 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: James N
Date: 2007-07-12 21:21
Hi guys..this is my first post, so hello to you all.
I have played the clarinet for 7years now, and have taken Grades 1-5, and just taken and passed my Grade 5 theory. I am working towards my Grade 6, and I am currently in my summer holidays, but going into 6th form as of September.
My question is...how do you prepare your reeds? Or do you?
I have never done so, and am just wondering what the benefits are.
I have read about soaking them in water, and even in hydrogen peroxide- but what do you do/recommend.
Thanks
James
Post Edited (2007-07-12 21:22)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: hans
Date: 2007-07-12 21:29
James N,
Congratulations on your progress to date.
I give my Legere a quick lick on the side that sits on the mouthpiece. It helps to make a better seal. But you probably want to know how to prepare a cane reed. If you will click on Search and type your question, you will get a large amount of information.
Regards,
Hans
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2007-07-12 22:45
Minimalism works best for me. Soak reeds two minutes, then play on them for five minutes, then put the reeds away until the next day. Do this three days in a row. The fourth day the reeds should be good to play as long as you like. I then continue to soak reeds two minutes before playing. My latest thoughts on that (with no real clue whatsoever) is that having water in the cells of the reed cuts down on any possible deleterious affect of enzymes in the saliva.
Anyway, my double reed compatriots soak their reeds like crazy and it works for them.
.............Paul Aviles
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: FDF
Date: 2007-07-12 23:05
A little scrubbing with a Q-tip of hydrogen peroxide takes the mold off of reeds that have been stored for a while.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Iceland clarinet
Date: 2007-07-12 23:25
I always have 12 reeds with me about 4 that are scale and practie good,4 that are reharsale good and 4 that are performance good. I always start by wetting them in my mouth then I take the reed on the glass surface of my reed case(Steuer leather bound best clarinet investment ever) and then rub it from heal to tip with my thumb to seal the fibres then I play it for like 5 min and rub it again and moister it a little bit(so it will not dry as soon)and put it back to the reed case. I do this for like 5-7 days always increasing the time I play on it. Then I always have reed for every occasion.
Just one question: I was wodering how come that on the Rico site I saw two clarinetists and two saxaphonists talking about breaking in reeds and the clarinetist wanted to brake them in by playing and resting them and then after few days maybe adjusting them but the saxaphonists begin after playing the reed for the first time to scrabe and sand them and then said this reed will be perfect for tonight ? If I don't brake in reeds for 5-7 days they always die on me after 1-3 days or even go from being concert quality to being practice quality in one hour or so.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: SVClarinet09
Date: 2007-07-12 23:26
Well to get great one on one, try to get a teacher. If you can't, try ordering Tom Ridenour's ATG system. What I do when I have new reeds is I soak them in Hydrogen Peroxide for a minute or two. Then I take and sand the back of the reed flat and I make sure all the pores are completely shut( I take my thumb and rub it up and down) One of the pros I've gotten a chance to sit down with told me that's all she does. Sometimes if that doesn't work for me, I take a knife and I start working on the reed to get what I want (ie stuffy notes to go away, hard to articulate, etc) Do searches on the bboard and you will find recommendations on what to do.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Iceland clarinet
Date: 2007-07-13 00:40
SVClarinet09 How on earth can you get usable life out of your reed when you fiddle with it before you broken it in ? My reeds will die if I fiddle or play too long on it before they are broken in.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: SVClarinet09
Date: 2007-07-13 01:03
They just do. I don't know how. Sure they need a little revamp here and there but I've been using the same reeds for quite sometime now and nothing goes wrong. Usually when I throw my reeds away it's because they've chipped or cracked or they were bent at the tip and tone quality suffers. Other than that my reeds last me ages.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2007-07-13 06:37
clarnibass wrote:
> Here is what I do to prepare reeds:
>
Same here. Nothing. ![[wink]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie3.gif)
--
Ben
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: 2E
Date: 2007-07-13 06:55
hahaha very clever you two.
I normally open the box and dip each one in water for about a minute. Then I'll lightly sand the back flat (use even pressure, you can hold it up to a light source to see if its all even and smooth with no dark patches etc.) I'll then play each one for 5 minutes per day and then maybe lightly rub over the top with sand paper to get it all even and smooth if they start to change at all. After playing them, I'll rub them lightly on paper to dry them before storage to avoid warping (no pressure needed, ur not smoothing the backs only drying.) I only store them in the vandoren boxes, tried sealable bags but they sprout mould spores too easily if not dried well enough.
seems to work alright for me, 2E
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: BobD
Date: 2007-07-13 10:17
Well, I have never seen a violinist fiddle with a reed!
I never soak in water. Take it out of the box, put it in your mouth for awhile and then play it. If it plays good don't fiddle with it. If it doesn't then go to the "Search" function here where you will find all kinds of hints.....the latest being the vandoren Reed Resurfacer kit.
Bob Draznik
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
