 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: tww
Date: 2002-12-01 14:40
Hi,
I have read numerous times that one should only rotate about 4 to 6 reeds at a time, and that one should never rotate an entire box of 10 at a time. It seems like the fewer reeds you rotate, the less of a rest each one gets between being played. What is so terrible about rotating a box of 10?
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Author: Hank
Date: 2002-12-01 15:09
Hi,
I don't think there is anything wrong with rotating a box of reeds but I have never found a box in which all reeds were "worthy."
Here is how I do rotation. Let me work backwards from my top playing reeds to the newest ones.
1. I keep my best reeds in an old 4 reed LaVoz aluminum Reedguard. The #1 is marked on down to #4. Getting ready for a performance, I am constandly moving these babies around in postion 1 to 4. Any adjusting I do here is minor.
2. The second tier of reeds are kept in a 4 reed plastic Lavoz Reedguard (green BTW). Sometimes, these reeds move up to 1 above and vice versa. All these reeds would do OK in a pinch.
3. The reeds that are not ready for primetime are kept in a VD 10 reed case. When I have made the first selction of reeds from boxes and found those that show promise, I place them in this case; I get to these reeds off and on and see when they are ready for further adjustment and promotion to 1 or 2 above.
So, I always have a bunch of reeds in rotation. Funny, slight changes in the amount I am playing and other factors require that I never can be certain the #1 is always the best. I just wet em, try em, and shuffle the arrangement. However, the process is pretty organized so there is method to the madness.
Hank
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Author: Ken
Date: 2002-12-01 15:31
I believe ultimately, applicable knowledge and hands-on experience working on reeds is the key to the most reliable and serviceable cane. It really depends on one's requirements, not any set rule; comfortability, paranoid factor, budget, time and patience are also important considerations. If you're a working player and routinely travel, elevation and climate are compelling factors as well.
Myself, I practice a longer rotation the some. At any given time, I have no less than 30-35 "performance ready" reeds in 3 various strengths; 1/2 below, right on, and 1/2 above the desired strength. Rotation method/break-in period is generally 20 reeds (depending on box count) a month, systematically marked and plced into my useable batch. I usually go through 20 standard boxes of 10 annually, a tad expensive but I'm not complaining; for me that's very good considering I play anywhere from 30-40 hours a week. v/r KEN
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Author: Burt
Date: 2002-12-01 17:15
I'm not convinced that reeds need a "rest". My embochure gets tired before my reeds do. When my reed goes bad, it doesn't recover merely by resting. Sometimes clipping helps.
I rotate 4 reeds so that I know I have 4 which are fair to good. I also have 2 plastic reeds which are fair, and serve as references, since they don't seem to wear out.
I like Ken's idea of keeping reeds which are a little too hard and a little too soft. When I'm that industrious, I do that also. I use the "too soft" reed for jazz.
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Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2002-12-02 05:01
I alternate 3 or 4 straight out of the box and that lasts me about a month. I would do 2 or 3 gigs per week on clarinet and a couple more doubling jobs most weeks. Use any crappy ones for playing your scales or exercises they don't have to sound perfect when you are practising. Keep the good ones for the gig.
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Author: Bob
Date: 2002-12-03 14:27
Hank: am interested on just how you "mark" your reeds.
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