 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Steve
Date: 2001-03-12 13:01
I have met several accomplished ethnic music players (Greek, Macedonian Gypsy, etc.) who use #1-1.5 reeds instead of #3-4. Any opinions on the pros and cons of this practice? Would the same thing be accomplished by using so-called jazz mouthpieces? What is the advantage of using harder reeds generally?
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Author: Dee
Date: 2001-03-12 14:16
While harder reeds are *not* a cure-all, they assist the player in having better tone and pitch on altissimo notes (i.e. notes above the second ledger line above the staff). On a soft reed, it is way too easy to be flat on these high notes. Then the player starts to "pinch" trying to get up to pitch. Well pinching gives a thin, screechy, unpleasant sound. This is not desireable. So as a player develops in the classical area and moves into playing more and more high notes, they will typically move to harder reeds.
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Author: Bob Curtis
Date: 2001-03-12 17:36
Steve:
I do not play an extremely hard reed, nor do I recommend this to my students. However, I feel that the reed must be stiff enough to get the job done what ever style of music you are playing. I play both symphonic and jazz music using the same instrument and the same mouthpiece - reed combination. I am currently playing a Zonda 2 1/2 reed (comparable to a 3 1/2 vanDoren, etc.) on a Selmer crystal HS * mouthpiece and it works well for me. Of course, I have used this mouthpiece for almost 50 years, and know its capabilities very well.
As to the Jazz or Ethnic music, some styles require that you either start lower or go down to the intended pitch. This can be tricky to perform unless you have good control of the instrument. It takes good lip control to get this done, and a lot of practice. Start listening to the various styles of ethnic music and Jazz and then start practicing by imitating what you hear. If you can, get someone to give you pointers about how to play a particular style.
Good luck in your efforts.
Bob Curtis
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 2001-03-13 01:20
Steve Lacy(soprano sax) uses 1.5 Marca and I read Karl Leister uses 3 (Steuer?).
There are some group of instructors, especially Germans to our surprise, who say 'If you cannot control thinner reeds, why can you thicker ones?'
Maybe Gipsy people think 'Forget other people say. I do like this.'
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Author: Simon
Date: 2001-03-13 05:04
Hi Steve ,
Yo have mentioned Macedonian music , you may want to visit the following web site, although it doesn't give you a lot of technical information on reeds etc it gives you a lot of information about Macedonian music.
http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Choir/1568/
This clarinetist is the father of Macedonian folk music. Please write and let me know how you go.
Best Regards
Simon
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Author: Mark Charette, Webmaster
Date: 2001-03-13 11:32
Or, it gives you some really amusing hype written by his son. This site is an Internet landmark, famous for the hyperbole. There's some rather, ah, interesting sound clips on the site.
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Author: Mark Charette, Webmaster
Date: 2001-03-13 22:37
In response to a message in my mailbox - I make no claims to knowing how Macedonian music is supposed to sound, but I do know how hyperbole reads ...
And I still say some of those clips, especially those of the classical genre, are "interesting" at best.
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Author: Merrill Mitler
Date: 2001-03-18 02:55
I agree about the hardness of # 3 Steuer. However, I need to know a good source for buying Steuer reeds. My source has dried-up.
Thanks,
Merrill Mitler
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2001-03-18 03:19
As I'm writing this response, my son is on his way to Steuer to try reeds at
the factory. They have moved from Lindau and are now near Freiburg. The
address is: Dorfstrasse 10 D-79280 Au. Telephone: +49 (0) 761- 401 96 75.
Fax: +49 (0) 761-401 96 77
E-Mail: Firma_Steuer@t-online.d
For Boehm system, they have one type reed called French cut.
For the German system, they stopped making the individual cuts after famous
clarinetists like Sabine Meyer for example, but they have a couple of
different sort.
They also make Bass clarinet reeds for Boehm system which are excellent, but
still don't make any for alto clarinet or basset horn.
I just called the firm and the owner gave me the information for the
representative in America:
International Musical Suppliers
The representative is Lisa Argis.
681 Graceland Ave.
Des Plaines Illinois
60016
Tel: 800-762 1116
Fax: 8478279092
Internet address: http://www.IntlMusicalSuppliers.com/
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