The Clarinet BBoard

RE: Cane

Author: ron b  Date:   2001-10-21 04:18 Hi, Jeff - Reed cane grows in many parts of the world. The most well know to us North Americans, I suppose, is the processed stuff from the Var region of France. At least that's what 'they' say according to what I've read. Arundo Donax (tall cane) also grows wild where I live - near the Sacramento, CA delta region. It also grows in *nuisance* quantities in other parts of North America - Southern CA, east coast, south. I don't know how far north. I haven't made reeds by hand since I was a youth. They were no better than store bought ones in my opinion or, maybe I just never got the hang of 'doin' it 'right'. However, they did play okay for a while as I recall. Central California land management folks can't eradicate wild cane completely so they cut it back yearly in an effort to at least try to 'control' its spread. Right around this time of year they haul away tons of it - by the truck loads. I don't know what they do in other parts of the country. Most of it from here (central CA), however, as JoeVacc discovered last year, just doesn't get big enough in diameter to make decent clarinet reeds. You have to search for old stuff that grows away from the waterways. I'm growing some in my back yard for the fun of it but it's only a year old :] I made reeds eons ago by hand out of personal interest, from old wild cane, to find out if I could do it. However, some teachers, around here anyway, require it as an exercise to give their students an appreciation for store bought ones. You know, 'take care of your reeds, just imagine how it would be if you had to make 'em all by hand...' Teaches 'em to respect Oh, yeah -- sure.... - ron b -

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