 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: kev182
Date: 2007-08-09 17:28
Hey guys,
This may be a result of my (maybe) warped mouthpiece, some of you may have seen the thread. Ever since a few weeks ago everything had just felt different and now I'm faced with a problem I have never experienced before.
Ofcourse reeds warp when they become wet and dry out... Although this time a perfectly flat wet broken in reed will become SEVERELY warped on my mouthpiece after about 5 minutes of playing. I then began noticing this on pretty much every single reed I owned... I sanded them down and allowed them to dry out evenly only for it to happen the next time I practice.
Could this be yet another sign of a warped mouthpiece?
I am beggining to get desperate as I can't continue to sand down all my reeds! they will become tissue and I have a concert here in a few weeks =(
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Author: J. J.
Date: 2007-08-09 17:41
Kevin,
It's extremely hard to diagnose this problem from a distance, but considering you play and M13, I'd just go ahead and get another one. If that fixes it, it will be worth saving you all the grief you've been dealing with.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-08-09 17:43
Cover the tenon end of the mouthpiece with a finger to seal it, then suck all the air out from the reed end and wait until the reed opens with a good 'pop'. This should straighten out your reed.
If you can't get a vacuum formed, then either your reed is warped along it's length or your mouthpiece is leaking around the window.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: kev182
Date: 2007-08-09 17:47
The reeds are too warped to be straightened by that method.. i tried =(
The M13 Lyre pretty much makes a pop with any wet reed no matter how badly it is wapred because its so closed....
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Author: Bennett ★2017
Date: 2007-08-09 18:31
If you take a new reed and soak it in water for 5 minutes, is it warped? If you let it dry out and then repeat, is it warped? If not, put it on your mouthpiece, play it a while, let it dry out, and then soak it again. What happens? It should be easy to determine if the reed, your mouthpiece or your sanding is causing the problem.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2007-08-09 19:16
Sounds like the air is particularly dry right now where you are. I would just prolong the break-in period from three days to a week. By break-in I mean soaking for a few minutes, playing for five, then putting the reed away. Once a reed is well broken in, there shouldn't be such a drastic change in the reed after a minute on the mouthpiece as you will have with brand new reeds in dry climates.
.............Paul Aviles
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Author: kev182
Date: 2007-08-09 19:56
thanx for the help guys..
This is happening with reeds that been slowly broken in for weeks.
When the reed dries it is flat, when the reed is wet it is flat.
After playing on my mouthpiece it becomes warped.
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Author: Ed
Date: 2007-08-09 21:23
What type of ligature are you using? Is it possible that the lig is putting too much pressure on the reed from the sides (inward) and causing it to warp?
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Author: kev182
Date: 2007-08-10 01:38
I use a BG super revelation. It mainly warps from the vamp down...so I don't think that could cause it
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Author: DougR
Date: 2007-08-10 03:28
I have that happen a lot in the wintertime, when the air inside is really dry. My assumption is that water leaks in between the table and the reed (which would definitely happen on a warped mouthpiece), and the wet part of the reed swells up much more relative to the dry part of the reed, breaking the seal and rendering the reed unplayable.
The only cure I know of is to yank the reed off the mouthpiece and immerse it in water for a few minutes.
I notice the problem mainly in the winter, though, not in summer, and then mostly with larger (e.g. bass clarinet & tenor sax) reeds.
You MIGHT think about a) changing mouthpieces for a few days, and see if the frequency of reed warpage decreases any with a (presumably better sealing) different mouthpiece. The other thing is to experiment with constant-humidity reed storage, and there are threads in the archives on this.
The other option is to play the concert with lots of pre-moistened backup reeds ready, just in case. (I don't like playing under that kind of suspense, but one does what one has to do.)
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2007-08-10 03:30
As an experiment try super soaking a few reeds. Put two or three in water for several hours before playing them.....see if they still warp.
Freelance woodwind performer
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Author: Michelle
Date: 2007-08-10 04:16
I'd recommend trying a couple of Legeres and see what you think. Those are my standard backup when my cane reeds poop out. And sometimes, I grab it first even before trying cane. I like them 99.5% as well as cane.
Michelle
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Author: Bassie
Date: 2007-08-10 11:31
You could experiment with other reed brands. Different brands warp different amounts in general. I believe it's to do with the tip thickness - thinner tips warp more (so sanding isn't going to help in the long run!)
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2007-08-10 15:16
When you say "from vamp down" I assume that you mean that stock of the reed is buckling up in the middle.
I'm sure there is a legit way to handle this, but honestly I just clamp the hell out of my reeds........no problem with this at all!!
My favorite ligatures for this very purpose are: Vandoren Leather (metal plate), Eddie Daniels, Ishimori Custom (Bonade knock off).
I have no negative effects tackling the bowing this way although some players preffer a very loose ligature/reed combo for a more vibrant sound. Personally I don't know how the hell they do that.
............Paul Aviles
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Author: ABerry
Date: 2007-08-10 16:02
Kevin,
Instead of soaking & drying & sanding, soaking & drying & sanding, try a different mouthpiece…I would hope you have a back up mouthpiece, see if you get the same results with the back up. You could also possibly borrow a friend’s mouthpiece and check the results. This would be a lot quicker way to see if the problem is indeed with the mouthpiece. Mouthpieces can warp over time or if they are exposed to too much heat…I recall a story I read here on the Board about Robert Marcellus leaving his clarinet on his chair during rehearsal break with the Cleveland Orchestra, and the Sun coming through a skylight, ended up warping/melting his mouthpiece…
Also, if you don’t have a back up…now is a great time to get one…you can also check for warping at the same time.
Allan
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2007-08-10 17:25
What does your clarinet instructor say about the whole thing? Shouldn't s/he have some sort of explanation for the happenings? Of course, if you are off for the summer, what does your local instructor say?
Jeff
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Author: kev182
Date: 2007-08-11 15:18
Thanks for all the suggestions! First of all, in Kyrgyzstan a country of 4 million, there are really no clarinet teachers.... and the few that are here play on cracked mouthpieces =(
It is not warping at the tip.... that is an extremely common issue that is easily solved. I do not sand the tip either... The entire vamp is warped so it rocks on glass an incredible amount. I sand when the wood is wet/moist... sanding when its dry wouldnt really make any sense.
The legere is a great idea! I don't particularly like them, but it would be great to have a reliable backup.
I'll I'll try the supersoak idea as well =p
I know it is not a common problem for my reeds as I have been using V12s for a very long time.
I will try another mouthpiece... I do have a spare but that is also slightly damaged, worth trying though. (thanx for the idea)
It is definetly possible it was exposed to some heat/sunlight... All this happened when I got back from a music festival in Italy.
My clarinet teacher will be arriving in Beijing in a few days where I will be able see him. I will have him try out my mouthpiece and ask for his advice as well.
Thanx everyone!
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Author: Ed
Date: 2007-08-11 15:41
Quote:
and the few that are here play on cracked mouthpieces =(
next time bring a bag of them to sell!
You mention that sanding while the reeds are dry wouldn't make any sense, but since you mention that you are desperate, why don't you see if it has any effect. Even if minor, any help is better than none.
Also- make sure the back of the reed is well sealed.
Good luck.
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Author: kev182
Date: 2007-08-12 15:07
Will try that =D,
About Kyrgyzstan, I have already started a project with collecting reeds and mouthpieces from my school for the conservatory. In fact, many clarinetists will be competing for 4 mouthpieces I brought back in about 2 weeks =D. I'll post information about the project on the forum as it develops!
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