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Reeds hard, dry, etc.

Author: RWitt001
Date: 2014-08-26 04:06

I have been reading these boards for a few weeks now, since I decided I would buy myself a clarinet.
I used to play approx 14 years ago in high school and was intermediate level back then (jazz band, concert band, achieved my Grade 2 AMEB for solo clarinet) but I only rented my clarinet from school and never owned one.
Against the prevailing advice on here I recently purchased a second hand clarinet which seems to be good - I finally received it yesterday - a Schreiber 6010s.
Back in the day I didn't know anything about reed quality and the local music store only stocked standard Rico reeds, so that's what I used in a 2.5
The clarinet I just got came with 6 leftover (new) Vandoren blue in a 2 so I thought I would be fine with that...
It seems very hard to produce sound in the lower and higher registers - higher more so. This was not what I was expecting. Also the reeds seem extremely dry - I have to keep licking them while I play, which is also not what I remember doing way back when. I also never 'broke in' a reed, just whet it and away we went.
Considering the clarinet is only 3 years old I doubt the reeds will be any older that that, so why would it be so difficult being that it is not an overly hard #? The mouthpiece I am using is a Yamaha 4C but I just ordered a Clark Fobes Debut which should arrive today along with some Vandoren blue 1.5 reeds.
Is this likely to help or is it merely because I am out of form?
Any advice for a second time rounder?

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