 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: knotty
Date: 2015-11-11 04:56
I've begun improving reeds (hopefully) One question comes to mind, is there some particular advantage about using a reed knife over sandpaper about #300-400 grit rolled onto a 1/4" dowel for taking cane off the heart area?
Generally I find the sandpaper does a smoother job.
Thanks!
~ Musical Progress: None ~
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2015-11-11 06:08
Unless the reed starts as a board (or at least a Popsicle stick) most players I know don't do much work in the heart area. If you regularly need to go down beyond the tip area in the center, you might consider using a softer strength to begin with. Most reed adjusting consists of balancing the vibrating area in the tip and along the sides of the reed blade.
That said, a knife may give a little finer control. If I used sandpaper free-hand I'd be inclined to use the corner of a piece guided flat under my index finger. In my imagination I think a flat surface is maybe more stable that a round one - the dowel might have a tendency to roll instead of gently scrape, and it might be awkward holding the dowel. But I haven't tried it rolled around a dowel. I don't suppose there's any reason why it wouldn't work if you work out the logistics.
Tom Ridenour's ATG (Against The Grain) system uses a small flat sanding block that does what you're suggesting quite well. Reed knives, to be effective, need to be quite sharp, or you need to press too hard and end up potentially gouging the reed.
Karl
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Author: knotty
Date: 2015-11-11 07:15
It could be I'm using the wrong terminology. I opened a new box of 10 reeds and I took 3 out to break in. Two plays fine but one is a lot harder to blow compared to the others. It's like going a whole step higher, ie: 3 to 4. Balance wise, it seems OK.
I just want to "soften" or make it similar to the others in terms of blowing pressure.
How do I achieve that?
Thanks!
~ Musical Progress: None ~
Post Edited (2015-11-11 07:16)
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2015-11-11 07:42
You may not be able to. If you see the V-shape of the heart, you can make a reed less stuffy by thinning the areas around the V. The two sides should ideally be equally flexible and the tip (the top quarter inch or so from the edge) should be flexible but not to the point of being mushy. There are suggestions of how to do this in every book about clarinet playing. Ed Palanker has some instructions on his web site at eddiesclarinet.com.
Another possible approach with a reed that's generally too hard and not just unbalanced is to sand the flat side gently on a piece of 400 grit abrasive or even a rasp to make the whole reed thinner. Generally, you try not to run the tip area over the abrasive, but the tip may need to be thinned a little (a little goes a long way at the tip, which is already quite thin).
Some pieces of cane just won't vibrate well no matter what you do. They are most useful in a compost heap. Remember that most (all, AKAIK) reed manufacturers cut all of their reeds to the same dimensions. They sort them according to the stiffness of the cane, not the thickness. So when you get a really hard reed, it's because the cane is unusually stiff. Thinning is a way to compensate for the excessive stiffness, but the result often isn't exactly the same as a reed that's more flexible to begin with.
Karl
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Author: knotty
Date: 2015-11-11 08:08
OK Karl, got it. I'll try thinning and/or work on the sides tomorrow going by the V shape. I have David Etheridge's book I have to re-read, he has a lot on reed work. I'll either end up with a playable reed or a scraper for various uses.
Thanks!
~ Musical Progress: None ~
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