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Re: Reed Analysis

Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2015-12-01 07:23

BGBG wrote:

> It is fairly new clarinet. F11 Buffet a year old and played
> about half hour a day. Handled carefully.

A new clarinet out of the box can leak - the quality control isn't that rigorous.

> What bothers me is, I can start with a reed that is newest and
> can sound and perform good for 5 minutes. Then can lay the
> reed down flat side up, and return maybe in an hour and play
> some more, maybe dipping and wiping or maybe not. Then it plays
> the lower register well. Get to B and the reed seems to close.

Letting it sit for an hour, it will have dried out enough that the response won't be optimal. Just out of curiosity, check the tip when you start to play again after the hour's break. Is it wavy after a few seconds of playing (or before you start the second session)? That's a sign of a reed that isn't completely wet. Warping is something different. If the tip is wavy, it needs to be wet some more and it helps sometimes to rub your thumb or a finger over the tip against a flat surface (like the mouthpiece table or the glass) to sort of "iron" it out. If the reed has dried enough, dipping it won't be enough to revive it - you'll need to soak it for a little longer until the tip straightens.

A brand new reed may start to become water-logged after a very few minutes' playing time, but the problem you describe isn't typical of a water-logged reed. A dry reed might cause the squeaks, but still be very conscious of your finger coverage.

Karl

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