Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2010-11-06 14:18
All of what's been said goes, I think, off into tangents that are probably a little removed from Eric's (the OP) basic question. We've all experienced the feeling that some days our first notes are god-awful enough to make us consider making a new lamp from the clarinet. The two most variable elements in the system are the player and the reed.
Of the two we have far more control over ourselves as players - we can do a great deal to make sure that what we're doing - our technical approach - is the same today when the sound seems buzzy and thin as it was yesterday when the tone seemed so gloriously rich. Whether the technical issues are air support, embouchure formation, mouth/tongue/throat position or finger and hand position, we can with practice learn to do today whatever it was we were doing on other days when things sounded better.
That leaves the one big variable - the reed - over which we have far less control. Cane is sensitive to many things that can change from day to day. Its vibrating character can change from one day to the next with humidity changes, age, its precise position on the mouthpiece and other sources of variability. A reed can take a longer wetting time to reach full response as it ages (maybe a player in a hurry hasn't let it moisten long enough) and a new reed can change as the result of exposure to the wetting/drying cycle. Putting on a new reed adds even more variability because every reed is different, many need balancing to vibrate at their best and some reeds just won't play well out of the box without major reshaping (if then).
To the original poster, check three things: (a) is the reed set correctly on the mouthpiece? (b) is the tip crinkly (is the edge wavy), which is a sign that it isn't wet enough? and (c) is it a reed you've used successfully before or one that is either unfamiliar (new) or one that didn't play so well the last time you tried it either? If it's one of those not "quite right" days, try a different reed or two, making sure you wet them adequately first. Also try wetting the one you started with a little longer. They need more wetting time as they age. Learning to balance a reed can help solve problems with new reeds that are still not stable.
Lots of other things can conceivably cause day-to-day variation in tone and response but, assuming your technical approach is consistent, the reed is by far the most likely source of the problem and is the first thing to consider *before* making adjustments or changes to your approach to embouchure, breathing, oral shape, etc...
Karl
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