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: Balancing Reeds

Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2020-08-15 21:27

Ken Lagace wrote:

> Do you know the Ridenour trick, of playing an open 'G' and
> slightly rocking the mouthpiece left and right? If one way is
> duller than the other way, then one side is heavier and needs
> lightening.

One problem I've always found in Tom Ridenour's approach is that imbalance isn't always in the tip. And sanding over the tip with each stroke, no matter how far down the vamp you go, runs the risk of thinning (and weakening) the tip area too much while not getting enough cane off of the areas farther down that often are responsible for stuffy response and sound.

Once you've decided which side is stuffier - more resistant - sometimes you have to find where the inflexibility is by flexing the sides of the vamp and watching to see where the sudden changes are - where the sides outside the "V" stop bending suddenly. Then you need a technique to smooth those changes without necessarily thinning the tip in the process if it's already flexible enough.

Karl

Reply To Message | Avail. Forums | Flat View

Newer Topic | Older Topic

Topics