How to successfully break in clarinet reeds
The reader will learn how to break in clarinet reeds in a way
that optimizes reed performance gently and gradually.
The clarinet reed is largely responsible for the quality of sound
produced on the instrument, and thus its care should be given
careful consideration, especially if the reed is new. Reeds are
not ready-to-go out of the box; it is important to break them
in gently and gradually to ensure they reach their optimum
sound, as well as give the player an idea of the quality and
potential of each reed as a good sound producer. Here are
some simple steps to successfully break in reeds.
Materials Needed:
• Box of reeds
• Water to soak the reeds in (a container with a lid is
nice and allows you to transport your reed water)
• Reed case for storing reeds during and after the
breaking-in process
DAY ONE
1. Carefully take one to four reeds out of the factory
packaging. You will be testing in batches of four until
all reeds have been evaluated.
2. Look at each reed from various angles. Not all reeds
are created equally, even if they are from the same
box. Here are a few things to look for:
Ø The vamp (the cut section) should be a nice,
even, light cream color. If you hold the reed up
to the light, you should see an even pattern in
the fibers that comprise the reed*. There should
be no variation of color on the vamp; if there is,
put the reed aside and open another.
Ø The bark (the thick, uncut part of the reed) can
have more color variation than the vamp.
However, DISCARD any reed that has green in
the vamp or the bark. This means that the cane
was cut prematurely and not ideal for clarinet
playing**.
Ø Look at the profile of the reed. Is there a nice,
even slope from the bark to the vamp, with a
level surface for the heart and tip (the places
where your lips and tongue will touch the reed)?
For a good reed, the answer to both questions
will be yes.
Ø Finally, flip the reed over so the rail (the flat side
that touches the mouthpiece) is up. Put the butt
of the reed (the end that you do not play from)
Amanda Lanser
at eye level, so you are looking down the reed.
The surface should be totally level, with no sign
of warping. Put any warped reeds aside.
3. Place all four reeds in the water, bark end first. Let
them soak for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Then, take
the reeds out and place them rail side up on a flat
surface. Take one reed and dip the tip side into the
water to dampen it. Carefully slide your finger over
the rail to remove any excess water.
4. Attach the reed to your mouthpiece as you would to
play. Play through scales or some long tones to test
the quality of sound. Be careful not to play above G
in the clarion register so you do not stress the reed
to much during its trial run. Likewise, keep
articulations, especially ones hard on reeds like
accented staccato, to a minimum.
5. If it is not difficult to blow through the reed and the
tones you created were pure and free of any reedy
back noise, then it passed the first test and made it
to the second round. Place it rail side up on a flat
surface and let it dry out completely before you store
it in your reed case.
6. Continue this process until you have inspected and
tested all the reeds in the box. Those that do not
produce a clear sound or are hard to blow through
should not be considered in the next rounds.
DAY TWO
1. Repeat steps three and four from day one. When
breaking in reeds this round, however, spend 2-5
minutes going through scales and long tones,
adding in articulations. A reed that responds well to
your articulations will produce a pure tone with little
resistance. It is now okay to test the higher registers
a time or two, or play through some lyrical music.
2. Test each reed using this process. If some reeds do
not respond well to the articulations, or lose integrity
in the upper registers, do not consider them in the
next round.
3. Place reeds rail side up on a flat surface and let them
dry completely. Store them in your reed case.
DAY THREE
By now, you probably have one to four reeds that have
passed through rounds one and two. Today, listen more
closely to the tone and response of each reed, and rank them
from best to worst.
1. Start by soaking the reeds and playing scales and
long tones, as before. Spend 5-10 minutes moving
through more intense articulations (repetition of
short staccato, for example) and some lyrical studies
or passages from ensemble music. How does each
reed respond? Does the reed produce a rich, pure,
even sound in all registers, or is the performance a
little spotty, especially in the upper registers? Is the
reed still responding well to articulation?
2. As you answer the above questions, rank the reeds
from best to worst, and store them in your reed case
in this order (after they have dried, of course!). Keep
your best reeds for performances, studio class, or
ensemble rehearsals. Use the average ones for scale
study, articulation drills, and practicing other skills.
Remember to go easy on your new reeds as you continue to
break them in, gradually increasing the time you spend per
day playing each reed. Bring a couple of reeds to rehearsal in
case you feel one giving out or break one. Good luck and
have fun.