 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Allegremente
Date: 2007-03-22 23:32
Let's face it, we've all been there, to that nasty, depressing place where you find none of your reeds work, and maybe your barrel/mouthpiece combo just isn't cutting it. In the last few weeks I've gone through a million different reeds of different manufactures, only to find that none are quite working for me anymore - I don't know if it's a mental thing or whether something with my playing has changed over the last month or two. The problem, as well as I can diagnose it, is that my reeds aren't vibrating fully, and sometimes unevenly. It often feels like I'm playing over the reed rather than through it on my Signature, which is an annoyingly small bored instrument for the kind of wind I'm putting through it. I'm seriously considering trading it in for a Ridenour Lyrique besides, which I've heard nothing but good things about. How good is the action on the Ridenours compared to the Signatures (the reason I bought it was the keywork and action on it)? More importantly, is it, at 1000, an instrument suitable for real professional playing?
Have you ever found yourself in such a reed rut, and if so, how did you get out of it? I've heard good things also about the Ridenour reed working system, but I'm still a bit skeptical. But something's gotta change, because it's driving me crazy!
Allegremente
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Author: behemothben
Date: 2007-03-22 23:43
If this is a new problem, something may have changed with your mouthpiece. Could it have warped or been damaged? Any scrapes, dents or dings? Is it really dirty/nasty? Maybe try a different one, or a new one of the same type you already use.
ben
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Author: am0032
Date: 2007-03-23 00:27
Tom played a Signature when I would have him work on my clarinet for a while before he started making his own line of hard rubber clarinets. So there must have been something about them that he liked at the time. This was about 8 years ago though.
Adam
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Author: Alexis
Date: 2007-03-23 02:20
It sounds like you have a particular sound in mind, but have not developed any method of playing it.
A failure where ideology overrides practicality!
It's not that hard to fix though....
Use a brand of reed that had worked for you in the past, and stick with it.
Generally there are at least 2 decent relatively well balanced reeds in a pack of V12. Even if they aren't perfect, remember that a great many brilliant musicians probably play on these sorts of reeds to create amazing results.
(I have played V12 for years and have difficulty getting away from them in the end. But I also played them for a long time without questioning them.
I think nowadays with the internet and well-stocked stores, the luxury of choice is can be our worst enemy.)
Then really listen to yourself. See what you can do with your airstream to make more of the sound you want. It sounds like you are trying to get a really big sound. Big sound doesn't necessarily translate to lots and lots of air pumped down the clarinet. You need to make the reed vibrate more, which is more about air speed than air volume in my opinion.
Hope something there helps
Alex
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Author: Sylvain
Date: 2007-03-23 02:45
Find a friend who is very happy with his/her setup and see how it feels. Maybe your instrument is not sealing well, or your mouthpiece is warped? It is worth checking...
I find it odd that this happened so suddenly...
--
Sylvain Bouix <sbouix@gmail.com>
Post Edited (2007-03-23 14:10)
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Author: Bassie
Date: 2007-03-23 11:15
It could be a sudden change in the weather, or in your central heating settings. More likely your technique has simply moved into a new place.
One way out of a reed-rut is to go mouthpiece shopping. Take the reeds you're happiest with to a shop and try everything they have. You might find something worth taking home, who knows? Then you can try all your reeds on that, and hopefully find a better place to play.
I would suggest only going instrument shopping when you're happy with your mouthpiece & reed.
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Author: sherman
Date: 2007-03-23 13:43
Two things to keep in mind when considering both reedrut and a Ridenour:
1. Several things to try if in reed trouble.
a. A legere reed, comparable strength. You may or may not hate or love it, however this is a good idea for a new set of things about which to think. The finest players do this, a fact widely publicized, for different reasons.
2. The Selmer key configuration is widely known to be the best within the industry, also frequently agreed upon by professsionals and dilettantes as well.
3. But a Ridenour instrument responds as well or better than any horn on the market, a fact upon which all who have played the horn agree.
Sherman Friedland
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Author: William
Date: 2007-03-23 14:26
VD reed "Rut"?? Been there. Solution--switched back after (seemingly countless) years of playing VD12s--3.5-- to the VD Blue Box Trads 3.5 Result(s): NO MORE REED RUT. Problem solved--for the time being........
Why?? I don't know except that I suspect my Chicago Kaspar #14 was designed originally for the Trad style reed or, probably, the cut of the Trads simply is a better match for my mpc's particular facing. However--for whatever reason--the Trads seem to generally work better than the V12s. Maybe you just have to find "that reed" that works for your mouthpiece rather than "throwing the baby out with the bathwater" and replacing a clarinet that you seem to like.
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Author: Alexis
Date: 2007-03-23 15:51
I went through three years of experimentation, and ended up with what I started with. In those three years, I never managed to settle on anything I liked, and continued to search, expecting myself to know when I found what I wanted. Unfortunately, as I was not playing in a stable manner, there was no possible way I could make a balanced and informed decision over what I 'wanted'. From what you have said, I feel you are in the same situation as I was.
I also know a very fine player who went through a similar experimental phase and found during the phase he became a much worse player because he had nothing to rely on. Ever since he stopped experimenting, and worked on just playing the clarinet, everything has been going much better for him.
Food for thought perhaps.
Like Sylvain said, definitely try a 'working' set-up to see if you have the same problems on that.
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Author: buedsma
Date: 2007-03-24 10:27
Just play the clarinet in a standard way ( for you ) and stick with the sound you have in mind.
I hear a lot of stories about bad reeds , but i play normally all my reeds of a box for practice unless the sound is really horrible or the reed way too soft.
As long as i can play till altissimo c without problems , i use it , even when having some fuzz with pinched Bb.It trains you to compensate for different situations.
But : now that i remember it ===> are the seasons changing there with temperature and humidity differences ? . I found that some very good reeds suddenly played a lot worse when the temperature was rising in the spring. ( 10good reeds , all suddenly playing worse )
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