 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: ClarinettyBetty
Date: 2021-03-30 23:38
Good afternoon,
I am moving to Colorado for my PhD and will be taking all my woodwind instruments with me. I am moving from Texas and am concerned about the extreme altitude change and my instruments cracking.
Do you guys have advice for me for playing/maintaining my instruments at this altitude? I'll be living in Boulder.
Thank you!
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Eb: 1972 Buffet BC20
Bb: Selmer Paris Presence
A: Selmer Paris Presence
Bass: 1977 LeBlanc
https://gentrywoodwinds.com
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Author: Mr. Q
Date: 2021-03-31 00:00
I think the main issues will be the low humidity year round and the extreme change in winter temperature between indoors and outdoors. The fine arts students and professors at CU will likely be your best source of practical information.
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Author: Matt74
Date: 2021-03-31 00:33
I went to school for two years at the U. of N. Co in Greeley.
Your reeds will be awful. Sorry... It's super dry. Like Mr. Q says, your horn will dry out a bit. My tenon rings used to fall off. Having it thoroughly oiled to help retain moisture might be a good idea. A nice thick insulated bag for your clarinet case is advised.
Get out into the mountains. Go hiking and skiing! Take road trips. Colorado is amazing.
- Matthew Simington
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Author: Katrina
Date: 2021-03-31 00:35
In general, one needs softer reeds at higher altitudes.
I have a student who lives in the Florida Keys. I'm in Minnesota. When I first met him, he was vacationing here (pre-COVID). He is in middle school and had only been playing for a couple years and was using 4s with a standard stock mp. He found them slightly more difficult to blow here than at home!
I've been teaching him on Skype for the past year or so, and he sounds great on the 4s when he's at home!
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Author: Ken Lagace
Date: 2021-03-31 00:55
Interesting story;
A former college student played principal in the Mexico Symphony. One performance was scheduled to be high in the mountains, so the management decided to send the wind players a day early to get acclimated to the thin air.
During the performance, many string players started fainting, but none of the wind players did because they knew how to breath properly.
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Author: OneWatt
Date: 2021-03-31 01:23
As someone who lives 5,000+ ft above sea level year 'round, I offer this simple advice: Reeds come and go, but get yourself a (hard rubber) Ridenour. ;-)
Best luck with your studies in CO!
- - - - - - - - - -
Israel = Ancient Hebrew for "Wrestles with God"
Klarinet = Ancient Greek for "Struggles with Reeds"
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Author: Fuzzy
Date: 2021-03-31 03:50
Having lived most of my life above 7000 feet, I can tell you that the systems folks use for reeds at sea level have never seemed to work for me. Maybe it is just me...but I have a feeling the elevation has something to do with it. I simply gave up on the suggestions and found what "works for me."
As mentioned by Katrina...reeds seem a bit harder at elevation. I use a 1/2 strength softer reed "at home." When I travel to sea level, I always up my reed strength 1/2 to achieve the same reed performance. This is especially true if I travel to humid sea level locations (New Orleans, New York, etc. - a day playing in those locations can make me take a full step up by the end of the day.)
As per basic clarinet care - the weather is a bit unforgiving in the winter...but (other than using an insulated bag of some sort to tote your clarinet to/from whatever transportation you'll be using) isn't much different from elsewhere. Keeping the clarinet hydrated can be a challenge at first. I would caution you in regards to playing outdoors in the spring or fall. Temperature can vary greatly from shade/direct sun in the evenings. I switched to non-wood for outdoor performances as a result. 20-30 degree swings are pretty common within an evening performance here.
Welcome to the region!
Fuzzy
;^)>>>
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