 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Jacob R
Date: 2023-03-08 19:56
So,I am a high schooler and I need help.So,I have been facing a problem,a tonal issue.Every time I play notes,they sound airy and spitty.I was wondering it there is any advice to avoid or fix the issue.I play on a Yamaha 450N and I play on a Vandoren M13 Lyre.I typically play on 4 and that's when they sound airy ,but I can play on a 4,but in compensation,I play airy.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2023-03-08 21:45
You need to drop down your reed strength instead of using floorboards and that'll clear things up.
Remember that reed strength isn't a competition between you and other clarinet players you know, it's not an indication of how good you are and you should ONLY play on the reed strength that's suitable for you.
If you sound better using a 3 and find that much easier over the entire range, then use a 3.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Fuzzy
Date: 2023-03-08 22:51
Jacob R,
I agree with Chris. Try moving down a half or full strength of reed.
I once had an instructor who had me playing the M13 Lyre with #5 Vandoren reeds. This created a huge hiss to my sound (if listening in close proximity), and made playing extremely uncomfortable/difficult for me. She reprimanded me for the hiss, but wouldn't let me go to softer reeds.
I left her instruction, went to a lower strength reed, and life was good again!
Fuzzy
;^)>>>
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Author: Hunter_100
Date: 2023-03-09 00:01
Really badly balanced reeds can cause this for me. But you would probably have a few good and a few bad reeds per box if this were the case to tell you that the overall strength level is not the problem.
According to Vandoren's chart, a 4 strength reed is not crazy hard for their recommended strength on an M13 Lyre (3.5-4 for regular reeds, 3.5-4.5 for V12 and v21s). Are you using Vandoren reeds or some other company? Maybe the strength's are not equivalent.
Reed position on the mouthpiece can be a problem too, if the reed is too high on the mouthpiece or too low it will have airy hissy problems and also be hard to play at all.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2023-03-09 02:03
Take Vandoren's recommended reed strengths with a pinch of salt as they may suit more experienced and pro level players, but they don't apply across the board. You STILL have to choose the reed strength that suits you best and while it may be a rough guide, that is all it is and it's not concrete that you have to play on their recommended strengths with any given mouthpiece.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Pokenerd
Date: 2023-03-09 02:12
Like how Hunter said I also think not properly balanced reeds is one of the main causes of an airy tone. I use ATG system from Tom Ridenour and it works very well, I can get most reeds to work well with his system
Minjun
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Author: Jacob R
Date: 2023-03-09 18:56
I am using Vandoren's traditional reeds(blue box) and they're 4.Does sanding down help with airy tone if I do not have 3.5 or 3's?
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2023-03-09 19:12
Jacob R wrote:
> I am using Vandoren's traditional reeds(blue box) and they're
> 4.Does sanding down help with airy tone if I do not have 3.5 or
> 3's?
You can make the reed play with less resistance by sanding or scraping material off *in the right spots* but in the process of trying to find the right spot you stand a decent chance of making the reed unplayable. Even with Ridenour's "ATG" tool and system. And you still are playing with cane that's fundamentally a certain level of stiffness, which is more a function of the cane's density.
IMO, you'd be better off spending the money on a box of softer strength reeds (or one of Vandoren's sample cards of their different models at one strength, so you might try a card of #3.5s) and try to find a stiffness that's comfortable . Once you've established a level of comfort, you might be able to go back and try to salvage your #4s with a clearer idea of the result you're trying to get.
Karl
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