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Author: Jim22
Date: 2014-11-17 06:35
I do not seem to be in my happy reed place
I'm playing a daddario x5 mouthpiece and my teacher has me trying to play vandoren standard no. 3.5s. The majority of them in a box are miserably hard for me, taking so much breath support. That playing anything technical or musical is really difficult. Just for fun, I am breaking in a couple 3.0s and a couple v12 3.0s. The majority of those are really light, taking hardly any breath support and are rather unstable pitchwise.
Is it just me, or is there quite a big step between 3.0 and 3.5 reeds?
I have the ATG system, and with a lot of work, I can lighten the 3.5s. I'm also considering trying some daddario reserve 3.5s.
I do seem to remember struggling with 3.0s at some point. Maybe its me?
Jim C.
CT, USA
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Author: nbclarinet
Date: 2014-11-17 07:03
Depending upon how long you have been playing, your anatomy, and playing style, 3.0s might be fine on the x5. Playing on reeds that are too hard can lead to embouchure problems and bad habits so I would express your concerns to your teacher. If you are looking for something in between a Vandoren Blue box 3.0 and 3.5, a rue lepic 3.5 or V12 3.5 should fit the bill.
I have heard good things about D'addario reserves and am actually waiting to try a box myself, so those may be an option as well.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2014-11-17 07:15
First off, this is hardly a good time of year in your region (or mine) to try to make firm reed choices - with temperatures and humidity levels going up and down like a roller coaster from one day to the next, reed stability can be more of a problem than it is in the dead of winter or the height of summer. Settle for getting through with whatever you can find that works.
Second, many players (me included) feel a certain amount of back pressure from the Reserve mouthpieces - they offer more resistance that many other mouthpieces, so part of your discomfort may be caused by the X5. The Reserve mouthpieces have attractive qualities. They're very good mouthpieces, especially at their price point. But they aren't, I don't think, especially free-blowing.
Yes, I find the 1/2-strength difference from VD Traditional (thin) blanks from 3 to 3.5 and from 3.5 to 4 to be a little abrupt (others' reactions may differ). That's the reason why many reed companies have been marketing quarter-strengths over the past several years. Vandoren came to this later than the others with their V12 and 56 Rue Lepic models (#3.5 PLUS only) but for some reason they haven't even added a 4-1/2 to the Traditional model. Meanwhile, IMO, all the Vandoren reeds, including the Traditionals, have become harder over the past few years - different cuts or denser cane, I don't know.
If #3s are too soft, you might try a 3.5 56 Rue Lepic - I find them easier to blow than V12s of the same strength and possibly easier than Traditional #3.5. Otherwise you might try the D'Addario Reserve Classics and see if they're easier to manage.
Karl
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Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2014-11-17 08:05
With the obvious caveat that we play differently, I have used many of the products you mention or somewhat comparable ones, including similar strength Vandoren reeds, the Vandoren M15 mouthpiece, which D'Addario considers similar to the X5, and the D'Addario X10 mouthpiece.
I have not tried any of the new D'Addario reeds.
My assumption is that your teacher is having you increase the strength of reed you play on because of your reported intonation issues with Vandoren 3's.
I agree with Mr. Krelove's finding of some backpressure from the Reverve Mouthpieces--which is not incidently a put down of the product line: just the nature of how I find it to be. For me, the Vanoren M15, despite it's smaller tip opening and longer lay than the X5, blows freer than my X10: a more open tipped mouthpiece than your X5, from which we'd expect less resistance than the X5.
If I were you, I might first find myself clipping the tiniest portion of the weaker Vandoren size 3 reed, rebalancing with ATG, and aligning the tip of the newly cut reed with the top of the mouthpiece, if not slightly over it, and seeing what happens.
I'm a little uncomfortable with use of the ATG system for as much reed strength reduction as balancing. I think its forte lies in the latter, though it would be foolish to assume strength reduction and balancing are two seperate acts as ATG seeks to weaken the stronger reed side to that of the weaker.
Conversely, you may want to move your strength and balance adjusted 3.5 reeds slightly lower on the mouthpiece and see if blowing resistance is reduced.
Post Edited (2014-11-17 19:15)
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Author: BflatNH
Date: 2014-11-18 08:15
Have you considered quarter strength reeds (e.g. Gonzalez, Xilema, et al)?
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-11-18 15:51
I take a slightly different tack on this issue. The observations above seem correct but I take issue with the teacher's insistence on harder reeds. I always prefer making the weaker option work (given your exact problem of there being no middle ground). It is a matter of utilizing the embouchure differently (or just USING the embouchure). Remember the embouchure is not a clamp, it is only a stable platform (or rather, "a stable opening") for the reed/mouthpiece system. Using more cheek muscles and engaging more of the upper lip muscles are key to allowing the weaker set-up to work.
It sounds like the 3 1/2 strength reed is your "wall." It seems counter productive to "force" yourself to make this set-up work for you.
Approaching "from the other side" makes subtle changes in pitch and timbre much easier.
AND, if you ever considered double lip (which has nothing but good things to teach you) this would be an EXCELLENT time to give it a shot.
...............Paul Aviles
Post Edited (2014-11-18 15:53)
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2014-11-18 17:23
Paul Aviles wrote:
> I take a slightly different tack on this issue. The
> observations above seem correct but I take issue with the
> teacher's insistence on harder reeds. I always prefer making
> the weaker option work (given your exact problem of there being
> no middle ground). It is a matter of utilizing the embouchure
> differently (or just USING the embouchure). Remember the
> embouchure is not a clamp, it is only a stable platform (or
> rather, "a stable opening") for the reed/mouthpiece system.
> Using more cheek muscles and engaging more of the upper lip
> muscles are key to allowing the weaker set-up to work.
>
>
> It sounds like the 3 1/2 strength reed is your "wall." It seems
> counter productive to "force" yourself to make this set-up work
> for you.
>
>
> Approaching "from the other side" makes subtle changes in pitch
> and timbre much easier.
>
>
> AND, if you ever considered double lip (which has nothing but
> good things to teach you) this would be an EXCELLENT time to
> give it a shot.
>
>
>
>
>
> ...............Paul Aviles
>
Beautifully said. I'd slow clap if I could!!! Same thing I would have suggested, but he said it much better than I would have!!! Give it a shot. I prefer to use a slightly softer reed myself with a very stable platform embouchure and I love the flexibility and ease of playing it gives me.
>
> Post Edited (2014-11-18 15:53)
US Army Japan Band
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Author: pewd
Date: 2014-11-18 19:13
I'm with Karl on this one - I find these mouthpieces too resistant for me. Many of my students have rejected them for that reason as well. I find a M13 or M15 works better for most.
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2014-11-18 19:46
I found the X5 to be more resistant than I like, so I reduced the width of the tip rail by 50% and it is now a very comfortable mouthpiece to play.
Tony F.
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Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2014-11-18 19:58
I'm sorry if my question, inspired by Mr. Tony F's observation, takes us somewhat off the original poster's question (although it may solve his issue with 3.5 reeds being too hard), but can someone confirm/deny that the D'Addario X0, X5, and X10 product line all have the same rail tip width?
Perhaps I should restate the question. Is the sole difference between these 3 mouthpieces their tip opening?
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