 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: BGBG
Date: 2015-09-26 02:14
Have been able to get 5 of my oldest reeds to play fair to good by sanding and clipping as per various tutorials and videos.
I play and evaluate a reed and do what I think is needed and test again. I don't know If it is this simple but I would like to know what is appropriate for a reed that when blow it blocks or clamps shut. Does it need sanding because it is too hard or clipping because it is too thin? And if it wavers and squeaks and varies in pitch does it need clipping because it is too soft? Or do you just start out by sanding the bottom anyway? I guess I am asking is my interpretation correct. It does seems to be working, what I am doing, but I would like some opinions.
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2015-09-26 04:14
It sounds like the reed you're asking about is too soft, so it will be hard to tell if it's also unbalanced (or warped). But, truthfully, IMO if a reed is acting as badly as you describe it, I generally go on to another one. I know that writers recommend clipping a reed if it's too soft (closes, or plays flat, especially in the upper registers, etc.) and many players use a clipper for the purpose. I've never found the result very satisfactory if it needs more than a thin hair's breadth clipped off to get enough resistance. Ed Palanker has described here and on his website an extra process to refresh the tip after clipping to bring the resistance area up by clipping (and he may chime in here), but I don't think he's really talking about grossly soft reeds, either. The one(s) you're describing sound like they're too soft to bother with.
But, in general, all you can do when adjusting a reed is to try what you think will most likely help and then, if it doesn't, try to learn from your mistakes. Reeds aren't *that* expensive and experimenting is mandatory if you want to learn reed adjustment.
Karl
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Author: nellsonic
Date: 2015-09-26 07:27
Also, reeds naturally die after a certain amount of use. It's not just that they get softer - they loose that vibrancy and clear centered tone that characterizes a good reed. Clipping won't revive them, even if you do skillfully refinish the tip.
That said, and in agreement with Karl's observations, what you've written is more or less correct - but you must have already known that from your research.
All of this assumes, of course, that you are using a compatible combination of reed and mouthpiece, and that the fundamentals of air and embouchure are in place.
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2015-09-28 21:00
I've read what Karl said and he's correct. I do describe the method I've been very successful for many years on my website about tapering a soft reed before clipping it but it only works with a good piece of cane and a reed that is just slightly soft. I suppose it can be done with a reed that very soft but you would have to clip it a substainal amount and "re-make" the reed. That's very impractical. And don't forget the old saying, "You can't polish a turd". It applies to reed cane, a bad piece of cane can't make a good reed no matter how good you are at reed adjusting
ESP eddiesclarinet.com
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