Low Maintenance Clarinet Reed Work - Basic Reed Sanding for Early in the Break-in Process

[@AmalieWiklund]

I am so happy people like you exist. Nobody has ever taught me anything about how to break in reeds, adjust them or make them better. I have always just opened a package and hoped for the best. I couldn’t understand why almost all of my reeds were complete shit, and the good ones only lasted a few days maybe weeks if I were lucky. It made me doubt myself, and sometimes no matter how hard or much I practised it I sounded like I’ve never touched a clarinet my entire life. I’ve had so many mental breakdowns because how much effort I had to try and find a good reed. I spend so much time on it that it interrupted my practise time. And all the money I spent on reeds, desperately trying to find a good one felt like a waste. But now I finally think there might be hope for me. I need to learn how to break in those motherfuckers and adjust and balance. It’s gonna be over for them bitches as soon as I learn that. There are nights, like this one, where after trying to practise I just end up incredibly frustrated and start looking for advice and help. I really hope I can get a better relationship with my reeds in the future. I’m tired of cussing out my reeds and threatening them to murder them and their entire family. (Sorry for my bad English)

[@royrow8879]

This is a whole new world for me. When I played years ago in school I always had reeds that I liked better than others, but never dreamed I could do anything to help them!

[@sprcow]

Thanks, Cally! Great video. I think reed maintenance is often overlooked by teachers and this will be useful for a lot of people!

[@callyclarinet]

Thanks, Alex 🙂🎶

[@laurenelizabeth3025]

Thanks so much for the video Cally. I’ve had a little falling out with my clarinet lately and your videos inspire me to get back into it. I’ve really been struggling with being super tense when I play, especially in my throat, and I feel super out of breath. Your “stupid face” video was helpful but I still have a long way to go!

[@callyclarinet]

So glad my videos have been helpful for you! Yeah, don’t we all have a long way to go, lol. Good luck, and thanks for the nice comment 🎶

[@kevinlee9751]

I use a piece of 1/4 plate Mirror that I got from work ( I was a Glazier) I cut it 12x14 and the Mirror is extremely flat I would say Perfectly Flat, but as we all know Nothing is Perfect. I scuffed the surface with a CR Laurence glass sanding pad (220 wet Dry with a little water sprayed on it should work fine) so that the paper wouldn't slide around as easily when I sanded mine. You don't have to use Mirror, Clear glass is just as good. Another little trick is that you can put a little Water on the glass then put the paper into the glass and that also helps keep it from slipping as much. Thank you for the video!!! Just a thought, 😎✌

[@callyclarinet]

Great advice - thanks 🙂

[@kevinlee9751]

@@callyclarinet well, seems the least I can do. And thank you for your knowledge that you share. 😎✌

[@1.nf674]

New bari sax player. I noticed the table portion lf my reeds varied in finish. I was curious if sanding was an option. Your vid answered my questions. Thanks!

[@Benjamin_Reese]

Thanks for this. :)

[@emjay2045]

•Legere Signature..,. (Can’t do Euro’s they sound sluggish when tonguing particularly in the altissimo range) •Behn Aria •Behn Brio •Rigotti Gold •D’Addario Classic •VD Blue Box (Traditional)

[@olegshebeta-dragan847]

Hey, thanks for your video! Did you already try Daddario Reserve Classic? Can you make comparative video of this reeds?

[@callyclarinet]

You’re welcome! Thanks for the idea! I like Daddario Reserve Classic, but always end up back on V12 reeds - love the sound of them and they seem to last so much longer. I will add a comparison video to my to-do list, however, it may be awhile before I can make one 🙂 thanks again for the idea 🎶 What reeds do you currently play on?

[@amycrandall2858]

What, about, is playing a little bit before engaging in this step of the process. 5 min/day? Should I stick with a certain range and avoid others?

[@callyclarinet]

I think it's fine to play a little before this step. And I typically do not limit range. You should experiment and decide what works best for you, though!

[@etienneyitian]

Do you ever tried the different légère reeds? I had a légère size 3 and get recently a 'European cut' in 3,5. The sound I get is very different on the same b45 mouthpiece!

[@callyclarinet]

I have but not in a long time, so my opinion would be very outdated, lol. What is your experience? I have some students & colleagues who LOVE their legere reeds!

[@whoitisnot]

I'm all about trade-offs. If I'm going to spend a ton of time with a prolonged break-in and adjustment period I'm going to be practicing quite a bit less, and spending more of my time playing on sub-optimal reeds as I break them in, which isn't really beneficial. I do find it's helpful to have a routine, but many clarinetists seem to spend FAR more time than makes sense to me for a minimal difference in reed longevity. Reeds aren't cheap, but they are not that expensive compared to the ultimate value of my time.... For me a reed gets played 3 times briefly, then adjusted in 2 min or less (if needed) and then it goes into my rotation. I use reeds that are much more consistent than Vandoren as they come only from the Var region of France. That helps quite a bit!

[@mochathefloof5829]

How long do you soak a reed?

[@callyclarinet]

Depends on how dry it is. I try to soak as little as possible or not at all... So I soak it only long enough to moisten it, usually less than a minute. If it is a newer reed, it may not need soaking at all. Old reeds always need soaking. Some people have a different routine, though, so you should experiment and do what works for you!

[@vicente1049]

Legere european CUT tres y medio

[@voornaam3191]

Yeah, you have a lot of distortion, what kind of tubes (yanks say valves, don't they) do you have in your amp? What kind of rock do you play? Maybe your fans actually like your sound before sanding better... Just kidding, buy the way. I'm a clarinet newbie and I'm the "DIY" kind of person, and I really need this video.

[@voornaam3191]

Yes! I sanded down my very first Vandoren number 3 reed, and now I can play my first scale! Now I need practising the famous Tuh or Duh attack, isn't that great? And I spent an hour online, looking for my bes clarinet, for I bought it in a secondhand shop, and I have no clue where it came from. It has Clement on the bell, but nothing confirming it might be a Selmer clarinet. No Selmer name on it. No s/n, nothing. However, this "Clement" looks exactly like the Clément Himbert signature at the Selmer Paris site. Except there is no é, there is just an e. So there must be morons involved, here. Or smart copy cats avoiding copyright issues. I am just puzzled, why is my clarinet nowhere to be found online? For real? I need a visit to the sax workshop downtown. That man knows such things.