 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: nes
Date: 2008-10-09 08:15
Do different reed sizes alter your tuning?
Do different reed makes alter your tuning?
Do different reed materials alter your tuning?
I find I am genrally sharper than most people, even with the Greg Smith MP!so I am looking at changing my reeds.
Setup:
Buffest R13
Greg Smith 1++ MP
Reeds Australia Passion reeds size 4
Living in Australia - tuning to A=440.
Having to pull out about 2.5mm between barrel and 1.5mm between upper and lower joints.
Thanks
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Author: NorbertTheParrot
Date: 2008-10-09 09:49
If by reed "sizes" you actually mean strengths, then I think there isn't much doubt the answer is yes. A softer reed will play flatter than a harder reed, but will also cause the pitch to vary more with jaw pressure.
I'm not convinced that different reed designs affect pitch as such. But different designs affect sound quality, and may cause the player to alter his voicing so as to achieve the sound quality he desires, which may in turn affect pitch.
This is all surmise; happy to be proved wrong!
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2008-10-09 12:00
I have found that some synthetic reeds play slightly flatter than cane, so I suppose it might be possible that variations in different cane can affect pitch. However, 2 piece of cane are much more similar than a piece of cane and a piece of plastic, so I think any difference would be very minimal.
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2008-10-09 12:33
If you are that sharp, you might consider that your barrel is a bit too short for your needs. Are you using a standard Buffet 66mm barrel? You may want to go a little longer to get the pitch you want. Try several barrels to see what works and sounds best for you. If you are happy with the sound you are getting from the Smith mouthpiece and your current reeds, don't change that part of the setup at all.
Jeff
“Everyone discovers their own way of destroying themselves, and some people choose the clarinet.” Kalman Opperman, 1919-2010
"A drummer is a musician's best friend."
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Author: claritoot26
Date: 2008-10-09 19:38
Did the Smith mouthpiece bring your pitch down compared to the mouthpiece you previously had? There are different Zinner blanks that mp makers use, some tune to 440, while others tune to 442. If you really like the mp, try longer barrel. I haven't found that the different reeds I play on affect my pitch noticeably.
Lori
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2008-10-09 21:26
Although it could be, I’ve never heard of someone changing reed brands to alter their pitch and if you like the #4 reed it’s questionable that you would like a softer reed on the off chance that it may, I say may, play a bit flatter. Trying a longer barrel, even trying several brands if you can, they all play different, even with the same brand. That’s probably the smartest thing to do but it’s also possible that the mouthpiece is playing sharp. In any case, the right barrel should solve that problem for you. ESP www.peabody.jhu.edu/457
Listen to a little Mozart, with a Backun barrel.
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Author: Gregory Smith ★2017
Date: 2008-10-09 22:33
The mouthpiece is A=440 style.
Something made of wood has shrunk creating less overall volume of air in the bore of either the clarinet or the barrel or both.
Try longer barrels, larger bore barrels. If that doesn't work, by process of deduction you can assume that somewhere inside the clarinet, the wood has shrunk.
If the clarinet has shrunk, try another R13, preferably newer or one that you know plays well in tune by someone else.
Generally we all know that some of us just naturally tend toward flat, sharp, or center of the pitch. You may be a "sharp" player, but the degree of sharpness that you are experiencing would be solved through further investigation of equipment other than reeds.
BTW, what is the room temp where you are testing? Very important as you know.
Gregory Smith
http://www.gregory-smith.com
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Author: Gary Foss
Date: 2008-10-10 00:43
Something I would try is a little double lip playing, to see if Your embouchure/jaw is adding to the pitch.
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2008-10-10 13:10
Reed strength does affect my pitch. If the reed is too soft for the particular mouthpiece and clarinet, then I play flat, especially in the throat tones, but I can generally "lip up" those notes safely. However, it's hard to play higher than first C above the staff with a reed that's too soft.
If the reed is too hard for me, then I can play it on pitch by "lipping down," loosening my embouchure, but that's dangerous. I can only get away with a loose-for-me embouchure up to about the top of the staff -- after that, a sloppy lip means too little support for the note and I risk "accidental altissimo" from G up to C and uncontrollable shrieks farther upstairs with the altissimo fingerings. If I have to choose, I think I play better on a reed that's a bit too soft than I do on a reed that's too hard, but I try to avoid either problem by picking out the best reeds for each setup and labeling the holders. Yeah, I have to spend more money on reeds, but reeds are cheaper than aggravation.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
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