 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: BGBG
Date: 2015-08-31 00:02
Regardless of method of storage, I wonder how long a reed with only the playing end wetted needs to lie flat side up on plate of glass to consider it "dry" enough to be put away? Wetting I guess woulld mean maybe dipping it, playing 15 minutes or less, dipping, wiping off, and placing on glass. I am probably drying them longer than necessary.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2015-08-31 00:46
I'm not sure any reasonable answer doesn't *depend* on the method of storage. My reed cases hold them up on their edges, allowing air exposure all around resulting in even drying from all surfaces. Sometimes I don't dry them at all before putting them away. I think if you're storing the reed in a holder that straps or forces them flat side down against glass, they should be very dry - to the point, I would guess, that there is no longer any evaporation from the cane (I don't know how long that would need, but I'd say at least a couple of hours, maybe overnight to be safer). If you're using humidifiers in some way, the degree of dryness needed for safety would probably be less.
In practical terms, you'll probably answer the question yourself by experimenting. If your reeds don't warp with an hour's drying time, then an hour is enough. If whatever time you try results in warpage, it's too short. If any of the reeds warp, try a longer drying time. The only goal is to prevent warping.
Karl
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2015-08-31 02:43
Just turn the reed with the label side up and put it down if you want to dry it a little before storing.
I wipe on shirt/pant leg and put it in my D'Addario Reed Holder. As a spokesman for them, everytime I put a reed away, I hear the chaching of cash going into my monopoly $ account.
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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Author: BGBG
Date: 2015-08-31 22:22
I just lay them round side (vamp side) down and flat rail side up on a piece of glass then when I think dry I put them in the holder in a plastic bag. I leave them awhile until I think they are dry but was wondering if there was a minimum time like 10 minutes, half hour, an hour, etc. They FEEL pretty dry after only a few minutes but I usually let them lay thare half a day or more. Room humidity runs around 50%. I put playing end in water for a minute, rub tip to seal pores, play, dip, wipe off, and lay on glass. Later I put in the reed holder and into bag. Guess maybe you dont want them TOO dry since object is to rehumidify? Guess this is maybe too obsessive but wanted to check the opinions of others.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-08-31 22:35
When you say "15 minutes or less," I assume you are referring to a "break-in" process. For that, I would say 15 minutes is about 10 minutes too long. Once you have completed 2-5 minutes on a new reed, I'd wait about 20 minutes or so before storing them for the day.
On reeds that is "concert/rehearsal ready" (4 or 5 days of break-in) I would say that you can pretty much put them in a holder in any condition (I haven't messed up a properly broken-in reed reed yet despite all the craziness of forgetting it on the mouthpiece, throwing it into a reed case right from performance etc). "Broken-in" means you can pretty much do what you want at that point.
...........Paul Aviles
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Author: BGBG
Date: 2015-09-01 04:43
Sorry if I was not clear. I have 29 reeds that ARE in break-in period, and I am putting the thin end in water for maybe a minute before playing, wipe off water, play a scale for a minute, lay flat side up on glass to dry for about half a day to be sure dry. Im not sure this is correct though, according to experienced players. Just figured by then I could return it to holder and store it. Not sure just how dry it should be. I dont think I want them too wet and maybe not too dry either.
I guess you mean 2-5 minutes playing and 20 minutes to dry.
This sounds good and I intend to play on 4 reeds a day increasing to about 5 minutes on each, going through 29 in a week. Then start over. My other 5 reeds are old but playable and starting to have some issues and need discarding, sanding, clipping.
Most of what I have currently read says about 1-2 minutes wetting, rubbing down the vamp, playing 30 seconds increasing to around 5-10 minutes. I plan to stop increasing at about 5 minutes max.
I want to do things right now, unlike previous reeds because I dont want to keep doing it over.
My 29 reeds have only been played on about 4 times now. Going slow.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-09-01 07:16
I still don't understand the time frame. If you play on each reed for 5 minutes (max), then you can go through ten reeds in 50 minutes. Less time per reed would yield a greater number of reeds per session (ie 20 reeds played for 2 1/2 minutes each).
By the way, I make a bit of a game out of it. I start a reed in water about 2 1/2 minutes to the hour (or some round five minute unit thereof). Then I start the reed. Half way through (2 1/2 minutes) I place another reed in water. This way I am constantly running through reeds for a solid 50 minutes (certainly no more than that). As I place a reed down (reaching for the next), I place it in a rough rating compared to the rest and keep them in that order until the next round. The final placement of reeds (fourth or fifth day of this) is reflected in the roman numeral that I scrawl on the butt end of the reed for identification.
I rotate through ALL the usable reeds in a box of ten until they start to get logie (or brittle sounding). Then I start a new batch.
NOTHING is permitted to interrupt this 50 minutes!
.............Paul Aviles
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Author: BGBG
Date: 2015-09-01 20:41
I think I better start over. Disregard previous. Have 29 'new' reeds, each played on only a few times for less than a minute each.
According to a previous tutorial, on Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 I wet each reed for 1 minute, wiped off, and laid on glass to dry. On Day 3 I rubbed vamp to 'seal pores'. This was called 'rehydrating'. No playing, and not all on same day or same session. Day 1,2,3 refers to each reed going through 3 steps. I admit this confuses me and maybe why I am not explaining it clearly.
I went through the 3 days steps - soak/dry, soak,dry, soak/rub/dry. Then I tested the sealing on mouthpiece as per Eddies Clarinet site, ie wet, attach, block round end and suck and see if I get a 'pop' when pull out of mouth indicating reed is sealing. Now have worked with each reed 4 times and I was calling this "4 days" for lack of better term. "Times" may be a wiser choice.
I am seeking a plan for breaking in 29 reeds, not all at once or in same session or same day.
I have made a chart where Mon through Sunday I use 4 reeds each day for 6 days and on Sunday use 5 reeds. 29 reeds total. That way I go through all reeds in a week, each played once. I put tip in water about a minute, rub according to Mark Nuccio video, attach, play a scale in low register once or twice, rinse, wipe, allow to dry.
Plan to increase play time gradually until playing scales and songs about 5 minutes on each of the 4 reeds during the week as above. All reeds in a week, not in one day or one session. 4 reeds played for 5 minutes would fit into one half hour session roughly. All the reeds would have been played on once per week for up to 5 minutes at the end. Maybe up to C6.
May at that time play longer but I meant I would probably limit it to maximum of 15 minutes a once a week on each reed since it is just me and I dont do concerts or such.
I do apologize for confusion and do hope this is clear. I do not "know" all this to be true or best, but am seeking a reasonable method by offering what I do and welcoming advice and corrections. Just want to do a good job.
Let me know if this is still unclear. Thanks for your patience. Certainly do not wish to alienate everyone. Just want to learn.
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Author: KenJarczyk
Date: 2015-09-01 21:05
Wow! You guys like to work! Maybe because I'm an old(er) fellow, I don't know... In my 50+ years of playing, I immerse the reed for about a minute, slap it on, and immediately determine the reed's fate - I continue with it, or it goes bye-bye. When done, for over 40 of my years, I slap it flat-side down on the glass of a good reed case. Game over until next round. I just never gave much time for the reed games. Time and life are too valuable.
Ken Jarczyk
Woodwinds Specialist
Eb, C, Bb, A & Bass Clarinets
Soprano, Alto, Tenor & Baritone Saxophones
Flute, Alto Flute, Piccolo
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Author: BGBG
Date: 2015-09-02 03:03
Yes, Ken......I rather like the simplicity of this. I want to properly hydrate, break them in, and rotate them, and use them for short periods as long as they sound good. Misled by things I read, I only played my first 8 and still have 5 left, though oversoaked, dried out, chipped, and still they play well enough for my needs. One marked good is the best, the other 4 getting wheezy and stuffy sounding. They are 8-12 months old. Never broken in or rotated except for daily playing.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-09-02 12:58
Well Ken, there are at least two drawbacks with that method.
Firstly, reeds change quite a bit as you go through the process of re-hydrating. On the first day, I have placed the box of reeds in a descending order of merit. On the second day several toward the top of the list get "demoted," while some move up. Usually the list gets pretty stable after about four days or so.
The other issue is that if by "go" you mean play a gig or rehearse for three hours on a brand spanking new reed, chances are that reed wont treat you so well the next day or any other day after.
I only say that so the "slap and go" amongst you may take just a bit more time instead of tossing out some real winners.
I also have the 50+ goin' on. I just arrive at avoiding the waste of time in a different way.
...............Paul Aviles
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Author: KenJarczyk
Date: 2015-09-02 15:06
Paul -
Topic is dry-time. My answer was my method, put it away when finished. To be totally honest, there were periods in life where I went all-out like many on this thread. During those periods, I found that I had about an 80% success rate with reeds. Did a lot of reed-work, but had results, so-to-speak. When not doing the all-out reed-thing, I have an 80% sucess rate with my reeds. Plus, yes - I break them in, that way the real goodies last for months!
Ken Jarczyk
Woodwinds Specialist
Eb, C, Bb, A & Bass Clarinets
Soprano, Alto, Tenor & Baritone Saxophones
Flute, Alto Flute, Piccolo
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