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Self-Made Reeds

Author: Neal Raskin
Date: 2007-01-31 03:42

Does anybody have any good books that they have read on making your own reeds? I am interested in trying it. I know serious double reed players make their own reeds, but is it worth it for single reeds?

Neal

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Re: Self-Made Reeds

Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-01-31 12:04

I wouldn't have thought it's worth it considering how many different makes and types of single reeds are already on the market.

But it's always interesting to try out to see if you can get consistancy between each reed.

Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.

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Re: Self-Made Reeds

Author: scott kurtzweil
Date: 2007-01-31 14:42

Likely the most used is Kal Opperman's Handbook for Making and Adjusting Single Reeds. You can get it many places for around $20. Glen Bowen, former teacher at UW Madison also wrote a good book titled Making and Adjusting Clarinet Reeds.

Best - Scott

Scott Kurtzweil
Kurtzweil Musical LLC
www.kurtzweilmusical.com
269-340-9013
scott@kurtzweilmusical.com

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Re: Self-Made Reeds

Author: Brad Behn
Date: 2007-01-31 16:48

I think every clarinetist should learn how to make reeds. The knowledge gained is well worth the extra time and effort. Even if you don’t end up making reeds, you have gained first hand experience and a comprehensive knowledge of what it is that makes reeds vibrate, sound good, respond well, etc. Learning how to make reeds for me has been one of the better investments of time I have ever made. I use the skills I learned to adjust commercial reeds as well as make reeds from scratch, and I can say that if I ever have a bad reed it is due to laziness rather than ignorance. For me, that is a very comforting fact.

Brad Behn
http://www.clarinetmouthpiece.com

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Re: Self-Made Reeds

Author: Cosmicjello
Date: 2007-01-31 18:19

A Book for the Clarinet Reed-Maker by Ronald V. Vazquez
Clarinet and Clarinet Playing by David Pino
Clarinet and Saxophone Reed Adjustments by Vito Platamone
Handbook for Making and Adjusting Single Reeds-Revised Edition by Kalmen Opperman
Making and Adjusting Clarinet Reeds by Glen H. Bowen
Making Clarinet Reeds by Hand by Walter Grabner
Perfect A Reed . . . and Beyond by Ben Armato
Selection, Adjustment, and Care of Single Reeds by Larry Guy
The Single Reed Adjustment Manual by Fred Ormand

All are available from http://www.vcisinc.com/clarinet.htm

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Re: Self-Made Reeds

Author: William
Date: 2007-02-01 02:38

"but is it worth it for single reeds?"

I studied with one of the books authors who showed us all "first hand" how he made his reeds--and we all had to try. But none of us that I know of contiuned the practice after graduation. In fact, towards the end of his teaching career, he let his book go "out of print" because he decided that with the quality of reeds commercially available, it was enough just to start with the hardest reed--ex. VanDoran 5+--and use your reed knife to work it down to match your own mouthpiece. I never was able to make a reed that could match a decent VanDoran--or even a Gonzales, LaVoz or Rico!!! For me, making reeds from blanks gave me insight for adjusting my commercial choice of reed, but never gave me one that would make my clarinet sing. Give it a try--at least you'll learn something about adjustment.

BTW, I have Kal Oppermans book and it is very good and easy to follow--but he is not the author of whom I speak.

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