of the weather in boston:
Saturday 55F - rainy
Sun 5F super - dry
Mo-Tu 15F - dry
Today 45F - rainy
Needless to say, all my good reeds are warped :(
--
Sylvain Bouix <sbouix@gmail.com>
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: bcl1dso
Date: 2006-01-19 02:52
BOOOYYYY do i know the feeling. I playing on a bad reed. It so hard because you sound bad and you know you sound bad but there is nothing you can do about it. I would say you should have more than 3 reeds. probably 12-20.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris Hill
Date: 2006-01-19 05:36
My worst weather change was from 68 F to -25 F with a wind chill of -65 F in two or three days. I find that it's best to have more than 2-3 good reeds at a time, and I also believe that less dense cane works better during winter months here where it's so dry.
You should also get used to being able to play on bad reeds. You can feel more problems than the audience can hear.
Chris
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Bassie
Date: 2006-01-19 08:12
DEFINITELY a head-thing.
You line up a reed in solo practice, and by the time you get to rehearsal it won't play.
Heck, I've started taking an extra mouthpiece just in case I forget how to play my main one.
I'm getting back into playing after a break, and I think I'm re-learning loads of stuff. Every time I learn something, I get instantly dissatisfied with my performance. Last week, couldn't tongue quiet notes. This week, can't play Bb. This week, can only play GC Evo reeds. Next week, that might change.
12-20 reeds? I got boxes of the beggars. You can never have too many brands. My aim is to settle on a couple of makes to cover all eventualities, but it's taking a while.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Michelle
Date: 2006-01-19 16:25
Last week in rehearsal I could not find a good reed to save my life. I emptied my 10-slot Pro-Tec case and still couldn't find one that worked. All of my good ones had gone to crap. I finally pulled out my emergency Rico Royal box cuz they ALWAYS play, even if they burn out after a few days. Bingo... got a clean, clear sound.
Could be the 26 days of straight rain we had here in the Pacific NorthWET affected them, or maybe it was just the time for all my reeds to die, all at once.
I'm going to do the wall test on the ones that won't revive, then bury them all in a mass grave in the garbage. That'll teach them.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Grant
Date: 2006-01-19 16:59
Michelle, I had the same trouble. I think the rain even got to my Legere Reeds that I use in extreme situations.
GO SEAHAWKS
Peace on Earth and May You always have a reed that PLAYS.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Sylvain
Date: 2006-01-19 17:06
Sometimes I really wished I play the flute. My girlfriend is a flutist and she simpy could not care less about humidity and temperature changes...
Anyway, at least we don't have to make our own reeds like oboists or bassonists...
--
Sylvain Bouix <sbouix@gmail.com>
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Lani
Date: 2006-01-20 04:09
We've had some hot hot weather in Australia this summer (one day 45 deg celsius). The reeds kept drying out and squeaking while I was playing. Mind you, it was too hot to practice for long anyways. I had my fan aimed on me, pegs on my music to hold it down and a spray can of water at the ready - just so as not to overheat!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: archer1960
Date: 2006-01-20 18:25
> Sometimes I really wished I play the flute. My girlfriend is a flutist and she
> simpy could not care less about humidity and temperature changes...
Temperature will affect the tuning of any wind instrument because it affects the speed of sound, and therefore the resonant frequency of the tube. But as you say, flutists don't care ;-)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Sylvain
Date: 2006-01-20 18:44
archer1960 wrote:
> Temperature will affect the tuning of any wind instrument
> because it affects the speed of sound, and therefore the
> resonant frequency of the tube. But as you say, flutists don't
> care ;-)
I'll make sure I never say this to my girlfriend
--
Sylvain Bouix <sbouix@gmail.com>
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
