 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: butterflymusic
Date: 2008-02-12 01:18
A quick survey, just to satisfy my curiosity...how many "performance-ready" reeds do you usually have available at any given time?
I try to have two that are performance-ready plus my faithful Legere "just in case". I also have 2 waiting in the wings and another 8 or so in process.
Beverly
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Author: GBK
Date: 2008-02-12 01:29
I tell my students to use a rotation based on the "Rule of 12" -
- Have 4 newer reeds which are in the process of being broken in and adjusted.
- Have 4 fully prepared reeds which are performance ready.
- Have 4 older reeds which are for practice sessions.
- As the newer reeds reach performance level, move them into the 2nd group. Then begin to break in a new batch (4) of reeds.
- As the performance reeds pass their prime, move them into the practice group.
- As the practice reeds wear out or become too difficult to play, toss them out.
The beauty and simplicity of the "Rule of 12" for students is that they can store and keep track of all their reeds in 3 inexpensive, 4-place reed holders.
Personally, I double the above numbers and use a "Rule of 24" ...GBK
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2008-02-12 01:36
I have ten reeds in the pipeline, twenty one in various states of working.
Five bass reeds in the pipeline, ten working just fine.
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2008-02-12 02:33
10. and i switch them up every 3 weeks or so
US Army Japan Band
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2008-02-12 04:46
I use a method pretty similar to GBK's only it is the "Rule of 1"  and I don't break in reeds either.
It works like this: I get a reed I like, and I have the box with the rest of the reeds in the case just in case. I play this reed until I can't play it anymore, which is about 50/50 because it is not good anymore or I accidently break it. Then I get another reed, etc. etc.
I only adjust a reed if it's too hard and it doesn't get better by playing it a little. This doesn't happen a lot. Another reason I need the box and might change a reed is if playing in a different city or country with different weather.
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Author: Iceland clarinet
Date: 2008-02-12 07:51
GBK I acctually did have the same 12 reed rule but now I have like 6 older ones and 6 performance reeds in my 12 reed leather and 6 ones in the brake-in process in my 6 reed leather case.
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Author: Bassie
Date: 2008-02-12 09:49
Four good reeds
Four that aren't broken in quite yet
Four of a different brand for emergencies / sanity check.
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Author: clarijen
Date: 2008-02-12 13:30
Two or three good, well-playing ones, and then the rest of my 12-reed reed holder is filled with reeds that I'm either breaking in or are a bit older, in no particular order...
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2008-02-12 18:04
Five reeds on tap..as always 3 of which are Rue 56 No.4 and two V12 No.4 as well. I also have a number in reserve which are very fine as well.
David Dow
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2008-02-13 00:43
It's really interesting to read players methods of having "good" reeds on hand. Everyone has his or her own methods. I try to encourage my students to have at least four good reeds that they only use for lessons and concerts. Have at least four others for rehearsals and have others for practicing. Always have a box in "break in" mode and as you find one that is very good move it into the concert-lesson group, move the one you're replacing into the rehearsal group and that one being replaced into the practice group. There can be many variations and numbers of this method.
When Iggy Gennusa played principal in the BSO he only used one reed for all his playing, I don't know about his practicing. He would use that one reed for 3-4 weeks at all rehearsals and concerts and when his reed began to sound bright he would begin to go through other reeds at rehearsals until he found what he liked and then started the process over again. I can't remember if he had a reed case with others in it, it doesn't seem that he did but he always sounded beautiful. He was known for his lovely tone.
I do the same thing on bass clarinet, though I always have several others that I have ready to play and broken in just in case but on clarinet I rotate 8 reeds for orchestra playing and 8 for chamber music moving reeds from the practice or new reeds into my "good" reeds as needed. For me there's safety in numbers. ESP
www.peabody.jhu.edu/457
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Author: GBK
Date: 2008-02-13 00:57
Ed Palanker wrote:
> on clarinet I rotate 8 reeds for orchestra playing and
> 8 for chamber music
Can you describe what are the determinations you use to decide if a reed is suitable for orchestra or chamber music?
Thanks...GBK
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Author: Chelle
Date: 2008-02-13 05:10
I just have reed holders that hold 2 reeds so that's 2 good reeds for each instrument (Bb, bass, & alto sax). And if one is slightly better than the other, I'll write a little 1 or 2 on the back. Then I'll have the rest of the box in the case and sometimes have a few more of the somewhat decent ones labeled 3, 4, etc (depending on if I've had time to go through the entire box and test play them all). When reed #1 stops working, I switch to reed 2 and grab one of the somewhat decent ones from the box.
When I'm going through a box of reeds, I give each one a quick test play and throw them into one of 3 different piles: one for the reeds that are imediately playable (reeds 1 & 2 come from this pile), one for the reeds that are okay, but could use a little work before becoming good, and one for the reeds that are absolute crap (these just get throw back in the case to take up space because I just can't bring myself to throw away brand new reeds, even if they are crap. Once they've sat in the case for about a year, and gone through a few more test plays to confirm that they are unplayable, then they get thrown out).
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Author: Tim P
Date: 2008-02-13 14:42
i have 8 reeds in two groups of 4. the reees are in 4-reed holders and the slots are number 1-4. my best reed is in the top group #1 slot.
i try to use the top group sparingly but enough to feel confident that they are still top.
the bottom group is were I introduce new reeds and break them in. and where i watch reeds slide into retirement.
occassionly when i have lots of time (on Saturdays maybe) I will have a play-off. starting at the bottom i try two reeds and the best moves up or down. ones that move down can, eventually move right off the chart and into the "has been box". the box should be emptied into the trash but..... i just can't do it. you never know when you may need one........ or maybe i'll start a hall of fame and display them on the wall
after the initial break- in period a reed will gets to start at the bottom and sink or swim.
Sad sad sad state of affairs what us clarinet freaks do with our time.
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2008-02-13 16:26
GBK, that’s a good question. I like my chamber music reeds to sound darker. Because I need to balance and blend with my section I need to use other reeds in the orchestra. That way too, my chamber music reeds last longer and stay more consistant. ESP
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Author: pelo_ensortijado
Date: 2008-02-13 17:37
i have one box with ten reeds in the breaking in state.
one box that are finished and about 8 of them are concert ready.
and one box that i use for concert, rehersals and practice. :D
when the concertreeds is getting tired i replace them one by one from the finished reeds until that box is empty. by then the breakin in box is finished and i start breaking in an other box. :D
i use the atg system and it works wonders! nobelprize for mr ridenour?!?!
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