 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Tony Pay ★2017
Date: 2005-07-14 22:59
Inspired by the little pot that the first oboe in front of me uses to wet his reeds, a thing I've been doing recently with some success is to wet the reed *on the mouthpiece* from time to time, by dunking it in plain water. You can do that very simply just by inverting the instrument and poking the mouthpiece, up to the top of the ligature, into the water. I've found that the sort of white opaque plastic pot that is used as a container for pills of various sorts, with a snap on lid, is quite convenient for this. You can carry it around in your case, replacing the water at regular intervals.
I've always found that keeping my current reed on the mouthpiece works best for me, though of course I have 'hopeful' replacements in various storage cases (and sometimes those even work:-) This on the fly 'dunking' technique seems to go very well with on-the-mouthpiece storage, though I don't quite know why.
You can wet the reed more or less thoroughly, of course, by varying the period of immersion, and the playing of some reeds is almost immediately improved by such wetting -- at any rate after a few seconds recovery time. Mostly, you wouldn't want to do it in a concert just before an important or delicate passage.
If you want, you can also take the mouthpiece off, and by sucking the end of it, wet the reed further up, perhaps even under the table.
It occurs to me, in a rather unscientific way, that more frequent plain water wetting may delay the effect of saliva deposits, by opposing the penetration of saliva into the reed.
Whether or not that's true, I recommend it as worth a go.
Tony
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Author: GBK
Date: 2005-07-14 23:24
Tony Pay wrote:
> a thing I've been doing recently with
> some success is to wet the reed *on the mouthpiece*
> I've always found that keeping my current reed on the
> mouthpiece works best for me,
The sound you now hear is hundreds of clarinet players hurriedly listing their now unwanted fancy reed storage cases on eBay ...GBK
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Author: Tony Pay ★2017
Date: 2005-07-14 23:29
> > The sound you now hear is hundreds of clarinet players hurriedly listing their now unwanted fancy reed storage cases on eBay ...GBK> >
Good -- I'm a bit short of them...:-)
Tony
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2005-07-15 00:22
I too keep my current reed on the mouthpiece when in storage ...
I feel also it may help the reed also shape itself to the facing and lay and may add improved response as a result.
I also lean towards the dipping of the reed during those especially dry concerts in a glass of reed water(nomally Evian springwater...)
David Dow
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Author: contragirl
Date: 2005-07-15 00:25
I thought the "musician's water" was vodka... you sure it wasn't Smirnoff that you have been dunking your reed in?
--CG
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Author: RodRubber
Date: 2005-07-15 01:43
Anthony Gigliotti always kept his good reed on his mouthpiece, at least when i was taking lessons from him, and claimed it would last about six weeks. He also claimed that "Antony Pay was the only british clarinet player with a good sound."
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2005-07-15 02:20
Many times reeds look quite dry but when you remove them from the mouthpiece the flat side is quite moist. The outside dries quicker than the inside. I find it preferable to remove the reed....remove excess moisture from the flat side and replace the reed on the mouthpiece wetting the outside surface. Just dipping the mouthpiece in a container of water puts too much water on the inside for me. The result is unwanted small gurgling like sounds. I would prefer never to wet the inside surface of the reed.....it inevitablly gets sufficiently wet. John
Freelance woodwind performer
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Author: Clarinetgirl06
Date: 2005-07-15 02:34
If you keep the reed on the mp, wouldn't it warp? How can you prevent the reed from warping?
I heard something about keeping your mp with the reed and lig on it in a ziplock to store....
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Author: cujo
Date: 2005-07-15 02:46
I have an 2 old Sanimist bottles, cleaned of course. I use plain water in one and peroxide in another. Fine mist spray on MPC keeps reeds as wet as i feel like. And peroxide for when Im done, with a little water spray after to wash off peroxide.
Any small fine mist bottle will work. Will not spill, the Sanimist kind at least. Even fits in case.
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2005-07-15 02:55
One of my colleagues does the "double reed" soak as a matter of course. He's a public bassoonist who also plays single reeds. He keeps his reeds mounted and just pops the mpc into a glass of water on the floor by his chair. Works for his clarinets, saxes and bassoon.
THE OTHER DAY,
The horn player brought her dog to rehearsal, and the dog drank the reed water. Horn player ran to her car for a bottle of Evian to replace the dog/reed water.
BTW: designer waters (cost more than gasoline) and vodka reed soaks are much preferrable to Kaluha.
Bob Phillips
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Author: bobmi74
Date: 2005-07-15 03:04
...words of experience, Bob?
I know a guy who used to soak his sax reeds in Jack Daniels. That was during his stint in Vegas though, so I guess it's okay. I'm pretty sure he drank his "reed water" too.
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Author: contragirl
Date: 2005-07-15 06:09
Sorry Bob P, I meant Kalhua. mmm...
My friend's dad used to tell us "If you're gonna drink the bong water, it might as well be vodka." I don't even remember what that was in reference to. But I guess if you're gonna drink your reed water...
--CG
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Author: BobD
Date: 2005-07-15 12:19
That's an interesting concept. It would just be my luck,though, to hit the edge of the pot with the reed. Perhaps a larger pot would work but then I'd have to watch it carefully. The reduction of saliva solvents sounds reasonable. I doubt that a quick dunk would allow water to get to the inside surface of the reed. In any event, having a little pot nearby sounds like a good idea.
Bob Draznik
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2005-07-15 13:21
If I left a damp reed on my mouthpiece in the swampy summer climate here in Virginia, The Blob would start growing in there overnight. I take my reed off, rinse the reed and the mouthpiece, blot them dry and store them separately. The tip of the reed does warp as it dries, but it seems to conform right back to the mouthpiece at the next practice session.
Though I don't play in public, I do sometimes practice on more than one instrument in a session. Keeping an open dunking dish for a mouthpiece that's been sitting doesn't work for me, because Shadow Cat enjoys disrupting my practice session by hopping up on the table and tipping over the dish. If she doesn't get there first, I can usually be relied upon to accidently tip over the dish myself, usually onto something that I didn't want to get wet.
Tony, thanks for the pill bottle idea. Never occurred to me. Some of my mouthpieces are too big for pill bottles, but a slightly larger plastic spice jar is water-tight and should work just as well.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
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Author: The Doctor ★2017
Date: 2005-07-15 13:37
As a chemistry graduate student in the 70's there was much investigation into extracting extra psychogenic substances from "bong" water and alcohol at a certain concentration does a more efficient job than straight water - enough said! Soaking a reed in alcohol will degrade if faster than a reed soaked in water because carbohydrate and sugars in the cane are extracted by the alcohol.
With no disrespect to the awesome talent of Mr. Pay - who can probably make a Popsicle stick sound good on a student clarinet - I do not believe that leaving the reed on the mouthpiece is a good idea for us common mortal players. The conclusion and remedy of keeping a wet reed on a mouthpiece is often based on an observation that a fully wetted reed plays better. I have done a lot of research on the characteristics of reed wetting (hydration) and have observed that many reeds initially placed on the mouthpiece are not fully hydrated even after some period of soaking in water or saliva. In a scientifically designed study I put food dye-water solution in a container and put just the tip of the reed in the solution and allowed the reed to soak up the water for various periods of time and then photographed each reed before play testing it (here is where the science breaks down and the subjective aspects of reed placement, ligature tightening, and playability become gross variables).
I have invented, but as yet it is not a commercial product - and probably never will be - a buffered salt, and surfactant formulation that improves the hydration time and absolute hydration potential for reeds. After drying the same reeds from the batch initially tested and photographed, I placed them in a solution of the "Reed Juice" and let them hydrate again. There was a statistical increase in the amount of dyed water absorbed and overall increase in the playability of the reeds and especially in a sub-group that did not hydrate well initially, becoming better players. This data and the full study indicated to me that many reeds require a longer rehydration time than we normally give them.
Reeds will warp, some more than others. Due to the shape of the reed, which is cut from a tubular cross section of cane, it will tend to warp back to the original shape. The tip of the reed being thin increases the potential for warping in this area. Breaking in a reed often involves adjustment both to the machine cutting of the reed but also to the warped form that it assumes after cycles of rehydration and drying.
Keeping the reed on the mouthpiece will not diminish any warping which might take place because the pressure of the ligature is not enough to counteract the warping forces. Warping is much better controlled if the reed is removed from the mouthpiece and dried thoroughly on a flat surface. Reeds will assume a concave center with ridges on the sides of the reed after wetting and drying (the natural forces to resume the shape of the cane in growth). The very tip of the reed left on the mouthpiece, is not supported by the table or rails of the mouthpiece, can undergo even more severe warping and rippling. Rippled tips may reconform after wetting but they may not. Severely warped reed tips had a lower playability rating in my tests. Reed tips dried on a flat surface, from my experimentation, tend to ripple less on rehydration than reed tips not dried on a flat surface, and play better.
In conclusion: Each reed is an experiment of one and all the reshaping and hydration will not improve a bad reed (too many variables - many not understood - which go into reed playability). I think that added hydration of some reeds will improve their playability - not all reeds. I believe that drying a reed on a flat surface between playing actually lessens the effects of warping which may cause an increase in playability. Keeping moist reeds on a moist mouthpiece invites mold and bacterial growth. The table and rails of the mouthpiece must be thoroughly cleaned between reeds left on a mouthpiece because the reed particles and carbohydrate in the reed will harden to form a film or visible deposits which alter the lay of the mouthpiece.
L. Omar Henderson
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Author: Bob A
Date: 2005-07-15 13:47
Oh what Joy! A few drops of that washing-up liquid in your reed water should get you first-chair for the 'bubble-machine" replacement on LW's programs.
Bob A
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Author: OpusII
Date: 2005-07-15 13:50
The hundreds of clarinet players are know hurrying to buy back their own fancy reed storage cases on eBay ...![[cool]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/cool.gif)
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Author: BobD
Date: 2005-07-15 15:20
"the 'bubble-machine" replacement on LW's programs."
Time Warp....
Bob Draznik
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Author: Bob A
Date: 2005-07-15 16:11
Hey BobD, One man's Time Warp....is another man's Reality Show!
BoB A
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Author: The Doctor ★2017
Date: 2005-07-15 17:53
Alas, no bubbles from plant surfacants. Actually, the study of plant fluid dynamics and the mechanisms and chemical composition of sap - plant juice - is facinating. Besides the amazing amount of energy required to lift "water" to the height of 12 meters in the Arundo Donax plant there are both mechanical-structural components in the plant but also chemical modifications to the water that cut down on the energy needed to lift the water and return photosynthetic products. The surfacants used by plants bear little resemblence to our dish soap and once again Nature has ordained, devised, or evolved unique ways of solving practical and energy conservation problems.
L. Omar Henderson
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Author: Tony Pay ★2017
Date: 2005-07-15 18:11
The Doctor wrote:
>> In conclusion: Each reed is an experiment of one and all the reshaping and hydration will not improve a bad reed (too many variables - many not understood - which go into reed playability).>>
Agreed.
>> I think that added hydration of some reeds will improve their playability - not all reeds.>>
My idea was to play on 'wetter' reeds, like our double reed colleagues, and try to adjust them so that they were optimal when wetter.
>> I believe that drying a reed on a flat surface between playing actually lessens the effects of warping which may cause an increase in playability.>>
Maybe. I find that my reeds don't warp all that much anyway, and if they do, they can be straightened out without too much trouble.
>> Keeping moist reeds on a moist mouthpiece invites mold and bacterial growth.>>
Again, I don't notice that very much. I tend to rinse the reed and mouthpiece at the end of a playing session anyway, so perhaps that helps.
>> The table and rails of the mouthpiece must be thoroughly cleaned between reeds left on a mouthpiece because the reed particles and carbohydrate in the reed will harden to form a film or visible deposits which alter the lay of the mouthpiece.>>
Perhaps minimised by the post-session rinse.
But sometimes I wonder, if everything's working just fine, whether the lay might not have been altered for the better:-)
Tony
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2005-07-15 18:50
Omar came close with his mention of "bong water" but did anyone react as I did to the first line of Tony's posting
<<"Inspired by the little pot that the first oboe in front of me uses ....">>>?
Former creator of CUSTOM CLARINET TUNING BARRELS by DR. ALLAN SEGAL
-Where the Sound Matters Most(tm)-
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2005-07-15 18:58
I disagree with the Doctor! When he says the reed tends to warp back to its' original shape especially at the tip.....Reeds warp during the drying process and many times the reed will warp away from the rails of the mouthpiece....ie the tip will warp in the opposite shape....the bark shows the original curve and the tip might be concave the other way. I will stop now as I know the Doctor has more brain cells in his little pinky than I have in my head. What do think Doc? (not about brain cells) John
Freelance woodwind performer
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2005-07-15 19:05
Regarding oboists soaking their reeds. The oboists have the added problem of reed aperture. If the reed dries out the aperture is smaller and the pitch can go up. This is particularly true of older reeds. You can imagine picking up your clarinet to find your mouthpiece is 20% less open. It wouldn't be good. This oboe problem is especially true of high altitudes and dry climates. We've got it easy with clarinet reeds! John
Freelance woodwind performer
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Author: The Doctor ★2017
Date: 2005-07-15 19:13
Each of these items merely represents the tip of an iceberg - the vast content below our discussion - and sometimes beyond our comprehension or knowledge base. Like many scientific journal articles the "devil" in reproducing an experiment is in the details - you have just added additional details which modify and complicate the process.
Complications of "wetter" reeds might include - Reeds can become over hydrated - water logged - and will not play well. A reed will become fully hydrated, within certain limits of gaining and loosing water, during playing and we need only to approach the lower limit of full hydration to evaluate the reed at hand. How long should the reed soak in water to become fully hydrated but not water logged - shortest, longest time??
Warped reeds do need adjustment but this is more easily accomplished on a dry reed rather than a wet reed. Adjusting wet reeds on the fly is a difficult process. Reed tip warping is definitely enhanced if the reed is left on the mouthpiece rather than drying on a flat surface between uses.
Rinsing is complicated with the reed on the mouthpiece. Mold and bacterial growth is a high hazard in warmer climates such as the Southeast US (my own personal every day condition). Mineral deposits on the outside and inside the mouthpiece are not easily removed by rinsing a mouthpiece with reed and ligature attached. Rinsing facilities are not always handy or available.
Changing the lay of the mouthpiece with deposits only complicates the reed selection process because you are changing the variable associated with your mouthpiece by not cleaning it to bring it back to the original configuration. The optimum is to have full and complete contact of the reed back with the table of the mouthpiece to enhance tip vibration (anchoring the diving board firmly). Flattening the back of the reed fulfills the same result that deposits accomplish to fill gaps between the reed and table. A little saliva completes the capillary attraction bond using a newly hydrated reed.
IMHO - Having a selection of pre-tested, rotated, adjusted, dry reeds seems like a more practical and reproducible situation for a player like me - with the caveat that I think that more complete hydration may be needed before beginning to play.
L. Omar Henderson
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Author: contragirl
Date: 2005-07-15 19:15
About the warping, I think when the Doc says it will warp back to its original shape, it's along the lines of what the tendancy of the cut cane will revert to. The manufacturers cut, sand, wet and dry the reed to flatten it, etc. But when it gets wet again, it might revert to a unflattened shape that is the tendancy of the cut product. There are different pulls and strains in the material, so when you release the energy within the grain, it could pull one side out, or loosen another side, twisting parts around to warping.
I could be making that stuff up, but I think I have heard it explained this way.
*shrug*
haha... the British terms seem to be easily taken out of context by us Yanks. I like it.
--CG
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Author: The Doctor ★2017
Date: 2005-07-15 20:10
About reed warping - the tip is "up for grabs" (American Slang) as to how it will warp - I have seen everything from one sided, concave, convex, rippled, etc. warping. The general warping of the body is to become convex as the reed cane grows. The back - right and left hand edges (as you face the butt of the reed) tend to curve inward. I have done studies on many reeds by passing played, dryed reeds over 800 grit sandpaper and there are more often than not two parallel lines outlined where contact is made with the sandpaper. This indicates that the edges are curling inward (there would be one broad line if the body became convex and the edges curled upward). I never sand the tip but just inspect it visually. When rehydrated often the tip will flatten out if it was warped - sometimes not - sometimes it will assume a different warp!!!
L. Omar Henderson
Post Edited (2005-07-15 20:14)
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2005-07-15 20:23
Thanks Omar, I have experienced soaking reeds for long periods of time. If you soak a reed for a week and let it dry the reed takes on a dugout canoe shape. I attributed this to the fact that the bark is still on part of the reed.....the surface near the flat side would dry out quicker that the deeper cane....near the bark. I wouldn't think it was bacause the cane was cut from a tube cane. Oboe cane has to be gouged in order for the curvature to remain. John ps this is all theory but who cares.. I want to understand why things work.
Freelance woodwind performer
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Author: Tony Pay ★2017
Date: 2005-07-15 21:02
The Doctor wrote:
>> Each of these items merely represents the tip of an iceberg - the vast content below our discussion - and sometimes beyond our comprehension or knowledge base. Like many scientific journal articles the "devil" in reproducing an experiment is in the details - you have just added additional details which modify and complicate the process.>>
Well, I didn't want to make a scientific statement myself. I just wanted to share a technique that I'd found useful.
When I posted this first on Klarinet, many people wanted to know exactly what to do. I just said, try it out and let us know what you want to say.
Though a 'scientific' study may throw light on a situation, it may, as you point out, merely defer to all the other changes that players make in practice.
>> Complications of "wetter" reeds might include - Reeds can become over hydrated - water logged - and will not play well. A reed will become fully hydrated, within certain limits of gaining and losing water, during playing and we need only to approach the lower limit of full hydration to evaluate the reed at hand. How long should the reed soak in water to become fully hydrated but not water logged - shortest, longest time??>>
Yes, I thought of that, and adjusted for it. How? Dunno, but it was always related to the result, and a bit to inspection of the reed. You don't want it to be 'dark-waterlogged', I thought, because that makes the reed behave like a bag of water.
>> Warped reeds do need adjustment but this is more easily accomplished on a dry reed rather than a wet reed. Adjusting wet reeds on the fly is a difficult process.>>
But this technique may need to be learnt. How do we know before we try?
>>Reed tip warping is definitely enhanced if the reed is left on the mouthpiece rather than drying on a flat surface between uses.>>
Perhaps. But if warping can be corrected easily, so what?
If a reed is warped on the mouthpiece, I first of all soak the whole system for a minute or two -- under a running tap, for example.
Then I press the reed against the mouthpiece facing, and perhaps even insert a (Japanese is the best) telephone card and skew the angle that the reed makes with the facing. I might even suck the reed while covering the bottom of the mouthpiece with my thumb, so that it 'pops' after a few seconds.
>> Rinsing is complicated with the reed on the mouthpiece.
Dump the whole thing in a basin of water -- why not?
>>Mold and bacterial growth is a high hazard in warmer climates such as the Southeast US (my own personal every day condition). Mineral deposits on the outside and inside the mouthpiece are not easily removed by rinsing a mouthpiece with reed and ligature attached.>>
So, if it's a problem, you can take the reed off.
I'm not wanting to be hardline about all of this.
>>Rinsing facilities are not always handy or available.>>
Carry a bottle of water?
>>Changing the lay of the mouthpiece with deposits only complicates the reed selection process because you are changing the variable associated with your mouthpiece by not cleaning it to bring it back to the original configuration.>>
I understand, but I didn't mean that. All I meant was, and a bit jokingly, that if the reed on your mouthpiece, undisturbed, is giving good results (I always come back to that, you see, because it's the GOLD STANDARD) then it may not matter that there are these deposits.
Of course, I clean the mouthpiece before trying new reeds.
>>The optimum is to have full and complete contact of the reed back with the table of the mouthpiece to enhance tip vibration (anchoring the diving board firmly).>>
No, the optimum is to be able to play the piece you're playing with the sound that is appropriate to it:-)
>>Flattening the back of the reed fulfills the same result that deposits accomplish to fill gaps between the reed and table. A little saliva completes the capillary attraction bond using a newly hydrated reed.>>
That may be so. But, I might not want to try removing and then flattening the back of a reed that was working well in situ, with (perhaps) deposits.
>>IMHO - Having a selection of pre-tested, rotated, adjusted, dry reeds seems like a more practical and reproducible situation for a player like me - with the caveat that I think that more complete hydration may be needed before beginning to play.>>
Thanks, Omar. You have great knowledge and expertise, and even if I don't necessarily want to follow it in this particular instance, I admire your stance.
Tony
Post Edited (2005-07-15 21:26)
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2005-07-15 23:28
Tony, it is not my intention to convince anyone to do anything, but only to present observations and data that I have collected and for everyone to filter it through their own experience base as to the usefulness or uselessness of the recommendations. Presenting data or a theory is the groundwork for scholarly discussion and debate and hopefully all will benefit from the presentation. As a scientist I cannot dismiss any theory unless I know all the variables, can test a representative sample, and can predict the behavior of the variables. Reeds do not fall into this category. We can however predict from our own experience what knowledge we possess and what facilities, tools and skill sets we can employ.
L. Omar Henderson
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Author: Tony Pay ★2017
Date: 2005-07-16 00:53
L. Omar Henderson wrote:
>> Tony, it is not my intention to convince anyone to do anything, but only to present observations and data that I have collected and for everyone to filter it through their own experience base as to the usefulness or uselessness of the recommendations.
>> Presenting data or a theory is the groundwork for scholarly discussion and debate and hopefully all will benefit from the presentation. As a scientist I cannot dismiss any theory unless I know all the variables, can test a representative sample, and can predict the behavior of the variables. Reeds do not fall into this category.>>
I absolutely agree with that.
On the other hand, what we want to encourage, here, I submit, is the notion that we can experiment, and fix whatever variables we want -- and then vary whatever other variables we can -- in order to try to produce the sort of flexibility that playing music requires.
What I'd found is that it was useful for me to try having the reed 'wetter', and that one way of doing that was to dunk the whole thing in water. As an aside to that, I said that I preferred to leave the reed on the mouthpiece. (And despite your caveats, I still do.)
My whole enterprise is not to do anything less than play the music well. And unfortunately, that enterprise is not scientifically characterisable.
>> We can however predict from our own experience what knowledge we possess and what facilities, tools and skill sets we can employ.>>
I don't understand that bit, but what I think you wanted to say was something rather like:
>> We can however generate results from our own experience, from whatever knowledge we possess, and from whatever facilities, tools and skill sets we can employ.>>
And that I agree with.
Tony
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2005-07-16 01:44
Producing music is an art form unfortunately we are saddled with mechanics and physics and physical properties which do conform to the laws of science. The ability of the player to mold, shape and alter some of the physical properties of the instrument through breath, finger movements, interpretation of the written notes, and embouchure are part of the art form. Some of the physical properties we can however do something about to assist the art form. Unfortunately many of the variables associated with the physical properties have not been elucidated - e.g. reed function variables.
Various players using the same reed can produce different tonal qualities with all of the other variables of instrument, mouthpiece, and ligature, held constant. The variables that make one reed bad and another one good however are largely unknown - although a player with experience and the right skill set might rescue it. As Tony suggests - if it plays well that is the ultimate goal (or a favorite Southern saying - "if it ain't broke don't fix it"). As a scientist I am however challenged to describe the physical properties and conditions which make it play well - aside from the player!
We obviously cannot separate the art form from the physical properties but those physical properties that can be described and modified are fair game for the scientist and musician (I hope they are not mutually exclusive!).
Experimentation and observation are probably common to both and should be practiced with the goal to modify the physical properties, and to enhance the art form. There are proven rules and procedures in science which help us to reach a valid conclusion and should be applied to modification of the physical properties. It is harder or impossible to lay down rules for the art form and that is another topic of discussion. I promise my soap box is closed for the night!
L. Omar Henderson
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Author: BobD
Date: 2005-07-16 13:33
The interchange sort of reminds me of the old thing about the scientist who said a bumblebee could not fly. During his life my father admired Leonardo da Vinci and taught me to do likewise. As a result I am convinced that there can be a happy marriage of "do it yourself" and scientific experimentation. If you never actually try something you will never know if it works for you. I won't share my pot, however.
Bob Draznik
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2005-07-16 14:25
Re Omar's tip of the iceberg......you make it sound like rocket science. Is it possible that you are overcomplicating things? Do you think that Man understands nothing about nature...... how it basically works in a given situation? I have a hard time believing that everything I have learned through experience will not hold any water in the future and I'm not a reed. I guess I'm dealing with generalizations and as inaccurate as they might possibly be I think they are generally true for me and maybe others. Misguided Individual. ps It's interesting that Omar would offer products for sale knowing that each product was developed only knowing the tip of the iceberg. I would argue that the subjects involved are not icebergs. Omar probably knows enough to develop good products. It is also interesting to me that Omar and Tony would have anything in common. Omar's cork grease and bore oil are far removed from Mr Pay's leading question....what is the best ligature? Omar and Tony are great board members.........I just can't understand either of them. Both of them could sell me a used car....Omar with data supporting the quality of the vehicle and Tony with a convoluted story about a former owner of the car. John
Freelance woodwind performer
Post Edited (2005-07-16 17:48)
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Author: Firebird
Date: 2005-07-17 03:58
*Sniff* I think there is a strong smell of gunpowder in the air.
In any case, I think both The Doctor and Tony Pay are right in their context. Although I won't encourage the storage of reed together with the mouthpiece, but I think soaking the reeds in water will prolong reed life, especially for my Zonda Hand Select reeds.
This is also based on experience of course.
Chan
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2005-07-17 04:26
Tony Pay,
I watched you on-net video and was amazed when you appeared to pick up an instrument at random, stick it in your face and play it. It made it seem that you don't even need to wet your reeds!
My wife reminded me that we could only see what we were allowed to see --that you might have an elf in your storage closet who installs fully hydrated reed/mpc assemblies on the instruments seconds before your pick them up to play.
TONY,
Do you play on dry reeds?
Bob Phillips
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Author: Tony Pay ★2017
Date: 2005-07-18 12:11
I do if I have to, as in that case. In fact, a reed sometimes works quite well, and then gets worse as it hydrates.
The whole idea of wetting them to begin with, in my view, is to stop them changing. Unfortunately, it also makes them deteriorate.
A Northumberland bagpiper once told me that he'd had a very good reed broken by a careless student a week previously.
"How long had you had it?" I asked.
"About thirty years," he replied.
(The Northumberland pipes are driven by an arm-operated pumping system, and so the reed never encounters moist air.)
Tony
Post Edited (2005-07-18 12:42)
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The Clarinet Pages
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