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Clarinet Reed Problems

Author: Tuning Charts
Date: 2025-06-13 16:29

Hi Clarinetists!
A couple of months ago, we ran a survey about clarinet reeds - and 257 clarinetists took the time to participate.

We’ve now published a short article with the final results.

You’ll find some interesting data, insights, and stats about reeds - and maybe even a few surprises. [cool]

👉 https://reedfinder.com/articles/clarinet-reed-survey

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Re: Clarinet Reed Problems

Author: lmliberson
Date: 2025-06-13 22:32

Maybe it’s just me but this link brings a certain quote of P.T Barnum to mind.

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Re: Clarinet Reed Problems

Author: SecondTry
Date: 2025-06-13 22:33

I enjoyed looking at your findings, but seriously question any algorithm, (one that learns or not) for honing in on a player's desired reed attributes, and fear it is going to still fall considerable short as long as the reed selection upon which it is made is based on cane rather than synthetic products.

I hope I'm wrong and certainly don't want to be a "gloomy Gus."

Cane, as mother nature intended all living things to be, is variable. This is nature's way of metaphorically throwing enough "variability at the wall of natural selection" to see what "sticks" (i.e. is best adapted to the surroundings), giving that thriving organism's DNA the best chances of making it into the next generation.

As many of us know, the very strength of cane reeds is something mother nature bakes in. Man has made machines to test this strength and attempt to rudimentarily categorize it into different strengths via various testing methods, the air puff deflection test perhaps best known. But who knows how a reed will stand up to play, or be effected by weather. Even within the very reed itself lies inconsistencies that its thickness along can't explain, as all reeds of a make and model (at least at Vandoren) are cut the same (machining limitations not withstanding). This is why adjustment is based on feel, not calipers.

Perhaps your algorithm increases the chances for reed success. For selfish reasons I'd love that to be the case.

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