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Re: Music should be fun, right?

Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2010-11-09 12:35

Yes, I second the Legere tack. You can preserve your sanity (and your clarinet) by having a reed that will play consistently for many months without needing a replacement. With Legere, you should try a strength about 1/4 less tha what you use in a regular reed. So if you use 3 1/2 Vandoren, you can try a 3.25 Legere.

Are they as good as cane? No, but they are closer than any other synthetic and being synthetic they will get you through turbulent changes of season.

As for real reeds, I agree with some of the above in that you should get used to a wider spectrum of "usable." Also break them in first by only playing on one reed for five minutes a day for at least three days BEFORE playing on them for any real length of time. As winter and home heating units kick in (drying the heck out of your reeds as they sit on your mouthpiece) the break-in period should be even longer (perhaps as much as a week).

And by all means ROTATE. I use a box at a time as my paradigm, getting 4 to 6 usable reeds out of a box. I NEVER play the same reed two days in a row, usually always taking them in sequence unless I'm down to only a few "performance ready" reeds with multiple performances to worry about.

...........good luck,

....................Paul Aviles

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