Author: Brad Behn
Date: 2018-02-12 00:53
Thank you for your comments above.
While ARIA reeds are designed for optimum performance on Behn mouthpieces, it has been a wonderful surprise to note their popularity on other mouthpiece brands as well.
ARIA reeds come from my 32 years experience as a reed maker. My goal was to make a reed available to my clientele that would match or surpass my own homemede reeds. And to this day I continue to handcraft reeds from tube cane. This important benchmark helps keep ARIA’s quality and consistency in perspective.
I also note that I have received praise by many professionals for the quality of my handcrafted reeds, AND for ARIA reeds as well. In fact I personally find ARIA to outplay many of my homemade reeds – yes the goal – but perhaps a bit of a blow to my ego. That is good stuff I think! So to the point, yes I do believe I have achieved my goal to offer a reed that plays as well or better than my homemade versions.
HOWEVER – you won’t get that result from every reed in a box. Similar to my homemade reeds, not every reed is great. I probably get about one great homemade reed out of every four I make, and yes I also get that sort of yield from ARIA. Note also that the other three ARIA reeds are usually very good options too, which will indeed serve in some capacity. Please know that I critique my reeds from my reference point as principal clarinetist of the OKC Phil. A very good group – not the Boston Symphony, but certainly a good group which keeps highly trained professional musicians on their toes for sure. I am very fortunate to have this baseline or reference point, and this standard is embedded in everything I make.
Regarding quality, ARIA's cane is selected for a very responsive, and tonally rich reed. ARIA’s cane is free and easy blowing; ARIA's shape further ensures vibration, response, and resonance. And each finished box undergoes our extreme vetting hand selection process to ensure the highest ratio of playable stage worthy reeds.
Regarding consistency, this continues to be something I will unrelentingly pursue. While I am very proud to note that I consistently get feedback from my professional clientele that they are getting 8 reeds to play very well out of a box, and even the "duds" outplay many of the "decent" reeds from other makes, I continue to work to make ARIA more consistent. Until 9 or 10 out 10 reeds play with stage worthiness, I will not rest. Yes a tall order, that standard simply has never existed before, and I dare say that ARIA's high yield of quality reeds per box sets the bar very high indeed.
There are several reasons why so many ARIA reeds play.
1. The cane is highly vibrant.
2. The shape or "Vamp" is designed for optimum response.
3. ARIA reeds employ a true-tip strategy. As compared to other brands, ARIA have finer tips, and the result is a more sweet sound, and much improved blow-through.
That said there are several consequences.
1. ARIA reeds play "softer" than other brands. So you should probably go up a strength compared to major makes.
2. By implementing a "true-tip" I am doing something relatively unusual, perhaps risky in the marketplace. It requires a more gentle tongue, and nuanced wind...an approach I cherish as an artist, and I dare say, an approach which simply can't be perfected on harder reeds which require the dreaded "bite-'n-blow" style of playing needed on a heavy setup.
3. ARIA strength evaluation is trickier to pinpoint. That is too say, that there may be a wider perceived range of strengths in each box than with some other makes. This is due to several factors – one of which is the true-tip concept. Other factors undergo continued examination, and as a result of this conversation “Extreme-Vetting” during the hand selection process will include critical examination of “strength” as a newfound top priority. That is a commitment I make to you.
The good news.
1. ARIA reeds which may be too light can still work, and ARIA reeds which are too heavy can play as well. Of course the light ones may benefit from clipping, or they could be allocated to practice and scale work, or perhaps a "pops" concert where the rep isn't as nuanced. And the heavier ones may benefit from slight sanding or minimal knife work. I personally find ARIA strength 3.5 to be my "sweet spot", however I often find strengths 3 and 4 serviceable options as well. I can comfortably play all. And to have a variety serves me very well. For example, in a classics concert where I may be doing a symphony by Shostakovich or Berlioz, I may opt for the meatier reed, however when at home in my practice room, the lighter option would feel and sound equivalent, and so I benefit by having both. I NEVER want to work too hard, I NEVER want to implement “Bite-‘n-blow”, and by having the option, I can ALWAYS find a reed which enables a healthy approach to the instrument under any atmospheric condition and under any acoustic condition as well.
2. And yes there is a wider variety of perceived strengths in each box of ARIA reeds than I would ideally like. And yes I am working on that.
3. However, I invite you to also explore the benefits of having a variety of "strengths" at any given time. I think you may find this approach to invite two important things. A) It will provide a better range of options for various acoustic settings common to most musicians. Example: A reed which feels right at a home practice room won’t necessarily be “right” for a large concert hall. Typically a small space needs a lighter reed, whereas a large acoustic environment like a concert hall benefits from a heavier reed. B) Repertoire often influences the reed strength I select. For example, a big Mahler symphony often requires a “bigger” reed than a smaller work by Mendelsohn may prefer.
Thank you for your support. As you know, quality is EXTREMELY important to me, and I am dedicated to making the world’s finest products. If you have questions I welcome them. Phone: 405-651-6063
Sincerely,
Brad Behn
Brad Behn
http://www.clarinetmouthpiece.com
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