Reed adjustment chart saxophone lessons in santa rosa. Clarinet reeds bb german and austrian eb bass alto ab contrabass bb clarinet reeds traditional reeds bb clarinet v12 reeds bb clarinet 56 rue lepic reeds bb clarinet v21 reeds bb clarinet german and austrian reeds for oehler system clarinet german clarinet reeds v21german clarinet reeds oehler system clarinet white master traditional reeds. Some reeds may be ruined in the process, but learning to adjust and improve clarinet reeds provides significant benefits. One of the most singular characteristics of the clarinet is that of all instruments it allows least deviation of general pitch without distortion of its general scale.
A guide on how to tune a clarinet for beginning players. If you buy into the myth that there are only two or three good reeds in a box of ten, you are buying the wrong reeds. Adjusting saxophone and clarinet reeds peter spitzer ive been reading some interesting books on reed adjustment. And why wont the dang thing just workwell, it all begins with what a reed actually is. They also do wear out, typically after a couple of weeks of. Pdf testing and adjusting clarinet and saxophone reeds for maximum response and best tonal qualities. Conversely, if a reed is too soft, the tip is clipped, moving the stock closer to the mouthpiece tip, making it more resistant. Some brands of commercial reeds are closer to this measurement than. Here, you will read about clarinet reed adjustment on the mouthpiece without using a knife. The complete guide to clarinet tuning jenny maclay. In other words your reed strength has nothing to do with how good you are. In fact, i could use them professionally if i had to. Clarinet and saxophone reed adjustments by vito platamone jr. They vibrate well and hold the centre of the sound in a manner similar to that of a good quality cane reed.
If you still arent sure about the cut, you cant go wrong with choosing a vandoren clarinet reed most clarinet teachers recommend them over other brands. The barrel is the part of the clarinet that connects the mouthpiece to the body. The next steps in reed adjustment require a certain degree of skill and experience, which can only be acquired by doing it. Within the clarinet family, there are more than a dozen types, ranging from the extremely rare bbbb octocontrabass to the a. The author studied with robert marcellus and anthony gigliotti and played in the west point band with larry combs in the early 1960s. Toms atg reed finishing system is so simple to use and will save musicians and clarinet and saxophone teachers tons of money on reeds because they can adjust every reed to work. Clarinet reed preparation and adjustment by roger garrett, illinois weslayan university lets start with basics the reed provides the sound. Though the whole clarinet is vibrating lightly when you are playing. Muncy winds music was founded in 1987 in denton, texas. Clarinet studio at the university of florida is designed to instill the knowledge and develop the skills necessary to prepare the student to pursue a professional career in music. While the author has designed and sells several mechanical devices for measuring and working on reeds, this is a comprehensive book on reeds with only a brief mention of his products. The single reed adjustment manual by fred ormand, selection, adjustment and care of single reeds by larry guy, the saxophone reed the advanced art of adjusting single reeds by ray reed, perfect a reed. He was the principal clarinet of the new orleans symphony and is now retired in arizona. A bad clarinet, mouthpiece, reed and ligature will never make a sound.
With practice, it will become easy to hear and see what is not working with a reed. Reed response efficiency in any aspect of the clarinetists equipment means simply that it enables the player to play low, high, loud. I have been scrapingsanding reeds for 55 years now ouch, and the atg system is the best method i have used by far. A symmetrically faced mouthpiece simplifies reed adjustment tremendously. Plastic reeds also dont adjust to temperature or humidity changes, therefore they are perfect for playing outdoors. If you understand that clarinet reeds have multiple personalities and moods, you can live with them better. Reeds may also be manufactured from synthetic materials. Before you can play the clarinet, you have to put a reed on it. There are two aspects to the reed which are critical. Heres a fun video for you to check out tom balancing reeds blind. Youll want to examine the reed to make sure the bottom is perfectly flat before you fix the reed on the clarinet. In the youtube videos, the first adjustment seen, is the balance of the reed tip, where he blows from corner to corner of the mpiece. Reed adjustments by leslie craven reed balancing adjusting.
While teaching private lessons you can easily go 15 minutes without playing your clarinet. Pdf clarinet reed adjustment geoffrey huge academia. Made out of a thin piece of cane, the reed has an incredible role when it comes to the performance of a clarinet, as it is responsible for the sounds the instrument produces. The earliest types of single reed instruments used idioglottal reeds, where the vibrating reed is a tongue cut and shaped on the tube of cane. It also gives me a reference point in my reed adjustment routine, assisting me in tweaking new and really old reeds to play more like the ones at their prime. If the reed seems too hard, or you have problems playing is a certain range, the reed may be out of balance rather than specifically too hard. We specialize in the highest quality instruments and equipment for wind musicians at an affordable price.
Clarinet reed adjustment can happen two different ways. Above is a diagram of the names of the parts of the reed. Alternatively, regularcut reeds are ideal for brighter sounding mouthpieces. Every person has their own preferences, and i encourage you to test out some different types, and decide what works best. When your clarinet is out of tune, youll adjust pitch by moving the barrel. Care and adjustment of clarinet and saxophone reeds. The clarinet is an amazing instrument, but you need to know that in order to produce impressive sounds, it needs a small and simple piece called reed. The reed on the mouthpiece of the clarinet vibrates to create a sound. Clarinet mentors reed choices recommendations by michelle anderson there are many brands of reeds to choose from. Sound is made up of waves created by changes in pressure of matter, such as air molecules. Protective reed cases that allow reeds to dry out gradually and hold reeds flat increase the life and quality of clarinet reeds.
The following is a list of the materials i recommend and the order i. I began my adventures adjusting saxophone reeds as a high school student. The performance of a reed can be described using four basic criteria. Essential concepts in adjusting bb clarinet reeds by tom ridenour reeds need not be a frustration to the clarinetist, nor is reed adjustment as complicated as some of the many articles written on the subject may indicate. Abrasive paper wooden or plastic block or similar constructed so as to. Sound can travel through many different mediums, but in a clarinet it. This peculiarity must be considered when setting the pitch. Breakingin a new reed storage techniques rotation regular maintenance please feel free to leave any comments you have regarding this tutorial at the bottom of the page. The clarinet has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed. In choosing a clarinet mouthpiece, you need to consider your musicians age and skill level, and how the clarinet player will use his or her instrument school band, marching band, orchestral, etc. A person who plays a clarinet is called a clarinetist sometimes spelled clarinettist while the similarity in sound between the earliest clarinets and the trumpet may hold a clue to its name, other factors may have been involved. If, however, you make a few minor adjustments, the reed may respond very well, and you may have a good reed on your hands, ready to break.
Your email address will never be sold or distributed to a third party for any reason. Sep 01, 2015 if your clarinet has a darkersounding mouthpiece, french file cuts are typically preferred. Pdf reed seasoning and adjusting for clarinet and saxophone. It may be small, but the reed is one of the most important parts of the clarinet. Reed information by tom ridenour the reed is not a mystery and reed making and adjustment are not voodoo. The clarinet uses a single reed made from the cane of arundo donax, a type of grass. Many of the problems in clarinet performance relate not to the physical deficiencies of the player but to the quality and condition of the. The reed is the second most important factor in producing a sound on the clarinet, second only to you, the player. If a reed is unplayable out of the box, then youre never going to take the time to break it in, so its money down the drain. For adjustment or repair, take your instrument to a qualified technician or dealer. Strain to displacement calibration for single reeds using a highspeed camera conference paper pdf available june 2017 with 118 reads how we measure reads. They work well without adjustment, they sound good, they are easy to play, and they last. There is not a direct correlation between reed strength and ability.
The first step toward using a new reed is to make sure you moisten it for a few minutes. New techniques for the characterisation of single reeds in playing. Breakingin a new reed several essential things happen during the breakin period of a. Always allow a reed to rest several days before using it again. Performance reeds should be played occasionally for short sessions 30 minutes to. Reed adjustment checklist bret pimentel, woodwinds. A research study of a technique for adjusting clarinet reeds. Experiments on the clarinet show that the player can adjust the reed resonance frequency from about 2 to 3 khz. Here at, we are committed to protecting your privacy. If using a mediocre to poor reed, it may still sound good, but the player will work much harder. Reed adjustment chart fault area tool remarks too soft tip trimmer clip small amount. Adjusting saxophone and clarinet reeds cafesaxophone forum. I begin my search for a good reed like many others. You are probably already familiar with the art of clarinet reedmaking and adjustment.
More advanced tone improvements to teach to your clarinet students. Clarinet free delivery possible on eligible purchases. Selection, adjustment, and care of single reeds a handbook for clarinetists and saxophonists by larry guy. You dont have to spend a lot of money to get your students or yourself equipped to adjust reeds. Having said that let us now discuss the second factor in reed adjustment, that of response. It has a single reed mouthpiece, a straight, cylindrical tube with an almost cylindrical bore, and a flared bell. When the reed frequency is adjusted to match a harmonic component of the tone, the amplitude of that component is increased, and the oscillation is heard as. Buy vandoren cr104 bb clarinet traditional reeds strength 4. Reed seasoning and adjusting for clarinet and saxophone. A clear understanding of these laws will enable the player to adjust reeds and make reeds through logic. Mar 30, 2014 i have been scrapingsanding reeds for 55 years now ouch, and the atg system is the best method i have used by far.
These are pieces of cane, much like a piece of bamboo, which are cut and shaped to vibrate against your mouthpiece to produce tone. The following suggestions presume that the reed is made with the standard american long scrape as illustrated in the accompanying diagram. Testing and adjusting clarinet and saxophone reeds for maximum response and best tonal qualities. Forestone reeds tend to maintain their strength resistance over time. It is essential that clarinetists have good equipment in order to play as in tune as possible and blend with other wind and string instruments. And why wont the dang thing just work well, it all begins with what a reed actually is. Reeds utm clarinet studio what is this creature we call a reed.
You need the right strength for you and your setup mouthpieceligature clarinet, not whatever the best kid in band is playing. Reed adjustment many of the problems in clarinet performance relate not to the physical deficienciesof the player but to the quality and condition of the reed. While every part of the clarinet has its own purpose in producing a good sound, perhaps the most important piece is the twoandahalf inch long, waferthin piece of cane called the reed. Nov 10, 2009 problems with your clarinet or saxophone reeds. Care and adjustment of clarinet and saxophone reeds author. Held up to the light, the reeds display the classic upsidedown ushape associated with cane reeds. Reeds are usually the copout excuse for clarinetists. In carrying out the project the techniques of preparation and.
Slide the ligature over the reed being careful not to damage the reed tip. When air is blown through the opening between the reed and the mouthpiece facing, the reed vibrates and produces the clarinet s sound. Rest the reed for one or two days repeat steps 4 and 5 once the breakin period is over, a reed should not be played more than two hours in any one session. The second video above shows a test on clarinet for balance, though it is not quite clear from the video itself what he is doing to check. Everything a clarinetist does to influence the reed, whether through it involves the air, embouchure, or front andor back of the tongue, will ultimately affect the sound and. Subtle adjustments can make a world of difference to both the player and the listener. Much later, single reed instruments started using heteroglottal reeds, where a reed is cut and separated from the tube of cane and attached to a mouthpiece of some sort. Adjusting saxophone and clarinet reeds hope street music. A properly brokenin reed will require only a little maintenance throughout its playing career. Abrasive paper wooden or plastic block or similar constructed so as to allow the attached abrasive to slide over tip of reed see atg method below a sharp blade a. If your tuner indicates that your clarinet is too sharp, pull the barrel to extend it and raise the pitch. Its a hard rubber model, marked bay state on the bell. If the clarinet mouthpiece is for school, consulting with the band teacher is a good idea.
I highly encourage you to adjust reeds as you break them in. Nov 14, 2011 get your clarinet books at click on show more below for our complete list. When ive got the right brand, cut, and size of reed for my mouthpiece continue reading reed adjustment checklist. Generally, if a reed is too stiff, material is removed to reduce its resistance.