The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: David Pegel
Date: 2002-03-28 22:22
It was just like I woke up and suddenly Vandoren 5's worked better for me than my 3½'s. This isn't common, is it? I would expect getting harder or softer in stages, but BAM!! I'm using a 5 and sound better with it now! All I did was borrow a friend's ligature!
Anyhow, I seem to be very unstable with reed strengths. Some days I need a 2, some days, well, a 5 works wonderully. 3½ works fine normally. So am I doing something wrong? I play on a Pyne Polycrystalline (best I can afford) and shoestring lig. The ligature I borrowed was I think a Bonade? I put the reed on the same way every time, and I play in tune most of the time.
Should I change something, or should I buy 5 boxes of reeds and change reeds at random?
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2002-03-29 06:16
David, my saliva production varies from time to time, for whatever reason. When it's low, I use a softer reed. When it's high, a softer reed seems to get soggy and my tone goes all over the place. Using a stiffer reed then really helps. I use a rather loose set-up with fairly soft reeds. My reeds range generally from 2 to 3, rarely to 3½.
Maybe something like this is happening to you? It took me quite a while to recognize what was going on, and now I can select a reed to fit my degree of slobbering with little difficulty.
Regards,
John
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