Author: Craig Matovich
Date: 2007-04-25 21:24
The double-c crow has become very important to me over the years.
I crow as you suggested down on the cane behind the scrape first while making the reed and as it nears completion also crow in normal playing position (reduces 3 cs to 2 cs) and I expect a slightly predominant lower c.
I change the embouchure from 'tee' to 'ahh'. The tee states the high c, and relaxing into the ahh drops the lower c in. Then, that is where I expect a slight predominance of low c.
As pointed out by others, now and then I get b crow and the reed is fine. Sometimes the c crow still hangs 3 - 4 cents low with my desired fairly loose embouchure.
Then is slipping the blades a bit does not raise the pitch w/o biting, I let it dry and go at it again later.
Lately, once satisified with crow, and general characteristics of the reed, I then scrape the extreme end of the tip thin as a final adjustment. That actually raises the pitch a very small amount, and balances out the crow so the low c is closer to equally present with the 2nd c.
People play sharp for a couple main reasons, flat reeds strangely enough or too-stiff reeds. Both encourage biting, cause fatigue which causes more biting... and the pitch just keeps going up.
The Tee - Ahh technique gives good reenforcement for the 'relaxed' and failry open embouchure I describe. It allows relaxing down onto the pitch for greater comfort, reduces fatigue for more 'stamina' and good things happen.
Then you go play with some sharp players and bad things happen.
Post Edited (2007-04-25 23:00)
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