 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2009-07-11 03:21
There are actually several reasons. If you're having trouble keeping the pitch up on your throat tones. If your high register is either very week or not speaking. if you find yourself pinching closed and your not really pinching, If your tone is weak or not projecting. If it doesn't take any effort or support to blow into the clarinet. Remember though, all, or most, of the above can also be caused by other things like a poor mouthpiece or bad habits like a poor embouchure, lack of support, pinching, choking etc. so it's not always the reeds fault, just most of the time. ESP http://eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: fitmjbefree
Date: 2009-07-11 06:04
im having some trouble making my high notes speak. would that be a good enough reason to try out some harder reeds?
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Author: kdk
Date: 2009-07-11 18:03
All that can happen is that everything will get airy and fuzzy and *nothing* will speak easily. If that happens, harder reeds wasn't the right solution and you go back to what you were using. You don't really need *any* reason to try anything, so long as you don't persist in it if it doesn't work out well.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2009-07-11 18:07
FWIW, here's a quick description I posted in another similar thread of symptoms that may indicate /too hard* a reed strength (in case you try the harder reed and want to know if it's working):
"Some indicators of too heavy a reed might be general fuzziness in the sound, unclear, airy and muffled chalumeau, unusual fuzziness in the throat tones - especially F# to A (don't just use Bb as a criterion - G, G# and A should be clear-sounding notes), instability in the altissimo register, a general lack of flexibiliy..."
Best,
Karl
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2009-07-11 18:43
Test your present reed by placing it higher on the mouthpiece. The tip of the reed will be past the tip of the mouthpiece by 1mm, 2mm, 3mm. Make sure the reed is still straight (vertically) on the mouthpiece when you test. If the reed sounds better with the reed raised then a stronger reed might be for you. What is the highest note you can play?
Freelance woodwind performer
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2009-07-11 20:32
What strength are you playing. Excessive biting can give you symptoms of having too soft a reed also.
If you are playing a 2 or 2 1/2 then it's probably not biting, even maybe with a 3 it isn't. If you are playing a 3 1/2 already make sure that you aren't biting.
Many band directors have their students play 4, 4 1/2, or 5's just because they think that "that's what better the players play".
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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