tuba-playing school band directors
Posted: Sun Sep 03, 2023 12:21 pm
There are some band directors who really heavily research - and even become quite proficient at playing - instruments other than their (so-called) "major" instrument. Some have seen me rant about the fallibility/dysfunction/false construct of the music ed degree "major instrument" concept (with one-semester classes each to cover ALL the woodwinds, ALL the brass, and ALL the percussion - rather than NO (so-called) "major instrument" and studio lessons (at least a semester each) in MOST of the other INDIVIDUAL woodwinds, brass, and families-of-percussion...but that's not the topic, here.
The topic is "reeds".
Mrs. bloke is probably just about the best woodwind technician that anyone would hope to have. Even with oboe, our daughter is a conservatory-taught professional-level player (who not only makes oboe reeds, but) who makes PARTICULARLY SUPERB oboe reeds...so Mrs. bloke is all set up, as far as having oboe and English horn reeds to test everything from old Bundy oboes to Laubin English horns...
...but - as far as single reeds are concerned - she tends to "nurse" them way too long. If they aren't cracked nor warped, she'll continue to use them (yet on amazing/wonderful/treasured-by-professional-players mouthpieces, which she has collected, over the years).
Today, she was getting a baritone saxophone to the finish line. It sounded "ok"...a bit muffled...low B-flat and low A (even though the instrument was seemingly perfect, as far as pad seats and adjustments were concerned) were "hesitant" and with a tendency to "break up" - as if there were leaks.
She was looking for a second opinion. (Yes, after 45 friggin' years of straightening out bodies bent-over-at-an-angle/mashed-in tone holes, mashed-in posts, etc. and refitting worn-out old mechanisms on Mark VI soprano/alto/tenor/bari/bass saxophones - and every imaginable make/model of less-sought-after saxophones, not only do a know a good bit about them, but I can get a characteristic sound, know some alternate fingers, and know how to play up to "way-up-there" - my limit: G or even G# - fingerings and embouchure).
The reed was crap...(Sure...I don't blame her...They're EXPENSIVE, and - if a woodwind works well with a crap reed, it's going to "sing" with a decent or really good one.) She said, "That's a new reed" to which I had to remind her that we are well up in our 60's, and - when we think about some people's children - we might be thinking that they might be 12 or 13 years old when - in fact, they're married and have a kid or two. (ie. TEMPUS FUGIT)
I grabbed another Rico #2 (which we use - particularly on LARGE woodwinds) because...
> Rico reeds are made of cheap cane, which soaks up water and is ready to play more quickly, and
> LARGE woodwinds (ok...go ahead and disagree, but) need SOFTER reeds, which are more easy to vibrate easily/readily at lower frequencies...
...ex: a #3-1/2 or #4 reed on a B-flat contrabass clarinet: That's just plain silly (ok..."imo"), UNLESS the player plans to shave it down (to their personal liking) to the approximate equivalent of a 2 or 2-1/2 (etc.)
I soaked the new reed for a minute, stuck it on her early 1960's Selmer, Paris bari sax mouthpiece, and that (Asian-made semi-off-brand) bari sax absolutely SUNG, and the lowest notes (way up the bell) jumped out.
the point of all of this screed/blather:
SCHOOL CHILDREN...
Not only do MOST of their woodwind instruments feature leaks and (at least) some sort of minor damage, but a significant percentage of them play on chipped/warped/cracked reeds that - even if NOT chipped/warped/cracked (reeds like Mrs. bloke was trying to use) should have been tossed in the trash WEEKS (months?) ago.
since 2020 hyperinflation, and even regular-paced inflation prior:
Reeds are EXPENSIVE, but just because they are expensive doesn't mean that they last.
synthetic reeds...??
uh...maybe
...Some of them are sorta OK, but even those are not consistent, and even those wear out.
summary:
maybe...?? Try to figure out whether some of the issues that you're mentally/emotionally wearing yourself out to solve (with some of your woodwind players) might just be "reeds, which belong in the trash can."
bloke "not a know-it-all...only a know-a-little-bit, and trying to be helpful"
The topic is "reeds".
Mrs. bloke is probably just about the best woodwind technician that anyone would hope to have. Even with oboe, our daughter is a conservatory-taught professional-level player (who not only makes oboe reeds, but) who makes PARTICULARLY SUPERB oboe reeds...so Mrs. bloke is all set up, as far as having oboe and English horn reeds to test everything from old Bundy oboes to Laubin English horns...
...but - as far as single reeds are concerned - she tends to "nurse" them way too long. If they aren't cracked nor warped, she'll continue to use them (yet on amazing/wonderful/treasured-by-professional-players mouthpieces, which she has collected, over the years).
Today, she was getting a baritone saxophone to the finish line. It sounded "ok"...a bit muffled...low B-flat and low A (even though the instrument was seemingly perfect, as far as pad seats and adjustments were concerned) were "hesitant" and with a tendency to "break up" - as if there were leaks.
She was looking for a second opinion. (Yes, after 45 friggin' years of straightening out bodies bent-over-at-an-angle/mashed-in tone holes, mashed-in posts, etc. and refitting worn-out old mechanisms on Mark VI soprano/alto/tenor/bari/bass saxophones - and every imaginable make/model of less-sought-after saxophones, not only do a know a good bit about them, but I can get a characteristic sound, know some alternate fingers, and know how to play up to "way-up-there" - my limit: G or even G# - fingerings and embouchure).
The reed was crap...(Sure...I don't blame her...They're EXPENSIVE, and - if a woodwind works well with a crap reed, it's going to "sing" with a decent or really good one.) She said, "That's a new reed" to which I had to remind her that we are well up in our 60's, and - when we think about some people's children - we might be thinking that they might be 12 or 13 years old when - in fact, they're married and have a kid or two. (ie. TEMPUS FUGIT)
I grabbed another Rico #2 (which we use - particularly on LARGE woodwinds) because...
> Rico reeds are made of cheap cane, which soaks up water and is ready to play more quickly, and
> LARGE woodwinds (ok...go ahead and disagree, but) need SOFTER reeds, which are more easy to vibrate easily/readily at lower frequencies...
...ex: a #3-1/2 or #4 reed on a B-flat contrabass clarinet: That's just plain silly (ok..."imo"), UNLESS the player plans to shave it down (to their personal liking) to the approximate equivalent of a 2 or 2-1/2 (etc.)
I soaked the new reed for a minute, stuck it on her early 1960's Selmer, Paris bari sax mouthpiece, and that (Asian-made semi-off-brand) bari sax absolutely SUNG, and the lowest notes (way up the bell) jumped out.
the point of all of this screed/blather:
SCHOOL CHILDREN...
Not only do MOST of their woodwind instruments feature leaks and (at least) some sort of minor damage, but a significant percentage of them play on chipped/warped/cracked reeds that - even if NOT chipped/warped/cracked (reeds like Mrs. bloke was trying to use) should have been tossed in the trash WEEKS (months?) ago.
since 2020 hyperinflation, and even regular-paced inflation prior:
Reeds are EXPENSIVE, but just because they are expensive doesn't mean that they last.
synthetic reeds...??
uh...maybe
...Some of them are sorta OK, but even those are not consistent, and even those wear out.summary:
maybe...?? Try to figure out whether some of the issues that you're mentally/emotionally wearing yourself out to solve (with some of your woodwind players) might just be "reeds, which belong in the trash can."
bloke "not a know-it-all...only a know-a-little-bit, and trying to be helpful"
