The Clarinet BBoard

The Clarinet BBoard The C4 standard

New Topic | Go to Top | Go to Topic | Search | Help/Rules | Smileys/Notes | Log In

Previous Message | Next Message

Re: Effects of a softer/harder reed

Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2015-06-04 19:24

It depends a little on the amount of "airy" noise that is in the sound. Some very good, established players allow, and teach their students to allow, a certain degree of airiness in the tone at soft dynamics.

You've described the pros and cons, I think, pretty well. The only other con of a truly too hard reed is that you will tire much faster. But there's a point at which the resistance can allow you to not work so hard to maintain focus and pitch. At the truly too soft end, you start to have trouble producing in-tune altissimo notes at all and even the upper clarion can become really unstable.

It seems from what you've written that you're describing a range of hardness through which you're comfortable. It may be that your choice of reeds, then, can be more situational - the harder ones within the range you describe for some music, ones at the softer end for other music.

To an extent, airiness in piano or pianissimo playing can be reduced with more attention to the tongue position and oral (vowel) shape. It may also be that the reeds at the stiffer end of your range may play with less noise if you adjust them a little differently - maybe remove a little cane from the tip and side areas (basically what ATG is best at) of your stiffer reeds *a very little at a time* to improve vibrancy without overly softening the heart area. It may take some experimentation.

Or, if everything else works well, ignore slight noise in piano with the justification that it won't carry far enough for an audience to hear it.

Karl

Reply To Message | Avail. Forums | Flat View

Newer Topic | Older Topic

Topics