 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Bb
Date: 2002-03-29 00:06
Why???
OK, I noticed that when the saxophone players, when putting their intruments away, USUALLY, leave their reeds in their mouthpieces, and then the next day, the reed will, sometimes, be wavy(like warped) and they'll play without feeling any difference. But I also noticed that when some clarinet players leave their reeds on their mouthpieces,the reed will get "wavy" and when we play on those "wavy" reeds, we'll get a really bad sound. It is just me, or are the claarinet's reeds pickier than the saxophone's reeds? Or, do you think that we, clarinetists, are neater than the sax players??( I noticed that most sax players are really careless with their instruments, but the clarinetist are more carefull, did you notice that too???)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: jbutler
Date: 2002-03-29 00:52
Hmm....most saxophonists that I know are just as picky about reeds, care of their instrument, etc. as any other group. I guess if your basis of judgment is a middle/high school band hall then perhaps your observation is correct. Considering most professionals/semi-professionals buy their instruments rather than receiving them as a gift, (usually from parents), they usually take rather good care of them. Generally, saxophones are more expensive than clarinets, even in the professional lines. That's just my observation.
jbutler
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: janlynn
Date: 2002-03-29 12:43
i dont know about reeds, but what i notice in my band is that every one is in such a rush to leave at the end of rehearsal, that they pretty much just throw their instrument in the case and leave. maybe its becuz they didnt pay for their instrument or dont realize how to take good care of it, but im always the last one out - which is kinda embarassing sometimes - altho one of the oboe players also takes her time to clean out her instrument and is usually there too. i always ask myself how they managed to put away their stuff so quickly. as if i should be able to also. but i think kids are just careless and not saxaphone players in general.
JL
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Jean Adler
Date: 2002-03-29 13:07
My best friend is a bassonist. He says bassonists are absolutely neurotic when it comes to reeds. Makes me feel downright normal.
Jean
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: David Pegel
Date: 2002-03-29 13:49
From what I understand, if anyone thinks clarinets are bad on care, flutes and double reeds are worse, at least in high school where I am.
Our top chair flute player has a flute worth $6,000 that she won't let anyone touch except me and her boyfriend, and she's only let me play it once for 30 seconds. She knows I'm very careful with woodwind instruments - that was the only reason. She's always giving it as much care as she can (pad cleaning, polish, making sure everything works right, etc.)
We don't have an oboe player in my band at the moment, but the oboe player for our local youth orchestra told everyone that she doesn't mind if anyone asks to see her instrument; she'll just tell them no. She let me HOLD it but not play it. (Because I had never held an oboe before and was interested and she knew I was very careful with it.) She also goes through the nice rituals of oiling, cleaning, swabbing, and reed care.
Our clarinet players will let other people handle their instruments and don't do much reed care, but they do clean pads and swab on a regular basis.
Our sax players are about "normal".
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: clarinet713
Date: 2002-03-29 13:59
I'm neruotic about reeds because when you have a not-so-great-one, it sounds that way and for me all I do is think about the fuzz I hear or the bad response I'm getting or how hard the stupid reed is. I do mess with my reeds a lot, as well, because usually I can get them to sound a little better-and I'm trying to master the art of adjusting reeds and the best way to do that is to actually do it right? I want to sound the best that I can, and the reed has a large part in doing that-so that's why I'm neruotic and picky about reeds.
I don't let anyone play my instrument and rarely let anyone hold my clarinet, with the exception of other clarinet players (depending on who they are) and my teacher. My clarinet is like my baby and I'm quite protective of it!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Kirk
Date: 2002-03-29 21:12
A bum reed is like fingernails on a chalkboard.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: john gibson
Date: 2002-03-30 00:27
Clarinetists are anal retentive, perfectionist, often introverted, and way too self absorbed! Who'd have it any other way?
John
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: john gibson
Date: 2002-03-30 16:47
Todd....
Thanks for reminding me. My wife and daughter have been in California for a week....will be home tomorrow. I've had a great time playing without hearing...."ARE YOU DONE YET!!!"
John
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Bob
Date: 2002-03-31 13:13
So,John, just quit practicing in the bathroom.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Erica
Date: 2002-04-01 02:00
Just so long as none of us start looking like this, I think we're ok... http://www.canit.se/~chrisdav/efsacre.html
Erica
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: allencole@jamschool.net
Date: 2002-04-01 03:15
We've established that this observation of sax vs. clarinet care comes from a school band room, right?
As for leaving reeds on mouthpieces. Two factors:
1 - Sax mouthpieces are easier to remove without disturbing the ligature & reed than are clarinet mouthpieces.
2 - Student saxophonists who buy reeds in those hinged plastic cases have a disincentive to put the reeds away. Alto sax reeds are sold in cases the same size as those for clarinet reeds, and it is difficult to put them away without damaging them when you're a kid in a hurry.
On the difference between clarinetists and saxophonists:
I see no difference, even in school. I can't count the number of kids who push their clarinet joints together with one end in their lap and the other end just waiting to buckle or break under the push of their flattened hand. No twisting and no greasing. Just direct brute force.
Plenty of clarinetists also have a daily swordfight between the two components of their bridge key, or between their RH side keys and their LH pinkie keys as they violently twist their joints together like a soldier fixing his bayone--and let's not forget sitting the horn on its bell like a top-heavy bowling pin.
Saxophonists, of course, love to grip their neck in such a way as to rip off the octave key, or twist the neck violently without undoing the set screws. (After all, if they didn't loosen the screw to put the horn TOGETHER, why loosen it to take the horn apart. They also like to lay their horns down on the palm and spatula keys, and put their horns in the case without the plastic cap that protects the protruding octave key arm. This is so common and flagrant that manufacturers (led years ago by Yamaha) have finally designed octave key arms that don't protrude above the body of the sax.
And I'll spare you the gory details of crimped and jagged flute joints...
But let me assure you that clarinetists as a group are NOT more careful than other users in the school groups. I do sympathize, though, with the student who is always last to leave. For us, that comes with the territory of playing an instrument that breaks down into five parts, and that is not easily warmed up.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
