 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Donut
Date: 2018-04-26 00:18
Hi, I have a youth orchestra audition coming up, do ya'll have any tips for that?
Moving on, help me with my reed troubles pleasee.
I'm currently playing on V12's, size 4, and I don't know what's wrong with them.
So I play my audition excerpts and after playing on the reeds two times (i alternate them), i find that I can't tongue as fast, like, my reed isn't allowing it. I can only tongue fast enough on newer reeds, or my tongue keeps stumbling. Help I'm freaking out, is it really my reed that's giving me troubles? Should i switch? Am I going to have to use a brand new reed for my audition?
Again, any audition tips? Sorry for the desperation, but it's TwO wEeKs AwAy!?!
More annoying questions:
How to remain in tune on altissimo notes.?
Also, there's four whole notes in the piece that sound like they're held out straight in the recoedings, should I play them like that ad well or add crescendos/decrescendos?
I can't see what I'm typing anymore so bye, thank you!
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Author: kdk
Date: 2018-04-26 01:06
First, are you studying with a clarinet teacher?
If you can tongue fast enough on a new reed but things get sluggish after two playing sessions with it, then that particular problem is caused by the reed.
Reeds change in the way they respond over the first several times you play on them. There is lots of discussion available if you <Search> the archive here about "breaking in" a new reed. Everyone has a favorite way and there are about a gazillion ways to choose from, but the basic feature most of them include is the notion of playing a new reed for a very short period of time the first time out of the box, then slowly increasing playing time on the reed over several sessions. Along with the break-in process it helps if you know a little about reed balance so you can minimize the changes as they occur.
Players who don't use any kind of break-in process tend to take a reed out of its packaging, play on it until it won't play anymore, then throw it away and get another one out. Apparently, your reeds are generally lasting through two sessions before they no longer play easily for you. The solution is either to learn to break in and adjust reeds as this happens or go through a lot of reeds.
You can read a lot here about all of this, but working with an experienced clarinet teacher is the best way to get in-person, hands-on help. For the near-term, which includes your audition, you probably need to pick several reeds that play well out of the box, don't use them until just before the audition, then pick the best of them to play during the audition.
Karl
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Author: Ken Lagace
Date: 2018-04-26 01:57
The answer is simple! Think what is going on.
You wet a piece of wood and your lower lip bends it around a round facing, then you dry it. And then repeat the process over and over.
This process is what furniture makers use to warp wood.
How to test it?
Place the reed on a flat surface and see if it 'bounces' when you touch the bark at the cut.
How to help it?
Place a business card size piece of cardboard and gently place it between the mouthpiece and reed and pull it back a bit. Try it and see if it helps!
How to prevent it?
Every time it is drying time, fold it back so it dries flat.
Doing this every time should be added to any break in process you use.
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Author: Donut
Date: 2018-04-28 03:23
I am not currently studying with a private instructor :(. As for the break-in process, I've read a few articles about that, and I guess that I'll just start playing new reeds at increasing increments. Thanks for the advice!
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Author: Donut
Date: 2018-04-28 03:31
Sorry, Ken, but I don't understand your advice. You're saying that I should stick a square of cardboard between my mourhpiece and reed? Wouldn't that stop vibration? And what do you mean by pulling it back? Thanks!
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Author: zhangray4
Date: 2018-04-28 06:12
Donut, Ken is talking about the reed when he says the "wood"
-- Ray Zhang
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Author: Ken Lagace
Date: 2018-04-28 06:20
Attachment: Bending Back a Reed With Heavy Paper.jpg (224k)
If you are playing a long and the reed feels like it is 'choking up', take a piece of heavy paper, matchbook cover, credit card or? And slip it behind the reed on the mouthpiece and pull it away from the mouthpiece just a little. Experiment how much.
See Attachment.
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