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Effects of a softer/harder reed

Author: faltpihl ★2017
Date: 2015-06-04 17:37

Hi again,

I hope you don't feel this to be a re-post from my earlier posts.

I'm not sure that I've found my perfect match when it comes to reeds.

I play on a Ridenour mouthpiece (RA MT36).

I've tried different brands and strengths, but I've lately played most on V21 3.5.

They feel quite comfy, and I can achieve a very soft dynamic while maintaining clarity.

I have however (perhaps incorrectly) noticed that I have an easier time with tone stability (mainly pitch I think) with stiffer reeds.

I feel that with stiffer reeds, I can not play as softly without airiness in the sound.

Perhaps when I use stiffer reeds, I do something with air/embouchure which results in greater stability, and perhaps the best solution is playing on the softer reeds and practice stability?

Perhaps I have failed to balance (I use ATG) my harder reeds as well as my soft, so maybe I'll try a box of stiffer reeds to be sure.

Can you perhaps add your experiences with stiffer/softer reeds?

Softer:

* Pro: Clear and more focused tone, easier to do altissimo (especially fast passages in altissimo)
* Con: Less stability? (Easier to bend notes perhaps?)

Stiffer:

* Pro: More stability, perhaps possible to play higher (louder) dynamics?
* Con: More airy sound in lower dynamics, perhaps harder to play "lyrically" due to having to work so hard to get the sound to focus

Regards
Peter

Post Edited (2015-06-04 17:43)

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