 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Stephanie
Date: 2001-01-20 04:22
Okay, I'm only a sophomore in high school so I don't know how to sand down my reeds or anything like that just cuz no one ever taught me. So, is the only choice I have at the moment is to just keep buying boxes of reeds til I find the perfect one? Oh, I use Vandy V12s (3's). Get back to me!
Stephanie
(who by the way, did make all state! I am soooo HAPPY!)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Dee
Date: 2001-01-20 13:43
Stephanie,
There are books available on how to adjust reeds. Check Gary Van Cott's page. He is one of the sponsors of sneezy. Also many books on the clarinet, such as David Pino's, will have a chapter about reed adjustment.
Here are some things to consider and to do besides reed adjustment.
1. Is the strength of the reed properly matched to the mouthpiece? Some mouthpieces need a soft reed and others a hard reed. If the match is incorrect, then you will have a tough time finding a reed that works. For example, the makers of the Vandoren B45 mouthpiece recommend that a player use the equivalent of regular Vandoren 2.5 to 3.5 reeds on that particular mouthpiece. Softer or harder will generally make it more difficult to play and thus tend to make the player think the reeds are bad when they are not. They just aren't appropriate for that mouthpiece. On the 5RV, they recommend a 3 to 4 reed.
2. If the reed seems too hard, move it a hair down on the mouthpiece. Try moving the ligature down on the mouthpiece (those scribe lines are only guidelines not hard and fast rules). Try combining these items.
3. If the reed seems too soft, move it a hair up on the mouthpiece. Try moving the ligature up on the mouthpiece. Try combining these items.
4. If the reed just seems a little sluggish, try moving it a hair to one side or the other.
5. If nothing works on that reed that day, save it for a different day when the weather and you are a little different.
6. Have plenty of reeds on hand and rotate through them so that you don't become fixed on the characteristics of one individual reed. I keep not less than 10 in my rotation. Every time you practice, put on a different reed until you've gone through the group. That way each reed will get a chance to dry out and recover properly. Even if a reed plays less than great, at least use it in practice sessions. Your embouchure will learn to cope and you will learn to sound great on a much wider variety of reeds. You will also have far less worry and cost in finding "a good reed."
Perhaps this reed is not right for you. I've tried the V12 and can't stand them even though I can play them. On the other hand, the regular Vandorens and the Mitchell Luries respond beautifully for me (note Mitchell Luries run softer than Vandorens so you need a higher number to get the equivalent strength).
By following the above procedures, I've only thrown out one reed in 10 years. I've been able to use up reeds that I didn't like but that I had bought to try out the brand. In my preferred brands, I use all 10 reeds in a box. A couple are great, most are acceptable to good. Only occasionally do I adjust a reed these days. My embouchure has learned to compensate without conscious effort on my part. A few minutes warming up on scales or whatever and I'm set to play. It seems to work well as the other clarinetists in the community bands have always complemented me on my tone.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Anji
Date: 2001-01-20 13:45
I love the sound of a well adjusted V12. I buy them at heavier strength and sand then down until they play. 3 out of 12 straight from the box is average, unfortunately.
Check out the Rico Grand Concert for a less expensive (and pretty good) comparison.
I use Larry Guy's book on reed selection and adjustment.
Roger Garrett has a blurb in the Archives that is very good, too.
anji
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Dee
Date: 2001-01-20 14:37
Anji wrote:
>
> I love the sound of a well adjusted V12. I buy them at
> heavier strength and sand then down until they play. 3 out of
> 12 straight from the box is average, unfortunately.
I will continue to maintain that this low a yield straight from the box is not the fault of the reed but a problem with some part of the setup, reed choice, or player technique. We all have better things to do with our time, such as practicing, than sanding reeds.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Anji
Date: 2001-01-20 23:27
There are two pretty distinct schools of thought about genuine cane reeds;
Play whatever comes out of the box (the best local player advocates this), and adjust to the natural tendency of the reed.
Adjust them until they have achieved the best subjective performance.
If I were alone in the latter camp, none of the books on the subject would sell.
Okay, I might buy two copies.
If you are one of the lucky players that can tolerate the performance of these as delivered, congratulations.
Deriding the play of those of us insistent on tweaking (doesn't Anthony Gigliotti work his reeds over, too?) is presumptive.
anji
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Dee
Date: 2001-01-21 03:20
No one is deriding those who insist on tweaking reeds. I've had occasions to tweak them too. I'm just trying to encourage people to quit being paranoid about reeds. I want them to consider all angles of the situation. "Reed problems" may have nothing to do with the reeds in some cases. People who can find only one or two good ones in a box are going to suffer a lot of frustration, time lost, and expense. Why go through all that when learning to adapt has such high rewards?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Hiroshi
Date: 2001-01-22 04:16
1.Use Alexander Superial-Classic.
Just wash a reed with flowing lukewarm water to get rid of micor dust or
chips and insert it into a ReedGuarde to straighten up. Wait 2 dasys to
dry up. Then it is ready to play. No adjusment is necessary.
2.Other reeds
1)Above step is necessary before starting reed adjustment anyway.
2)Each clarinetist has his own way for reed adjustment after a long
try and error.
For example Kalmen Opperman's way described in Clarinet Magagine
seems a black magic to me.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
