 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Aequore
Date: 2008-01-04 20:04
Ok,
For the past few weeks i have been storing my reeds in water and letting them get hydrated once more. I left the reeds in water for about a couple of days. When I took them out to dry and set up i noticed almost all were bent ''warped'' or had fungus on them. Whats the cause of that???...did i leave them too long in water???...
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2008-01-04 20:51
Too much water is just as bad as too little...hence warping.
There was something in the water that could grow...so it did. If you are determined to explore this further, why not try distilled water?
James (who keeps his reeds in a humidor)
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: glin
Date: 2008-01-04 21:59
Prepping reeds in water before playing or working on them = yes.
Usually you leave them to soak for a few minutes.
To leave reeds in water for days is too much time, IMHO. I would suspect you are going to destroy your reeds this way.
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Author: FDF
Date: 2008-01-04 23:06
I haven't tried this so I can't recommend the procedure. However, I received an EVO-5 for Christmas and the following advice about reed performance was enclosed: "To yield maximum benefit from the ligature, moisten the reed thoroughly before playing. Experiment with soaking the reed for as long as 1 to 3 hours, to stabilize the moister balance before playing. This will minimize reed warp and stuffiness."
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2008-01-05 00:10
Even being true, 1-3 hours and a couple of days are from the same!
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2008-01-05 01:45
I soak the tip until the water has been drawn into the heel of the reed. For some reeds this is a couple of seconds, for others, a couple of minutes (or more).
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2008-01-05 08:30
Along with some other players we tried long term soaking. It works quite fine. We used Tupperware containers and added some mouthwash once in awhile.....or change the water every day or so. Hydrogen peroxide solution is also possible to add. We did it for adverse conditions....Winter season in Canada. It really didn't turn any reed into 'mush' in fact the opposite occured....the reeds become somewhat brittle and snap if you tried to break them. These super soaked reeds don't warp......as long you don't let them dry thoroughly....then they become totally unusable. The sound of the reeds in this supersoaked state is up for debate....there might be a difference....I'm not sure. If you are having warping problems with a lot of your reeds give this approach a try. If you aren't having problems it isn't worth the effort.
Freelance woodwind performer
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Author: Aequore
Date: 2008-01-05 16:33
Wow,
Then i guess i left them in water for too long. I did add some mouth wash, which i was advised to do so. Also i didnt change the water so that could of been a factor. But if all of you advise me to leave the reed for only a couple of minutes in water, i guess i will try that.
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2008-01-05 16:58
Why not try the distilled water and see what works for you? Try something new, find success, and then change our minds?
Maybe you can do a test group with one half a box vs the other (yep...not too scientific, but why not?).
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2008-01-05 18:18
Keep it somewhat scientific though......
Take the same reed, wet if like you are supposed to 1-2 minutes max (yeah, I'm biased) and try the reed. Then soak it however long the long version is and then try it again.
If the reed is the proper strength it will probably feel like tissue paper. If you are playing on a reed that is much too strong for you, than the waterlogged version of it may play alright as you soaked it into submission.
Or, soak it in Vodka and enjoy whatever it plays like .......
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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Author: rtmyth
Date: 2008-01-05 18:53
No, no, no! as Danny Kaye would say.For a new reed, wet it for a minute or two, play for 5, not above middle G. Let it dry overnight on a flat plate glass. Repeat for 5 days, covering more of the range and volume changes each day. Now increase playing time each day , but not over one hour. Result: your reed will last longer, with little warping. .
richard smith
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2008-01-05 19:54
Richard,
I am in the same neighborhood of reed preparation as you are...I just don't find the need to be so gradual over five days. Otherwise your process and mine are the same.
But this isn't a discussion of curing the reed, just soaking it!
In reality we aren't yet certain if Aequore is doing this to prepare his reeds or as a method of maintaining them, and there is quite a difference. (It really looks like maintenance now that I re-read it.)
My reeds never warp because I keep them in a humidor at a constant 68-70% humidity. No need to soak, and no degradation in integrity.
James
Gnothi Seauton
Post Edited (2008-01-05 19:59)
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Author: William
Date: 2008-01-06 00:41
Since I began moistening my clarinet and sax reeds with saliva only--never water--my reeds never warp, dry out on a gig nor develop fungus. I break them in slowly and store them on a Harrison flat glass reed case. After each moistening (less than 30 seconds) I rub the vamps to prevent the absorbsion of too much moisture while playing and to help retain initial moisture between playing episodes such as long rests, tacit sections or when I'm playing another instrument. Water just seems to bog my reeds down and make them "thuddy". And no matter how long I soaked my sax reeds in a glass of water (the tip or whole reed), they would always dry out and warp while sitting on the stand. I don't know why, but warping and drying out isn't a problem with saliva--at least for me.
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2008-01-06 17:18
I'm with Tobin on this....As great as this group is, there is an overriding temptation to take other peoples' opinions as gospel without really testing it and discovering for yourself. I think there is so much stuff here that has to fit the individual. Of course there are a few basics but even these are worth turning upside down to see if they are true for you. Reinventing the wheel on every subject isn't necessary but there is a time to dismiss what everyone else says(including me) and find your truth. This is somewhat analagous to copying Robert Marcellus' Mozart without first playing the piece in your way. The blank slate isn't such a bad way to start. I wouldn't finish there however!
Freelance woodwind performer
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2008-01-06 20:45
Ognenovski's is an outSTANDING contribution to the clarinet world, David, and I think you're being shortsighted.
(putting down my crack-pipe now.)
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: fontan29
Date: 2008-01-06 22:18
There is a scientist at Texas A&M who has been searching for the answer as to why Stradivarius instruments are so amazing. His theory was that the logs of wood that were used to make the violins were kept, for a little while, in Venice's waterways due to lack of space to store them on land.
Maybe you are on to something. Has anyone tried to soak their cane and reed blanks in some kind of solution? I know some people soak their cane in water, but has anyone found anything better? Don't some repairmen immerse clarinets sometimes in oilsoap? Time for some experimenting!
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Author: fontan29
Date: 2008-01-07 00:41
If you don't experiment and test the boundaries, how are we going to progress? It will be what it will be and if it works, great. Practice is by far the best way to improve, but as evidenced by all of the products clarinetists buy (ie. new barrels, bells, new types of reeds, ligatures, etc.), aren't we all looking for something outside of our practice rooms that could either help our playing get better or help us find that comfort level that makes us believe our playing is better or easier? If trying a new process for storing reeds works, great. If not, oh well, back to the practice room. Isn't it worth a shot?
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2008-01-07 12:11
Yeah, kind of like if you are told that if you touch it, it will burn your hand, and then you touch it "just to make sure" ......
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"Maybe you are on to something. Has anyone tried to soak their cane and reed blanks in some kind of solution? "
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Actually there is something like that which Anton Weinberg put out which you apply to the reed - called "reed feed". He's a sponsor so you can either click on the banner or find him on the sponsor pages. I bought some of the stuff a few years ago, but haven't used it yet (and can't currently find it either..) so no report. Weinberg was Ricardo's Indiana U. teacher.
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
Post Edited (2008-01-07 12:15)
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Author: jwiseman114
Date: 2008-01-07 13:14
Reeds are mysterious little B***&^%& and i think that it leads to a ton of crazy theories. I tried this little experiment some years ago. I personally didn't like it but I agree that you should try it yourself. Personally I will try just about anything to figure out how to tame a reed!
The one thing that I didn't see clearly stated but only touched upon is that if you are trying this you must add something to the water to prevent bacterial growth. I used Hydrogen Peroxide. Water is bacteria's preferred living environment and the reed is its food. They also Defecate in their own home! It is is gross and you can get sick from it.
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