Since wood can only be removed from the reed--and never put back--do not go too far with any one action.

This is why most good reeds start out a bit stiff, and are then worked down to their proper shape. However, a weak reed will play stiffer after it has been balanced. It is also true that if your judgement is correct and you adjust the reed in the proper manner but do not go far enough, the reed will behave worse than before. Trust your judgement and return to the same spot. Remember always to test the reed after each slight adjustment.

If a reed is split or chipped at the tip it is usually ruined.

Occasionally, for some reason, split or chipped reeds play beautifully, but they should be approached with distrust.

Generally, the scribe mark of the reed should come slightly below the level of the window when the reed is placed correctly on the mouthpiece.

A reed can be tested and adjusted for accuracy of intonation and length of vibrations by having a tone-bar in the room. Even by playing a concert A-440 at pianissimo you should be able to cause the bar to vibrate loudly from across the room. This test is often better than using an electronic tuner, because it requires quality of tone as well as accuracy of vibration.

Remember that a good reed is in a state of entropy--it has a tendency towards change and disorder. Therefore be attentive and constantly ask yourself whether the reed is doing its job.

Learn to analyze your reed at all points of its development and decay, and especially during performance. Just as a flower is most beautiful only moments before it begins to wilt or a piece of fruit is most sweet just before it begins to rot, it is also true that a reed is often at its greatest just before it begins to fail.

If a reed is deteriorating but is still balanced, its articulation and response can be improved by two last-ditch methods. First, scrape the central section of back of the reed lightly with the knife in order to remove deposits.

Professional clarinetists also rotate the use of their good reeds rather playing a single good reed until it wears out. Rotating reeds not only prolongs their lives but also keeps you, the clarinetist, from adapting your embouchure to a constantly deteriorating reed.

When adjusting reeds keep in mind that the right reed for you will change as your embouchure and lips muscles develop. Up to a point, a stronger embouchure will allow you to produce a more powerful and beautiful sound by using a more resistant reed.

We have earlier noted that the "right" reed at a given time may also depend on external conditions--changes in the weather, or in the type of hall in which one performs.

One cannot minimize the importance of a good reed case. A good case will protect the tips of the reeds from damage, hold the reeds firmly yet gently (without marring the vamp) and keep the backs of the reeds perfectly flat. Reeds should be stored with the backs flat to prevent warping or splitting.

Regardless of how or whether a reed has been adjusted, the reed will play more stiffly if it is moved up on the mouthpiece while the ligature is moved down, tightening the bottom screw more than the top. Correspondingly, a reed will play more weakly if the reed is moved down while the ligature is moved up, tightening the top screw more than the bottom. A reed may play better if it is placed on the mouthpiece slightly up or down, and/or to the left or right. Such experimentation can be very useful in day-to-day or even minute-to-minute situations.

Every now and then a reed will look or feel to the touch of the fingers completely wrong, yet play beautifully. Such a surprise only illustrates that we do not have a complete understanding of what makes a reed sound or play beautifully. Enjoy such a reed and do not tamper with it. Remember that in the end it doesn't matter what a reed looks like or how it feels to the touch--only that it plays properly and with a beautiful sound.

Back to A Word of Caution or forward to Reeds and the Mouthpiece: A Single Combination

return to top