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: Airy Sound

Author: Matt74
Date: 2018-07-09 08:01

I find that a reed plays “hard” when the back is swelled where it sits on the mouthpiece table. The swelling makes it act like it’s too hard, and it sounds “airy”. You can get a good tone if you work at it, but it seems hard to blow, and inflexible. I use a razor blade to gently scrape the back where it sits on the mouthpiece. Hold the blade perpendicular to the surface. It’s better than sandpaper because you can see exactly where material is being removed, and when the back is flat. (At first material only comes off at the center of the blade, and when you are done it cones off across the whole width of the reed.) You can control exactly where you scrape, so you aren’t affecting the strength of the reed. You can do the same thing with a reed knife or Reed Geek. When the back swells, I have to do this a couple days, and then it’s stable.

- Matthew Simington

Reply To Message | Avail. Forums | Flat View

Newer Topic | Older Topic

Topics