 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: golfnclarinet
Date: 2009-11-24 18:03
I think I better put this on new topic.
Years ago, I was traveling to Boston for business and able to enjoy Branford Marsalis performance at Berklee.
He brought a new box of tenor Sax Reed to the stage and kept replacing reeds during his performance.
I mean, he tossed a reed out and grabbed a new reed from a box and put it on and kept playing.
I was kind of surprised.
Any thought?
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Author: kathryn777
Date: 2009-11-24 18:16
Sure it was new and not a box containing reeds he had already broken in?
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Author: golfnclarinet
Date: 2009-11-24 18:21
I'm 100% sure it was a new Vandoren Blue Box.
I saw that he peeled vinyl off the box.
He even mentioned “I’m sorry. I couldn’t find a decent reed today”.
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Author: vin
Date: 2009-11-24 19:42
I've seen a well-known soloist do this, as well as a second clarinetist in a top 5 orchestra. Both are at the stage in their careers where they can comfortably sound like themselves with broken-in or new reeds (i.e. more than good enough to superlatively do the task at hand) and can afford a new box of reeds for every concert. They are the exception rather than the rule. I couldn't afford to do this, financially or acoustically.
Post Edited (2009-11-24 20:56)
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2009-11-24 20:26
I say ......... NEVER PUT YOURSELF IN THIS SITUATION !!!!!
EVER !!!!!
I store reeds in their box, so it may look similar but I always break in reeds for at least 10 minutes a day, for three days before I put any more time in on a reed.
The main reason is that you generally run the risk of a reed becoming hopelessly waterlogged if you don't .
....................Paul Aviles
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2009-11-24 22:17
Sounds like he just wasn't that into preparing ahead of time. Maybe when he's on the road he doesn't take the time to follow any reed routine and when it bites him, he just makes the audience put up with the result.
Everyone runs into an emergency occasionally. You should have spare reeds that are at least pre-selected, if not fully prepared, with you at the concert or rehearsal site to cover any accident - reeds lose battles with clothing or mouthpiece caps all the time. Most symphonic players carry a selection anyway to allow for differences in hall acoustics and daily humidity changes, especially when it isn't always the same hall. Chances are, that was an aberration for him, but if it wasn't, then I guess some people just get away with whatever they can. His popularity certainly isn't hurting as a result.
Most of us need to be better prepared to avoid embarrassments.
Karl
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Author: Iceland clarinet
Date: 2009-11-24 22:50
10 minutes for 3 days seems to be too little at least for me. If I want to get decent result then few seconds first and then 5 min 10 and so on increase for 4-5 days is the way to go if I want the reed to last me 20-25 hours of playing.
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2009-11-24 23:19
He probably would play well on a soda straw with holes cut out. I'm sure it was an excellent performance and the audience had a great time, maybe even because it seemed a little spiced up by uncertainty (could it have been a deliberate part of the act - some kind of "schtick?").
However good it was, though, it wasn't likely to have been his best, which is what (getting insufferably stuffy for a minute) a performer should be striving for any time he plays in public.
Karl
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Author: jimk
Date: 2009-11-24 23:29
There are times before a performance I go through my carefully prepared reeds and decide none of them have the characteristics I want for that performance. That's when I pull a reed straight out of the box to get cleaner articulation or a bit more ring to my tone. I have found I might as well throw it away after the performance. It sometimes isn't even good enough to be a practice reed after being treated that way.
Testing and discarding multiple new reeds during a performance does seem a little extreme to me, but we all have our idiosyncracies
I'm not a professional or a highly educated amateur, so feel free to tell me I am wrong. I just know what seems to work for me.
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Author: tdinap
Date: 2009-11-25 00:02
I feel awkward enough doing this at rehearsals, much less performances!
I'd personally find it a bit distracting to be constantly thinking "is this reed going to work?" as either an audience member or a performer, but to each their own I suppose.
Side question: what do people think of "bad reed" type excuses for problems in performance or rehearsal? Personally, I hate to make them because I hate to contribute to the stereotype, and I feel like I'm responsible for having good reeds to play.
Then again, I once saw Martin Frost perform when he was quite obviously having reed troubles, and as a clarinetist, I forgave that and enjoyed the rest of the performance (and most other audience members seemed to as well).
Tom
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2009-11-25 00:10
I've heard of other players doing this. Not so much orchestra players but I've heard of recording players, movies etc. doing this. That doesn't mean they all do it that way, it's probably a minority of players but it happens. I've also heard of symphony players, no names here, that don't adjust their reeds, if the reed doesn't play out of the box it's no good. Each to their own. Just because many of us break them in over time, adjust them over time and treat them like their gold nuggets doesn't mean that some players aren't successful in their own way the way they do it. I don't agree with it but if it works for them, go for it. Don't judge others if their successful. ESP http://eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: Iceland clarinet
Date: 2009-11-25 00:17
Ed in the times of crises and terrible high price on reeds I for sure can't afford the luxury of not break-in my reeds,adjust them and treat them well. I don't have countless of money I can spend on reed sorry.
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Author: AJN
Date: 2009-11-25 00:25
Does it really matter what arundiniform ("reed-shaped") object you slap on a saxophone mouthpiece? ;-)
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2009-11-25 02:24
Does it really matter what arundiniform ("reed-shaped") object you slap on a clarinet mouthpiece
Freelance woodwind performer
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Author: allencole
Date: 2009-11-25 16:35
Well, at least he was trying and throwing away his OWN reeds. There's a great story told about Benny Goodman, where one of his sidemen showed up at rehearsal with a new box of Vandoren clarinet reeds. They had been given to him as a birthday or christmas present.
Benny, living in his own little world, started trying the guy's reeds one after the other--breaking the ones that he didn't like so that he wouldn't try them again by mistake. By the end of rehearsal, he had broken most of the guy's new vandorens!
Allen Cole
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2009-11-25 17:17
Ice, I wasn't suggesting that you do, I simply said that some people do it, it wasn't meant for you. I don't agree with doing that either, if you've read my reed page on my website you would know that. ESP http://eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2009-11-25 17:43
Playing in a pit orchestra for a musical the clarinetist beside me took a reed off and snapped it with his thumb. He threw it on the floor. I picked it up and put it on my clarinet finishing the number. He was shocked that I could play it.........my recommendation is not to do this.
Freelance woodwind performer
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Author: kathryn777
Date: 2009-11-25 20:23
What is the difference in the silver box of vandorens and the blue box?
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