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I recently had the opportunity to try out these new reeds, and decided I should devote a page to them. I used cane reeds through school and into my adult life until recently when I tried Legere reeds. I found them to be quite good, and really liked not having to worry about the effects of weather on my reeds. Once outdoor concert season was over, I went back to cane reeds.
Until, that is, I read about Forestonereeds on the Clarinet Bboard. I contacted Forestone and purchased 7 reeds of sizes roughly comparable to my Vandoren Rue Lepic 4's. I selected 2-4's, 3-4.5's, and 2-5's.
A word about the reed sizes - Forestone size categories run 1 to 1.5 sizes up from Vandorens: a Forestone size 4 is equal to a Vandoren 2.5 or 3, and the Forestone 5 equals a Vandoren 3.5 or 4.
I found the 4's and 4.5's way too soft and gave them to students and colleagues. I liked the 5's however, and they are getting better over time.
Early on in my testing, I struggled with the reed tip's flexibility which I felt made my higher range sound a bit thin and shrill. Moving the reed up and using more air support with a relaxed embouchure (as opposed to "pinching") has helped.
I like its consistency in any environment, and also like the sound better than Legere. I used Forestones exclusively all summer during outdoor concert season. I still hesitate to abandon cane reeds altogether, and feel a GOOD cane reed on a good day can probably beat it out tone quality wise.
The final word - I'll continue to use both the Forestones and traditional cane reeds during practice and indoor situations, but for outdoors or pit orchestra settings Forestone reeds can't be beat. I'll be purchasing more.
Speaking of purchasing - I heard Amazon is offering Forestone reeds for only $15.95 each, which is considerably better than their list price of $21.95. Go to the Amazonweb site, search for 'Forestone reeds', add the ones you want to your shopping cart, and use deal code: NEWERAFS at checkout. I have no idea how long this deal is on, but as of today's date it worked.
Like many musicians in Southern
California, I play in a variety of community groups with players of
widely varying skill levels, from beginner to pro. Many colleagues who
are high school age and beyond have asked me as a teacher, “Why should I
take lessons? I know the fingerings. I know how to read music. What
could you possibly teach me that would make it worthwhile?”
When an adult begins playing, they have high expectations. Perhaps
they want to sound like that clarinetist they heard on the local jazz
station; they will buy the instrument, check out the best jazz
mouthpiece, research which reed to buy, and then emulate a jazzy vibrato
style before learning about embouchure and breathing. Or perhaps they
heard Mozart’s clarinet concerto, and said, “I want to play that!”
They’ll go to the local music store and buy it, and try to play that
piece, and ONLY that piece. After all, the first movement looks pretty
easy, right? But they don’t know about phrasing and breath control
that’s needed to make this VERY DIFFICULT piece sound easy. In both
cases, the student may get frustrated because they don’t sound like the
recording, and abandon their quest to learn a musical instrument.
Such learners may not see the sense of an instruction book. “Give me
a fingering chart and a recording of what it sounds like, that’s all I
need”, they may say. As their teacher, I help them find a book a level
or two below where they think they are at, to build the all-important
embouchure, tonguing, and breathing technique. These are building
blocks to achieving that wonderful jazz sound, and perfecting the
Mozart.
Everyone has life skills acquired in a professional career or through
life experience which will can give students who are young adults and
older a running start when it comes to learning an instrument. However,
the following rule still applies to many aspects of learning an
instrument; “You have to crawl before you walk, and walk before you
run”.
Taking lessons will help get you from crawl to run.
As of today, I can maintain an air stream from air stored in my puffed cheeks while inhaling only about 20% of the time. AND only with a soda straw in a glass of water. However, the 24th isn't here yet. Here's what I'm doing:
Inhale-exhale-puff cheeks while exhaling-expel while inhaling-repeat.
My observations to date:
I can expel the stored air from my cheeks while inhaling, but haven't yet mastered how to smoothly transition back to normal breathing.
Using a soda straw in a glass of water is a great idea.
"Circular breathing is a technique used by players of some wind instruments to produce a continuous tone without interruption. This is accomplished by breathing in through the nose while simultaneously blowing out through the mouth using air stored in the cheeks.
It is used extensively in playing the Australian didgeridoo, the Sardinian launeddas and Egyptian arghul, as well as many traditional oboes and flutes of Asia and the Middle East. A few jazz and classical wind players also utilize some form of circular breathing.
Costa Rican saxophonist Geovanny Escalante holds the world record of almost ninety minutes for continuous playing of a wind instrument, breaking the previous record of 45 minutes held by saxophonist Kenny G."
Kenny G? Really???
Anyhow, there's more:
"The person inhales fully and begins to exhale and blow. When the lungs are nearly empty, the last volume of air is blown into the mouth, and the cheeks are inflated with this air. Then, while still blowing this last bit of air out by allowing the cheeks to deflate, the person must very quickly fill the lungs by inhaling through the nose prior to running out of the air in the mouth. If done correctly, by the time the air in the mouth is nearly exhausted the person can begin to exhale from the lungs once more, ready to repeat the process again.
Physiologically, the process is similar to drinking at a water fountain and taking a breath of air while water remains in the mouth, without raising the head from the water stream. The body "knows" to not allow water into the lungs. It is this same instinct that a circular breather uses to play their instrument.
One learning technique is to try puff out the cheeks with mouth closed using only air drawn in through the nose. This technique is very challenging, but when learned and mastered it can be repeated easily."
Does Kenny G puff his cheeks? I digress...
Enough from Wikipedia.
Actually, that's a pretty good synopsis. Also, it really helps to actually SEE what it looks like. Here's some links to YouTube videos:
Here's Kenny G demonstrating circular breathing. (Yes he does puff his cheeks slightly). In spite of the plug for Rico Reeds at the end it's pretty informative.
Let's go to the Clarinet Bulletin Board which is a wonderful resource to clarinet players everywhere thanks to the efforts of the site's administrator Mark Charette (SHOUT OUT). Searching on 'circular breathing' unveiled several entries and a very infor
mative article by Dr. Robert Spring. Dr. Spring's article can be printed and includes exercises. Yessss!
I'm in a band playing a work that has long, sustained notes in the clarinets. The notes are mostly in the lower and throat tone range, and we are one to a part. As I tried to gracefully exit and re-enter the piece every 10 bars or so, I wished for the ability to circular breathe.
I read somewhere that if the blogger has a goal to work towards it makes it that much easier. Since getting this blog started again has been a struggle, I'm hoping they're right.
So here goes.
My goal: Learn how to circular breathe, and put it in action before the performance on May 24, 2010.
I've been
considering alternatives to the "traditional" employment scenario (8-5
Monday to Friday, regular paycheck, employer benefits, 401K, etc.) To
bring in a little cash and keep me busy I've been selling stuff on
eBay.
I also answered an ad for "music teachers needed" and had a great conversation with Jason Blair of Drumming Uncut
based in Alhambra, Ca. He wants to branch out into other instruments
and has lots of good ideas for building and maintaining a student base,
and said I could share his studio and even use the space to sell
clarinet books and instruments. I'm excited at this opportunity, and
look forward to helping Jason build his business while I learn more
about the music business from him.
I've also decided to apply with local Parks & Recreation
departments to teach clarinet through them. I picked up Course
Proposal forms which are due in February for the Summer session. I
need to decide how much to charge, how many students I can take, what
times, and also want to work out a deal with a local music store to
help students with rentals if they need one.
Of course, I'm still playing. Cerritos Community Band just started
up for the spring, and Long Beach Community Band starts later this
week. The LA Clarinet Institute may be having a concert next month so
I'm looking forward to it as well. Money's a little tight these days,
but on impulse (and because I got a really good deal on it) I recently
acquired a Reed Mate
reed holder which is supposed to keep reeds from warping and getting
moldy. On the plus side, it's cool looking, made from clear lucite,
and its construction does protect reeds well. On the minus side there
is a charcoal insert at the bottom which needs to be replaced every few
months and it's a tad bulky in size - about twice the size as a
standard 4-reed holder many clarinetists use. The jury's still out on
how effective this item is at extending reed life and since that's a
main feature I'll report back at a later time.
So, back to writing up course proposals for Lakewood and Long Beach
and hopefully Mausbach Music will be approved for this new venture!
I'll keep you posted.
Here it is, Labor Day Weekend, and school starts next week. Band camp has come and gone (to my daughter's relief, I think) and they're looking forward to their first show. Parent preview night was Thursday 8/28 - I was travelling on business and missed it!
Community Band has started up again. Our first rehearsal, the clarinet section accounted for 50% of the entire group! Yeah! We've got a nice mix of returning players and new faces. Should be a fun semester...NO PRESSURE...don't forget your pencils, people! Our first performance is coming up - September 11, for the City of Cerritos' Patriot Day Observance.
The Clarinet Institute of Los Angeles will be playing this Sunday, August 31, at our usual location in Pacific Palisades. Hopefully it won't be too hot and humid....
...but NOTHING is as hot and humid as Irving, Texas, where I was this past week on a business trip. Temperatures were in the 90s and humidity about 150%. No kidding. Really. I'm grateful for California weather that I tend to take for granted.
Coming soon...an overview and opinion on various clarinet method books.