 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Slowoldman
Date: 2013-08-13 19:52
It seems pretty consistent that Bb reeds are 13mm wide at the tip, but the width at the butt end of various brands differs quite a bit. What does tapering the reed toward the tail end accomplish?
Amateur musician, retired physician
Delaware Valley Wind Symphony, clarinet 1
Bucks County Symphony Orchestra, clarinet 2 (sub)
Post Edited (2013-08-13 19:53)
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2013-08-13 20:24
Elegant visual design. The look of speed and power.
Saving a few micro-euros of cane cost at the thin end.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2013-08-13 20:25
Maybe it ensures that the reed will not extend beyond the edge of the table. Some tables are narrower than others.
Karl
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Author: rtmyth
Date: 2013-08-13 20:52
retailing has something to do with it, I believe.
richard smith
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Author: Slowoldman
Date: 2013-08-13 21:24
Allow me to rephrase my question. (...or, "but seriously, folks")
Does narrowing the tail of a reed change its sound, or its response, or anything else about how it plays?
Thanks.
Amateur musician, retired physician
Delaware Valley Wind Symphony, clarinet 1
Bucks County Symphony Orchestra, clarinet 2 (sub)
Post Edited (2013-08-13 21:42)
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Author: Wes
Date: 2013-08-13 21:45
Some of the narrow butt reeds I've tried seem to be a tiny bit higher in pitch and brighter sounding. Is it my imagination?
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Author: sonicbang
Date: 2013-08-13 22:02
I make my own reeds and I was trying to make distinctly different designs so I was experimented witht this factor too. I think tapering the reed blank has a greater effect when you have a mouthpiece with concave table (eg.Vandoren, Zinner) The resistance decreases in some cases and the reed vibrates more. But since there are no two same piece of reed, this is hard to prove.
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Author: Grabnerwg
Date: 2013-08-14 14:54
I don't think that the width of the reed at the butt makes any difference at all. Width at the tip, however, makes very observable differences.
When you make your own reeds, there is always the temptation to narrow the width of the tip of the reed to below 13 mm, say to 12.8 mm. As you thin the reed, the response improves dramatically. However, if you go too far, you can ruin the tone quality and be left with a thin buzzy sound.
Walter Grabner
www.clarinetxpress,com
New CXZ_G11* and CXZ_G13* mouthpieces
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2013-08-14 18:31
I guess one test would be to take a good known reed of standard butt shape and then gradually taper the butt width using a block plane or file.
Then test at intervals to see if this has any effect.
At least this removes all the other variables apart from butt width and shape.
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2013-08-14 19:15
I've done a reasonable facsimile of the Smale Test in the past and noted no playing changes caused solely by narrowing the width of the butt end of the reed.
Now if you were to Hamilton plate the end of the reed, THAT would make a huge difference.*
*I'm kidding, it's a joke, so please don't get offended, you know who I'm talking to.......
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2013-08-15 14:29
Walter Grabner wrote,
>I don't think that the width of the reed at the butt makes any difference at all. Width at the tip, however, makes very observable differences. >
I'm an amateur, but fwiw, I agree. I own some antique mouthpieces that aren't the same sizes and shapes as most modern ones. I can mess around with the bases of the reeds all I like, but if the tip of a reed fails to lie squarely over the rails, covering them without overlapping them, then I get bad results, mostly in the form of squeaks. A reed that overlaps the rails at the sides can also cut the player's lip.
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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