 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Curinfinwe
Date: 2012-02-18 23:43
Hello all!
I have a big audition in a week and lately my reeds have been misbehaving. I have a variety of them in various stages of their lives, but they are all very inconsistent, which is extremely frustrating and discouraging.
By "inconsistent" I mean that one day I'll flatten the back of it and balance it, and the very next day it'll be as if I didn't do anything to it and I have to do it all over again. This is happening to almost all of my reeds. I have a decent reeds case, a Wiseman, and I keep it in a ziploc to try to control the humidity a bit.
I do live on the East coast of Canada, where our winter has been brutal so far, so might the weather have anything to do with it? I really need to sort my reeds out for my audition, so any ideas are greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Anna
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Author: TJTG
Date: 2012-02-19 00:43
Try to store them with higher humidity. Put a mildly damp sponge in the bag with your reeds, or maybe some orange peels.
I find that when my reeds really really really dry out, it becomes tough to re-wet them. Like dirt, when it has been dry for too long, it doesn't soak up water at first. Higher humidity helps this. And if its only temporary, you shouldn't have to worry about mold.
Try soaking your reeds in really warm water. This can help them re-hydrate faster.
I personally believe keeping them in steady humidity isn't enough. It's the combination of stable and higher-than-room humidity which helps.
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Author: Clarimeister
Date: 2012-02-19 03:14
In addition to the humidity monitoring, you have to realize that reeds are a living thing. It's a plant (weed whatever you wanna call it) and it's bound to change. The reason we break in reeds is to more or less stabilize them to their best potential. Even after adjusting them, they're not always going to stay 100% where you changed them to. They will adapt to different temperatures, humidity levels (when you take them out of the humidifier case it'll probably change a little depending on the outside humidity level. However, just because you adjusted them one day, doesn't mean they'll stay exactly the same. You may need to do additional minor adjustments here and there.
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Author: BflatNH
Date: 2012-02-19 03:23
Do you give your reeds a rest (a day or so) between use? Do you rotate among your favorite? For me, a second day on the same reed does not work well and resembles the inconsistency you mention. Good luck
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Author: Grabnerwg
Date: 2012-02-19 03:34
What do you mean, you flatten the back, and the next day you have to do it all over again?
It sounds to me like you are over working your reeds. You should not have to adjust them after they are broken in.
Walter Grabner
www.clarinetxpress.com
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2012-02-19 03:35
Could it be that the table of your mouthpiece is not completely flat? This could well explain the day-to-day inconsistency you're getting.
Tony F.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2012-02-19 03:42
The responses so far are useful suggestions and should help. But keep in mind also that you're putting a good deal of pressure on yourself because of the audition. Chances are that you're over-reacting to the changes in your reeds - especially not waiting until they're wet enough and jumping into readjusting them too quickly. The extra pressure may also be adding tension to your approach in ways that are interfering with the reeds' best response.
If you humidify the reeds that are older than a couple of playings, they will need less time to moisten enough to play. If you don't humidify them, they will probably need to wait a little longer while the tips un-crinkle and the fibers gain their best flexibility. Either way will work, but adjusting a reed before the moisture has been distributed evenly tends to slowly destroy them by eventually thinning them too much in places that can't spare so much wood.
Good luck.
Karl
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Author: Curinfinwe
Date: 2012-02-19 14:21
Thanks for all the suggestions everyone! I'll try with more humidity, waiting longer until I re-adjust them, etc.
I am used to minor readjustments to reeds after they're broken in, but it's never happened this much before. I do stress A LOT for auditions though, so I bet that's contributing to it, which I hadn't even considered.
At the moment I have 5 or so reeds that I'm playing on, 3 of which I'm considering for my audition. I do rotate among them within practice sessions, but I don't keep track specifically if I play them two days in a row. I'll start doing that.
Thanks again! Hopefully this will help.
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Author: William
Date: 2012-02-19 16:29
William Stubbins, Professor of Clarinet Emeritus, University of Michigan, as told to me, used to scream at his students, "PLAY THE REED, DON'T LET THE REED PLAY YOU." I think what he may have really been saying was, 'be in shape and don't blame your problems on the reed.' The stronger your embouchure, the *better* your reeds will seem....I speak from personal experience. This is true even if--like me--you are playing synthetic reeds.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2012-02-19 16:44
William wrote:
> William Stubbins, Professor of Clarinet Emeritus, University of
> Michigan, as told to me, used to scream at his students, "PLAY
> THE REED, DON'T LET THE REED PLAY YOU." I think what he may
> have really been saying was, 'be in shape and don't blame your
> problems on the reed.' The stronger your embouchure, the
> *better* your reeds will seem....
This is certainly true for day-to-day playing. You can't always have an ideal reed on your mouthpiece every time you play. But for a special occasion (like an audition) you certainly want a reed that causes the fewest possible problems of its own and responds as close to optimally as you can get. The problem is that when a player is unusually stressed, unwanted tension can creep in and cause problems that mimic reed problems or exaggerate flaws in the reed's response that could normally be ignored. Obviously, trying to adjust the reed to solve these problems can turn out to be counterproductive and result in an overworked, ruined reed.
Karl
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2012-02-19 23:09
Take two good reeds and store them in water. See if this stabilizes these reeds. Take them out only to play on them a bit. Use these reeds for the auditon if nothing else is working for you.
Freelance woodwind performer
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2012-02-20 18:42
Do not put a spong in the bag with your reeds, they will get moldy and or warp, which sounds like you're reeds may be doing now, the later at least. I suggest you get a Rico Vitalizer, either the #56 or 72. I use the #56 but both will work well if you don't let your reeds sit out in the open air after you choose the reed to use. I keep them in the air tight bag with the Vitalizer all the time. All you need is one refill in an air tight bag, you don't need the reed case. They will keep your reeds humidity controlled and if you never allow them to sit out in the open air for more then a minute or two the most they will last over a year. The less they are opened to the air the longer they last, mine last well over a year, as much as two. Also, read my reed page about how to aviod reeds warping and sealing, it's all about not allowing them to get too wet or letting the bottom of the reed by the bark ever touch water. My reeds are incredibly stable in all seasons. It's been working for me for dozens of years.
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Author: tarogatoman
Date: 2012-02-21 12:32
I feel your reed pain. I am dealing with the same weather as you. I choose my reeds from any and all brands, any and all stages of reed age, and a range of reed strengths. The trick is to keep them organized and remember the playing qualities of each reed ! Sometimes for practice only I resort to plastic reeds. I never adjust a reed to bad changing conditions .Its a moving target that results in the ruin of the reed from too many adjustments.
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