Author: Ken Lagace
Date: 2020-01-19 20:34
No, there aren’t books on reed mouthpiece matching that I know of. There are hints and tid-bits mentioned in books on acoustics and pedagogy.
Here is a brief explanation on how the reed and mouthpiece work together.
There is a flat part on the mouthpiece, the ‘table’, where the reed is held by a holding mechanism, ligature, string, thumb or?
Somewhere along the way, there is a departure from the flat where some kind of curve starts. This is called the facing and is close to where the lower teeth will be placed when playing. The earlier it starts, the ‘longer’ it is.
The shape of the curve determines what shape of the cut on the reed would work best. More curve needs more weakness in the reed at that area, and less curve needs more strength. So, if the curve is gentle at the start and more curved toward the tip, the reed would be stronger at the start of the curve and weaker at toward tip, and so on.
Most reed brands have slight differences in the cut and therefore can work better on facings that compliment that particular cut better. All brands of reeds have slightly different curve dimensions as do all mouthpieces, so it takes time and experience to find the best match. It is also a good skill to know where to alter a reed for the best match. If you bite a bit and the reed stops vibrating, the tip is too stiff for the rest of the slope. If the tip vibrates no matter the what embouchure pressure is, then the slope is a bit too strong for the tip.
What is the best match?
The mouthpiece and reed need to easily play, high and low notes, loud and soft notes, and respond well. Only experimentation helps to arrive at a satisfactory combination, and when you change mouthpieces it may take weeks to find the best combination again.
I always recommend finding the reed brand with the most consistent cut and best cane, and then select a mouthpiece that fits the reed. You will then find 7-9 good reeds in a box of 10, rather than 2-3.
It is encouraging to see posts here where one post will mention bad reeds, and another will clarify that the reed/mouthpiece is bad, not the reed. A large percentage of clarinet players think the wrong way. I had a new student with a degree in clarinet performance who would try a reed, then break the tip off if it didn’t play well. That is how she was taught.
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The Clarinet BBoard
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