The Clarinet BBoard

The Clarinet BBoard The C4 standard

New Topic | Go to Top | Go to Topic | Search | Help/Rules | Smileys/Notes | Log In

Previous Message | Next Message

Re: Measuring Reeds

Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2017-07-02 05:05

Karl,

Email me at savagesax@aol.com

I can show you a lot of ways not to brag, but teach you how to become a reed wizard. Very little by measuring, partly by becoming aware of the cane quality, and most of all by playing on the reeds. Learning how to adjust reeds properly. It's a science. A feel. I do not think it is an art.

In short, if the cane is bad there isn't a thing you can do with it. However if the cane is good and it measures fine, but it doesn't play well I can teach you what to do, how to test the cane by playing on it, how to properly break in reeds.

I don't give this info out, but it is pretty darn important to know what you are doing. I often cringe when I see people working on reeds. For example they first dig into the heart of the reed. Well they just wrecked the reed. Time to throw it away. You just lost the high overtones and probably the high register. If you still have an upper register it most likely will play flat. Sure the reed vibrates now, but you wrecked the heart. I can save this reed though by clipping the tip and starting over, pretty much making a new reed. But players in general don't know how to do this. You then have to thin the tip first and only the tip area.

It's really pretty easy once you understand the basics. Then you will become very gifted at it in a short time.

A MUST book to have is by Fred Ormand. I will have it at the Clarinet show. You can also order it through him. I can give you his number off line or you can google him. I'm not sure if Fred will be there.

You don't have to spend a lot of money of special tools, gauges, anything. The Reed Dual that sells for $900 won't make your reeds perfect. It's all in the cane quality. A perfectly measuring reeds often sounds horrible, because the cane is the worst cane in the planet. This is what I can teach you. Another issue, lets say a reed measures fine, but doesn't play. This can be due to the fibers being too strong on one side. For example. Lets say you are right handed. Well your left side will be weaker. Your muscle FIBERS are weaker. Same with cane. You have to know how to adjust for this. Hope this helps! Lets talk off line.

Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces

Yamaha Artist 2015

Reply To Message | Avail. Forums | Flat View

Newer Topic | Older Topic

Topics

Author

Date

Measuring Reeds new

kdk

2017-07-01 19:08