 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: BGBG
Date: 2019-02-23 04:57
Main trouble I am having now is reeds squeaking. Maybe it it the reeds, finger position, etc. Not sure what it is or what to do. Try tightening, loosening, moving up & down, sanding bottom. Right now today it is Steuer 2.5 and 3. But I am just identifying with no intent to implicate the brand or the strength.
Could try playing very slowly trying to not change embouchure or finger position. But whatever i do it still squeaks. Always seems to come down to spending more time fiddling with mechanics than playing. What does one do when reed keeps on squeaking. I have older reeds. Prhaps trying some of them would help or at least be a change.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2019-02-23 06:06
I assume that you are using a mouthpiece you used when you last played regularly. If that's the case and it worked fine at that time then it is another issue.
It is helpful to know that a reed squeaks when one side vibrates faster than the other. This can be caused by a simple strength imbalance from one side or the other, or a faulty placement of embouchure.
Then there is the issue of squeaks caused by leaks or improper fingering. You may be doing everything to get one certain note but a leak or finger not coming down correctly could cause the reed to attempt an entirely different partial.
..............Paul Aviles
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Author: BGBG
Date: 2019-02-23 07:08
Probably something I am doing. Have not played in awhile and was using these same few reeds then. I have 3 mouthpieces and I cannot recall ever having this much trouble with squeaking. I will keep on trying. Has to improve.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2019-02-23 07:50
Oh, you sorta indicated you are using old reeds. Stop that, get new ones, break them in and start OVER. It will help if you had a favorite mouthpiece of the three. Don't switch around. Pick one and stick with it until you've built yourself back up.
................Paul Aviles
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2019-02-23 18:40
Reeds squeak, let me count the ways. Sorry, not enough fingers. First let me suggest you try some new reeds and a different brand. You may have to invest in a few diifferent strengths for starters. If you still have the same problem then it's either the mouthpiece, the clarinet having a leak or you're embouchure. I'd suggest getting some new reeds first, breaking them in, I have good suggestions for doing that on my website, and see where that goes. If all else fails, find a pro in your area and ask for a lesson so they can help identify the problem by playing your mouthpiece and clarinet to eieminate that as a problem and then make a suggestion or two about your embouchure if necessary.
ESP eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: Ken Lagace
Date: 2019-02-23 18:51
Sitting down with a good player for a half hour could solve most of your questions.
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Author: BGBG
Date: 2019-02-24 02:40
Actually these are newer reeds. I have plenty of older ones also. I did a search about reed squeak and found it to be a quite complicated subject. I believe it is simpler just to try another reed and maybe eventually my finders and mouth will get to be mostly correct and consistent.
I have Rico, Steuer, and Mitchell Lurie in 2, 2.5 and 3 strengths.
I also find tehre are some notes my fingers will just not form even though my mind knows how to make them. Evidently these must not be often-encountered notes. Goint through a fingering chart reveals them though. I am going to have to get back to basics I guess.
One such note is the Low F# with the Left Pinkie which used to but now will not seem to reach. However I found an alternate fingered note for Low F# with the Right pinkie which is much easier.
Post Edited (2019-02-24 02:59)
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Author: kdk
Date: 2019-02-24 04:02
BGBG wrote:
> I also find there are some notes my fingers will just not form
> even though my mind knows how to make them.
>
> One such note is the Low F# with the Left Pinkie which used to
> but now will not seem to reach. However I found an alternate
> fingered note for Low F# with the Right pinkie which is much
> easier.
>
You *should* let someone who plays reasonably well try your clarinet. The pinky keys may not be in the best positions and could be moved to better suit your hands. You aren't really sure enough of yourself right now to know if something is leaking. You may be banging your head against a wall trying unsuccessfully to deal with problems that have solutions you haven't thought of.
Besides the LH F#, what other notes are hard to get to for your fingers?
I recently had a young student at a lesson who was having problems she had never had before with squeaks and notes just not speaking. It turned out, when I finally tried to play her clarinet, that I had much the same difficulty. The bridge keys had gotten out of kilter so the RH rings weren't able to go all the way down - the upper bridge key was too low. A slight adjustment to the upper bridge key fixed the issue. She wouldn't have known to check that. It wasn't even my first idea, although once I actually played her clarinet (which I should have done sooner), it was obvious to me.
Karl
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Author: BGBG
Date: 2019-03-02 02:52
I think I am going to have to go to the technician for opinion. I have 3 mouthpieces and on all these newest reeds I can do the first lower register fairly well for a few times but then it turns into lots of very high pitched squeals for no obvious reason. Tried double lip, single lip, moved mouthpiece up and down, tightened, loosened, re-greased joints. Tried soaking 5-10 minutes or lightly wetting. Room humidity is around 25% on my Acurite. Have gone back to the original buffet E11 OEM mouthpiece and using 2.5 and 3 reeds. Cannot seem to get rid of the squealing and run out of things to try. Have handled instrument very carefully but being 5 years old without hard use could need a tech checkup by now. I have all my original reeds and plan to try some of them first but am running out of ideas. Never been this bad. In fact before I learned I think it was better.
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Author: BGBG
Date: 2019-03-02 04:50
I just tried some of my oldest reeds. #2 strength before I worked up to 2.5 and 3. 4-5 years old ones that were not broken or damaged. Played some E3 to C4 lower register songs. They were GOOD. NO SQUEALS. Maybe I just need to get a few new #2 reeds and sort of re-learn things like when started. Seem to have lost ability to play the 2.5 and 3 reeds if that is possible. Going to get a few new reeds #2 and start playing notes, scales and simple songs like in the beginning. At least I found the clarinet does not squeal under the right conditions. Probably not the instrument but the player.
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Author: BGBG
Date: 2019-03-03 05:02
Played 4 oldest #2 reeds. No squeals. Guess 7 months without playing each day can weaken or change the muscles and mouth though I have never read or been told this. Today I bought a 3-pack of D'Addario Rico #2 reeds to relearn on, just like when I started with #2 and worked up to #2.5 and 3.
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Author: johng ★2017
Date: 2019-03-03 07:55
Let's say you know for sure that the squeak is due to the back of the reed being warped and nothing else. I have a sure fire way to make a permanent fix. It works every time. Take the thick part of the reed between your thumb and forefinger and hold it up to the light, closely examining the tip to determine balance. Then forcefully push the tip of the reed against a hard surface so that the tip breaks smartly. A music stand, the bell of your clarinet, for your neighbor's forehead will work equally well. Then loudly exclaim, OH NO, and throw the reed away since it wasn't ever worth fiddling with anyway.
I am not associated with any reed making or reed tweaking companies.
John Gibson, Founder of JB Linear Music, www.music4woodwinds.com
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Author: BGBG
Date: 2019-03-07 03:40
No squeals yet at all on the 5 year old 2.0 or the brand new 2.0 I am breaking in, from from E3 to C6. Playing some songs on old reed and the E3 to C6 notes a few times for a few minutes on the new one. No squeals at all yet but the new one sounds a lot better.
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Author: BGBG
Date: 2019-03-16 03:39
2.0 reed is working well but occasionally it seems to get stuck or bind to mouthpiece on B4 and C5, and I am thinking it is getting too wet. If it dries a bit it is more clean. Maybe you cannot have them TOO wet. But I can play all the way up to C6. Why is it necessary or desirable to work up to harder reeds anyway, like 2.5, 3.0, 3.5? I have always wondered that. I got up to 3.0 but then after stopping for 6-7 months had to return to 2.0.
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Author: shmuelyosef
Date: 2019-03-17 04:16
I don't see that anyone has suggested it, but have you tried to just get a constant, pleasant tone from just blowing the mouthpiece and a barrel? If you can do that, then it is unlikely that the reed is the problem.
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Author: Micke Isotalo ★2017
Date: 2019-03-17 12:49
BGBG, there are different opinions about the "right" reed strength, but here is mine.
Among the advantages of softer reeds are that they require less of both air and lip pressure (or "embouchure pressure") and that's also the reason why they are suitable for beginners with less developed muscles in this regard. Another advantage is a very "clean" tone without hissing, which is especially noticeable in softer dynamics or when fading out a note (decreasing in loudness until zero).
There are however also some disadvantages of softer reeds, where one is about pitch level. First, the general pitch level will be lower and perhaps too low if you are playing together with others. Second, the pitch level will go even further down the higher up in the register you play (especially notable from the middle clarion, or around g5, and upward). Though an increased lip pressure is required here also with stiffer reeds, the softer reeds gets very pinched and unstable in sound quality, and may even close totally against the mouthpiece window killing the tone completely. These problems are also accentuated the louder you play.
So what's the "right" reed strength, from this viewpoint? In my opinion, it's when the reed is stiff enough to give you a stable and nice sound at the highest volume and highest level of the scale that you are going to play.
Though some players are going beyond that, or even far beyond that with really stiff reeds, I personally don't see any need for that. Among the downsides are unnecessary hard work with air and lip pressure, and probably also a disturbing hissing sound quality especially at softer dynamics.
In your case, if you just play alone and if you are not bothered of keeping a certain pitch level or by any sound quality issues in the higher range or at higher volume, then I would recommend you just to stay with a strength that feels as comfortable as possible for you. In time, when your muscles develop and if you start feeling (hearing) a need of stabilizing your pitch and/or tone quality, you can then give some slightly stiffer reeds a try.
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Author: BGBG
Date: 2019-03-18 01:31
Thanks for the insight. I first thought it was necessary to start with a soft reed and to advance to the harder ones like grades in school. Then I wondered if and or why it waas even necessary if one is doing well with a given reed and what would be the reason to change to the harder ones. Always has confused me. Doing well with the 2.0 right now.
EDIT:
Micke: I like your suggestion. If the 2.0 keep doing well I may just stay with them. I do still have oter reeds which I can try or use if need be. Thanks again.
Post Edited (2019-03-18 06:29)
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Author: BGBG
Date: 2019-03-20 03:50
Getting squeaks on D5 through F5 and maybe a little higher on Stranger on the Shore. This section goes from C5 to C6. 2.0 reed started 2 weeks ago and played about 10-15 minutes a day. OK on lower scales. Am I rushing it?
EDIT: I just found and read one of my older posts about this sort of thing. I was using 2.5 and 3.0 reeds when I stopped 7-8 months ago. Since doing well with the 2.0 I believe I will try the 2.5 and 3.0 reed I was using then.
Post Edited (2019-03-20 07:20)
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Author: shmuelyosef
Date: 2019-03-21 00:39
You might just have a leak in the lower joint, or possibly a problem with the linkage between the two joints being maladjusted. either of these would show up as squeaks.
Can you get a good sound with a light touch playing a clarion split-finger Bb...this is the one with the index finger on both the RH and LH.
Also, finger a G clarion (no RH fingers down...should be easy to play without squeak) and slowly (and with a light touch) try to produce a clear, sustained F (RH index down), then E, then D. Do you need more than a light touch to get any of these notes without squeaking? If so, you probably have a leak in either the key attached to the ring key stack or possibly the Aux Eb (less likely)
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