 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Sea Galan
Date: 2007-07-09 17:10
There is nothng more frustrating to me than to open a box of brand new reeds and have to go through all of them to find a few that play good. I'm not blaming the reeds but the very low relative humidity we have here in the Phoenix, AZ area. What I do is just soak them in a glass of water for a while before using them. It seems to work for some but others just refuse to play right. Specially the Bb just above the mid A. If that note sounds as if the clarinet has a "head cold" I know that the reed will perform poorly. Cigar afficinados have humidors to keep their precious cigars at the exact relative humidity, is there any kind of divice to keep reeds from drying out when the humidity is as low as we have here. I have also noticed that even the clarinet has a different sound when it is this dry. Any suggestions specially from players in areas of low humidity?
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2007-07-09 17:53
Five months ago I made a reed humidor for my reeds. I combined the suggestions from two different sources:
http://www.igtc.com/~pmm/tupperdor.html
and
http://idrs.colorado.edu/Publications/DR/DR13.1/DR13.1.Bartlett.ReedLong.html
Generally speaking I have been pleased with the quality and longevity of reeds since I've begun storing them in the humidor.
By using Propelyne Glycol as the humidifying agent the humidor stays at 68% humidity constantly and no mold can form on the reeds (PG prohibits this).
The drawback is that there is a chemical odor associated with PG, and the reeds "taste" of this when I begin playing. This is a miniscule frustration for me.
The total cost for the humidor was around $25.
Prior to the creation of my humidor, I was able to make playable 7-9 reeds out of any box by "curing" them. You should search this process and give it a whirl.
I am also about to receive Tom Ridenour's ATG system, and hopefully after that I will never have reed problems again!
Good luck!
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: Detru Cofidin
Date: 2007-07-10 04:43
when it's winter in MN, it's as dry as a dead stick outside. you can use anything from a ziploc bag to case humidifiers and humidifying reed cases.
Nicholas Arend
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2007-07-10 11:18
Probably nothing new here but, just as Nicholas states, the interior winter humidity can make me not want to play the clarinet. It's not just the storage humidity. Once you put the reed on the mouthpiece, you've got literally only about 60 seconds before it dries out and dies.
The only thing that works for me is using a humidifier in the practice room and breaking in reeds for a MUCH longer time. Once reeds are sufficiently "seasoned," they just seem to hold on to their pliability without moisture having to be present in the air.
............Paul Aviles
PS And before giving up and moving to Florida there are always Legere reeds.......use them 1/4 strength softer than your cane equivalent.
Post Edited (2007-07-10 11:21)
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2007-07-12 00:00
Stangely enough after years of playing in low humidity up here in Canada I generally prefer playing in winter months..I suspect what happens is the reeds I gravitate to are simply 'able" to work in the low humid atmosphere here in Canada...this summer though is a rainy one though..but not really
giving me trouble with reeds in any unmanageable way.
however I do rely on a reed knife and adjust reeds and generally break them in as I would all year long..that being said I find in summer I generally play on a somewhat softer set up...
but I certainly don't remove too much reed. I also use a dehumidifier in my house in summer months as well..so if you do have a dehumidifier for summer it is a good idea to get it going.
In winter months which usually goes here from early November to late April a few things I do are..
One...never overplay on new reeds..find the five best from a box and rotate them. On top of this make sure they are dry when storing them after practice etc. Do not use a humidor or a dampit in the case...the reeds I think are able to adjust to the environment fine on their own..however I do notice when it begins to snow my reeds will at times act strangely(raspy) but after putting things right by simply wetting the reed a bit return to their normal sound. Reeds that start out fine may break in as duds as well...
Two..
Always make sure you adjust reeds after you are properly warmed up..this way the embouchure gives you a better impression of what is happening with the reed dynamic in your set up...always remove dust from the reed..never any large amount...if you can see on the reed what you have removed you have done too much!!!
three...
play your adjusted reed after a few days of breaking in(20 min) over longer durations...2 to three hours etc. Reed rotation I feel allows you to feel more comfortable as well..so don't become a person who only plays on one reed in a practice...use a harder reed sometimes to allow your embouchure to get stronger and develop flexibility...
be sure to also play your reeds in different rooms of your house..this is a great test to find out how well your adjustments are going...
David Dow
Post Edited (2007-07-12 01:40)
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