 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2024-05-30 01:34
I was wondering if any of you in the Central US have just found a great reed in the last few days (May 28 and 29 2024)? That is, are you finding it easier to play with a good sound and good articulation now as apposed to any other point in the last three weeks?
OR
Conversely
Is your reed feeling too soft and you've lost your tonal center in the last two days?
CENTRAL UNITED STATES REGION ONLY
...............Paul Aviles
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2024-05-30 15:04
I'm trying to correlate some weather related issues with reed performance and we (in the central area of the United States) have had some unusual swings in weather just now. And I am referring to more than humidity. Although that IS a component that seems to affect even plastic reeds......so this could be interesting.
If we can get some substantiation it could save everyone money and frustration with reeds by understanding some of their capriciousness.
or not
...............Paul Aviles
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2024-05-31 07:13
I don't fit your survey criterion but I see where you're going with this Paul. I too was curious if my bad cane reed days were other nearby player's bad cane reed days too, much as I store reeds with humidity packs...
I have a theory that days in which it is light out, but only such days negatively affect my cane reeds.
Anyone willing to fund my research on this at the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amundsen%E2%80%93Scott_South_Pole_Station Amundsen Station in the South Pole during the complete darkness of their Winter season.
Actually, joking aside, if humidity is bad for reeds then this place, with its crazy dry air might be a good place to play...indoors of course
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2024-05-31 23:41
Gentlemen,
In aviation, there are many different altitudes; a pilot must understand each one. These include true altitude, absolute altitude, pressure altitude, indicated altitude, and density altitude. All of these are computed in differing ways.
Density altitude (DA) is a measure of aircraft performance, lift, and thrust. DA is computed by correcting pressure altitude for non-standard temperature. DA fluctuates in all phases of flight.
If we think of these two atmospheric variables and consider how they might also affect a reed's playability, we might be closer to an explanation for how to explain differing performance of cane. Additionally, the effect of humidity needs to be accounted for at some point.
One caution in doing any research is controlling variables. Looking at only one reason for something to happen is not usually a sound approach.
Hank CFIIME, ATP, and Ph.D.
Post Edited (2024-06-01 20:43)
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2024-06-01 20:41
Before the Board goes out again, I'd like to try and make explanation of this AND include the latest failing.
Yes, I started with humidity because it was a surprise to me that humidity had any affect on a plastic (Legere) reed. Humidity also did not have the direct affect I was expecting until I started considering only outside humidity (not what's in my room) AND its working form which is Dew Point. Even then this did not tell the story until I starting factoring in the current Barometric Pressure. But I need to state how odd things were here in Nashville for almost a solid three weeks. We had very low barometric pressure of around 29.80 inches of mercury for a solid three weeks or more. Just to elaborate, barometric pressure measures the "weight" of the air over our heads. Now we had a discussion some months back about what to prepare for in terms of reed strength when traveling to a place of higher elevation. The consequence is (usually, I assume) that there is less air over our heads at higher elevation and thus a lower barometric pressure which would mean we'd need to use a softer reed. HOWEVER, during the last few weeks as I scoured the internet for more data, cities in South America at much higher elevation than Nashville such as Cusco Peru at over 11,000 feet (not 700ft as Nashville) had current barometric pressures at 30.00 inches and higher.
Monday (the 24th of May 2024) the pressure went back up to a "normal" range for the time of year here in Nashville of around 30.10 inches of mercury. What this meant is that I went back to a my usual 3.0 Legere Euro Cut as opposed to the 2.5 Signature Soprano reeds that I had to use just a the day before.
I will say that drawing a fine line around what works for reed strength is much less important with cane, but I would say that if you have one of those moments where a reed works great one day and the next you smash it into your music stand, rather than do that you should immediately try a softer reed and save the other for different day (and check the barometric pressure while you're at it).
Humidity by the way, makes the DENSITY of the air LOWER, so it aides in making the reed play softer (regardless of material).
Finally my failure is that as I began to assume predictability, just yesterday at good dew point (above 50 degrees) of 63.3 degrees and good barometric pressure of 30.06 inches (in Nashville...close to sea level) I had to step down a quarter strength on my plastic reed from a 3.0 to a 2.75.
So with six months into this "project" I am still missing a factor or factors (and the temperatures both inside and out where similar going from earlier yesterday to the evening when I had to back off a strength).
Also, many apologies for the lack of brevity
...........Paul Aviles
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Author: kdk
Date: 2024-06-01 23:42
Paul Aviles wrote:
> Yes, I started with humidity because it was a surprise to me
> that humidity had any affect on a plastic (Legere) reed.
Paul, through the older discussion and this one, it's seemed as if you're looking for an explanation of why the various atmospheric conditions would affect a synthetic reed. I keep thinking, and I think I remember asking in the past, that maybe the affect isn't on the reed, but rather on the way the sound that's produced is carried in the air under differing conditions. Does the reed vibrate differently, or do we hear it differently when it feeds back to our ears or is heard by other listeners?
It seems to me that it's possible (but not certain) that it's the sound *transmission* that changes, rather than the reed's vibration. If that were the case, the difference between synthetic and cane would become moot.
Karl
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Author: lydian
Date: 2024-06-01 23:52
I think it’s a mistake to ignore the effects of increased solar flare activity.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2024-06-02 14:52
Hey Karl,
The point is really to see how atmospheric conditions affect ALL reeds taking the moisture content of cane OUT of the equation. In other words how moist you keep your cane reed may turn out to be the smallest concern (still a legitimate part of practical playing....but not the whole story by any means).
I had been fully playing a 2.5 reed yesterday (06-01-2024) which should not have happened......by the numbers. There is generally poor weather (rain and cooler temperatures) but the dew point and barometric pressure are still in the "harder reed" range and yet I got the OPPOSITE result.
The bottom line for us though is that when a reed suddenly goes wonky, put it away and reach for a softer or stronger reed to see if that solves the problem in the moment so that the "capricious reed" can be a "hero" another day.
I will continue to look for a more meaningful, measurable factors, but for now remain confused and humbled.
.............Paul Aviles
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