 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: SonicManEXE
Date: 2013-12-02 20:27
Hello all.
Some of you may remember me a couple years ago about a scare I had with my instrument. Well, I'm back with another question. I've been playing soprano for almost five years. As I've improved my sound, my technique and my equipment, I've noticed that it's the reed a lot of the time that keeps me from playing piano or easily getting notes out (particularly G and A above the staff. That could be my plastic Yamaha instrument though (I'll be replacing it with an R13 soon enough)). I like Vandoren 3-V12s because they're not the hardness of 3 1/2s, but they don't get soft quickly like normal 3s.
I recently discovered that if you put new reeds in water for 3-5 minutes, they become easier to break in. I hear a lot of conflicting reports, though. My friend, a fantastic oboe player, told me that just a dip should be fine; then again, she's an oboe player. I also hear that a dip before/during normal playing also helps.
Basically, what I'm asking is for your experiences. Undoubtedly my mileage will vary, which is why I'm asking all y'all first.
Jared
Ft. Lauderdale & Tampa, FL
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Author: AAAClarinet
Date: 2013-12-02 21:11
For years I've had success soaking oboe reeds for 3-5 mins and clarinet reeds only 5-10 seconds. This is what works for me.
( I only soak the vamp of the reed )
AAAClarinet
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2013-12-02 21:11
Ever since I was a student I've soaked my reeds in water for about 10 minutes before playing a note on them, every time I use them. This is apart from the break-in process, which has been discussed ad nauseum on this BB in the past.
Do you mean you've been playing on dry reeds? That's a recipe for poor performance and premature reed death, in my non-humble opinion.
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2013-12-02 23:37
Virtually every double reed player I have worked with gives their reeds a really good soak before playing at least a minute or more. New reeds or ones that have dried out often need much longer.
For breaking in I always soak my clarinet reeds (vamp only) for several minutes daily and don't even play on them for first 2 or 3 days.
After break-in is completed I still find a reasonable soak of 1/2 to 1 minute provides the best results before playing.
Some reeds, especially when nearly new, seem to dry within first few minutes of playing and need a brief soak (or in mouth) for few seconds to get them back to condition.
The feel and sound of the reed should guide you on this point.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2013-12-03 03:10
You're right - your mileage may well differ. Just to add to the confusion (and at least partially disagree with Norman), my experience is that a brand new reed needs at most half a minute (or less) with the entire vamp submerged in water. Reeds that are older, in my experience, are the ones that sometimes need several minutes.
If you get another dozen answers, they'll disagree with each other to varying degrees and you'll have no consensus and a good deal of confusion. You'll waste a lot less time just trying different length soaks with your reeds. If you ruin a reed, don't do the same thing again. If something seems to work well, stay with it - what matters is how the reeds play for you after you do whatever you do - stand on your head with them stuck in your mouth bark end first, if that works.
I do think that double reeds must react to prolonged soaking differently from single reeds. I think if I soaked my reeds as long as some oboists I know soak theirs, my reeds would disintegrate.
Good luck.
Karl
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2013-12-03 03:13
Oboe reeds are a different animal. There has to be sufficient soaking to get the opening back to where it was . When oboe reeds are stored in the reed case the aperture gradually reduces . Soaking restores the opening and insures a good seal on the sides of the reed. Clarinet reeds being flat don't require this attention.
IMO it doesn't matter how long you soak a clarinet reed. it's personal preference.
Freelance woodwind performer
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2013-12-03 10:28
I'm in the water camp. Of course you can over due it (don't want to soak a brand new reed for more that about 3 minutes) but I always start out soaking my reed for about 2 to five minutes before playing. And as above the longer times are for well established playing reeds.
..............Paul Aviles
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2013-12-03 12:12
I'm in a minority, but I think that reeds sound and play better when the bottom is polished. (My mouthpieces have an absolutely flat table).
I'm also in the soak-it camp. I buy a box of reeds one strength too stiff, fill a flat-bottom soup bowl with water and drop them in. When the tips go from corduroy to flat, I take them out and let them dry, bark-down. After a several cycles, I put each reed on a well-worn sheet of 600 black-coat sandpaper over a sheet of plate glass and polish the bottom to a mirror flatness, pressing only on the bark. As I do this, I look at the butt for symmetry and press harder on the thicker side, if there is one.
I then polish the entire underside on a blank prepaid tan cardboard Post Office postcard. (You can also use a sheet of blank newsprint (torn from a newspaper display ad with lots of white space.)
After maybe 3 cycles of this, the reeds have done all the warping they will do, and the strength has come down one number. I then soak them until the tips are flat and play each until it starts to feel "thuddy" and the response goes bad. This means that the tip has had everything it can take for this session (it turns translucent) and it's time to go on to the next reed.
The usable playing time may be only a couple of minutes, but it lengthens over the course of a week or so.
And for practice and band performance, I use a Legere.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2013-12-03 12:42
I'm an amateur, but fwiw .... I soak reeds in water before playing, too. Often I play more than one clarinet and/or sax during a practice session. When I set an instrument aside for awhile, I leave the reed on, but wrap a piece of damp (not soaking wet) paper towel over the reed. I secure the damp paper towel around the mouthpiece with a rubber band. In the ditty-bag near my music stand, I keep a small plastic bag with a couple of rubber bands and (dry!) pieces of paper towel cut to the right size, so that I have paper ready to dunk in my reed-soaking water as needed without interrupting the practice session much.
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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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2013-12-03 16:12
A lot of interesting stuff Ken. I don't (or haven't in many, many years) have reeds curl at the tip (and I mean new out of the box until they are deceased) so I don't have this time line to judge how long to soak.
Also I would disagree slightly (and respectfully) over waiting for the "thuddiness" before changing reeds. As I go through my three to six day break-in period, I NEVER had a reed go "thuddy" within the five minutes or so of playing. To my tastes, "thuddiness" indicates that the reed had already become water logged. But I won't argue with your success with this method.
...................Paul Aviles
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2013-12-03 16:54
I'm not in the water soaking camp. If you read my reed articles on my website you will understand why. Especially the part of preventing warping. I suggest you read it.
ESP eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: marcia
Date: 2013-12-03 17:12
>I've noticed that it's the reed a lot of the time that keeps me from........
Ah yes, the reed. Where would we be without "the reed" to blame for our shortcomings........ ![[tongue]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie6.gif)
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Author: A Brady
Date: 2013-12-03 17:26
I never "soak" my reeds. Rather, I dip them (vamp only) for 3 to 5 seconds in filtered water, which serves the function of adequately hydrating the fibers for optimal vibration. I've had great success with this method, with longer lasting reeds, and very little warpage. I've never seen the logic in deliberately water logging reeds, as this is a negative result, and I've had no successes in trying it, so I don't do it.
All that said, many fine players use very different reed prep methods successfully, so this really is something you must experiment with to find what works best for you.
AB
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Author: SonicManEXE
Date: 2013-12-14 13:54
Thanks, guys! I knew I was going to get an even more diverse collection of answers, but I think I've come to the consensus that I really only need to dip the vamp for a couple seconds, especially considering I live in Florida, where it's humid even in the dry season. I'll definitely try the other methods you all explained over time (and I have even more time now considering I'm basically off for three weeks for winter break, not considering the two days of midterms I have in there). You'll definitely hear from me again around here.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2013-12-14 15:14
Check out Mark Nuccio's break-in process on YOUTUBE. It's all about getting reeds 'ready' to play well.
...............Paul Aviles
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