I love the way you explain things Michelle, thank you so much. I have been playing Clarinet for 2 months now with a wonderful teacher and your videos are really helping me to progress between lessons. Thank you. x
Thanks for all your wonderful educational videos! I appreciate every bit. And it helps so much, specially if you are learning autodidactically. Why did I never hear about those little adjustment tricks before? And I've been playing for several years now...And you explain things really well so that theory can easily be turned into practice. I'm looking forward to all your upcoming videos!
Thanks for your videos--I've been slowly going through several of them. I've been playing for 20 years and while I was familiar with the up/down trick, I had never considered asymmetry. Thankyou for taking the time to make these put them out there!
Thank you for this video. My clarinet teacher died last year and I so miss his kind and robust instructions. You have now helped me with several concerns I have been having. My Buffet clarinet was stolen in Oakland, CA in Nov 2014 (very dramatic for me as the tone on that horn was amazing) and I am now playing on a Selmer I bought in an antique shop (that I have since had tuned up and replaced the pads and corks by a fellow musician who said she knows what she's doing....played okay but now having issues). Still the horn isn't always reliable. I am running into on and off episodes of the horn just not making a sound when I blow through it. It squeaks when I play the middle and upper registers. I watched your segment that you recommended the plumber tape in and have since added it around the middle section of the horn cork. Any other recommendations? Thanks so much. AnitaNotSqueak
Also, Michelle.....please help me learn where I can purchase a Buffet Bb Clarinet (Prestige edition). The insurance company said to go buy one online. The initial purchase of the Buffet that was stolen was done in Sicily directly from Buffet through the Italian clarinetist was studying under back in 1995. I live in the "sticks" in a tiny town in the Midwest and none of the music stores carry Buffet. Your thoughts?
Hi Michelle. Great videos! I love your large reed and mouthpiece. It's a great visual! I might have to borrow the idea for my reed making course...haha Thanks again!
Hi Michelle, Great video! I play both the alto saxophone and the clarinet among other instruments. I learned to play the alto sax before learning to play the clarinet. I found that playing the saxophone was easier to learn than the clarinet. For me this might be for two reasons: The alto sax reed is wider -- easier to manipulate -- and the fingering chart for the alto sax is more ergonomic, for me anyway, than on the clarinet. Not to mention that thumb rest on the clarinet can be quite painful at first. Playing notes in the upper register, I find, is easier to play on the alto sax than on the clarinet. I play both instruments for different genre of music that each instrument accentuates. I apply the same principle when I play the trumpet and the flugelhorn. For example, I prefer playing "Stranger on the Shore" with the clarinet than on the alto sax. But then, on the other hand, I prefer to play "Ain't No Sunshine" on the alto sax than with the clarinet. By the way, I use a #2 strength reed for both the alto sax and clarinet.
Thanks, this is wonderful. I did not know about moving the reed around on the mouthpiece. I do know how to do the test for balance, and have sanded my reeds on a glass surface to balance them. This video takes me one step further to compensate for the softening older reed. After two hours of playing, I get too much brightness and even squeaking on what had been the ideal reed that formerly had the optimum response versus resistance. Sanding does not help the soft reed, and trimming the reed with a trimmer only helps for a little while. So thanks again.
As always the information is very helpful, however, the camera's focus is softer than Is comfortable to watch. I have tried moving it higher up the screen but it doesn't improve it. I do have one question about reed strength that I'd apreciate your advice on. I have recently changed from Vandoren 3 to V12 3 1/2 and am finding some of hem very stiff whilst others are fine after a few days, do you recommend softening them by using something like Tom Ridenour's reed improving tool or some other method? Alternately do you recommend that I stick to the ones that work and accept that some of the box are not worth the energy?
+Mike Crawshaw Hi Mike - we might have dealt with this today. I do recommend trying another type of reed that may be an equivalent to 3-1/4. The V21 3.5 might do it, or the Steuer 3. This is one of my oldest videos, and it is filmed on older technology. I do plan on refilming most of these with better technology. Hopefully the words are still useful.
Well, what do you know. When I was a beginner many years ago, I was told to always have a crescent of reed above the mouthpiece. Did anyone else have that experience?
Today I found another way to make reeds more playable. No sanding or reed scraping tools needed. Ask me how on this website and I will tell you. Its something I never read on any reed adjustment website before.
hey I have a tip for people reading this ok so if you look her ligiture (the thingy holding the reed) is metal when i first learned to play thats what I used but my freind alexis got a leather one and i tryed it and it workes alot better especially sence my band director has us all playing on the rico 4" reed wich is tougher then the ones we used in the eighth grade it has made things easier for me and i just thought it would help sooooo yeah..bye now
Michelle, your lessons are excellent and although I have played for a long time, I am getting a lot from your teaching. Thanks so much.
I love the way you explain things Michelle, thank you so much. I have been playing Clarinet for 2 months now with a wonderful teacher and your videos are really helping me to progress between lessons. Thank you. x
The instructions re reed position were very useful, for a beginner like me , to ease the move to a stiffer reed
Thanks for the kind words. I'm glad you are enjoying these videos.
Thanks for all your wonderful educational videos! I appreciate every bit. And it helps so much, specially if you are learning autodidactically. Why did I never hear about those little adjustment tricks before? And I've been playing for several years now...And you explain things really well so that theory can easily be turned into practice. I'm looking forward to all your upcoming videos!
I just joined the community and find your videos extremely helpful. Thank you, Michelle.
I'm glad it helped. It's handy to know, and after you do it for a while, you can make the changes in under 10 seconds.
Thanks for your videos--I've been slowly going through several of them. I've been playing for 20 years and while I was familiar with the up/down trick, I had never considered asymmetry. Thankyou for taking the time to make these put them out there!
The side-to-side is only a small adjustment, but it does make a difference. I am glad you are enjoying these videos. Thanks for writing!
Oh my goodness thank you so so much, I have been having so much trouble with new reeds and wasted old ones 😅
Thank you for this video. My clarinet teacher died last year and I so miss his kind and robust instructions. You have now helped me with several concerns I have been having. My Buffet clarinet was stolen in Oakland, CA in Nov 2014 (very dramatic for me as the tone on that horn was amazing) and I am now playing on a Selmer I bought in an antique shop (that I have since had tuned up and replaced the pads and corks by a fellow musician who said she knows what she's doing....played okay but now having issues). Still the horn isn't always reliable. I am running into on and off episodes of the horn just not making a sound when I blow through it. It squeaks when I play the middle and upper registers. I watched your segment that you recommended the plumber tape in and have since added it around the middle section of the horn cork. Any other recommendations? Thanks so much. AnitaNotSqueak
Also, Michelle.....please help me learn where I can purchase a Buffet Bb Clarinet (Prestige edition). The insurance company said to go buy one online. The initial purchase of the Buffet that was stolen was done in Sicily directly from Buffet through the Italian clarinetist was studying under back in 1995. I live in the "sticks" in a tiny town in the Midwest and none of the music stores carry Buffet. Your thoughts?
Hi Michelle. Great videos! I love your large reed and mouthpiece. It's a great visual! I might have to borrow the idea for my reed making course...haha Thanks again!
Great lesson! Loved the visual too!
THIS WOMAN IS A GODDESS!!!! I AM SO SURE!
Think you so much I was having trouble wit this I moved it up more and my tone was way better
this was very help full
Hi Michelle, Great video! I play both the alto saxophone and the clarinet among other instruments. I learned to play the alto sax before learning to play the clarinet. I found that playing the saxophone was easier to learn than the clarinet. For me this might be for two reasons: The alto sax reed is wider -- easier to manipulate -- and the fingering chart for the alto sax is more ergonomic, for me anyway, than on the clarinet. Not to mention that thumb rest on the clarinet can be quite painful at first. Playing notes in the upper register, I find, is easier to play on the alto sax than on the clarinet. I play both instruments for different genre of music that each instrument accentuates. I apply the same principle when I play the trumpet and the flugelhorn. For example, I prefer playing "Stranger on the Shore" with the clarinet than on the alto sax. But then, on the other hand, I prefer to play "Ain't No Sunshine" on the alto sax than with the clarinet. By the way, I use a #2 strength reed for both the alto sax and clarinet.
Thank you so so so so so much I really needed the help and you helped me like a lot this video was very helpful and um yeah so thank you again!!!
Angela Arreola Glad you enjoyed this. We all need help with reeds!
These are just amazing videos - thank you :)
Thanks for the kind word. I'm glad they help you.
Thanks, this is wonderful. I did not know about moving the reed around on the mouthpiece. I do know how to do the test for balance, and have sanded my reeds on a glass surface to balance them. This video takes me one step further to compensate for the softening older reed. After two hours of playing, I get too much brightness and even squeaking on what had been the ideal reed that formerly had the optimum response versus resistance. Sanding does not help the soft reed, and trimming the reed with a trimmer only helps for a little while. So thanks again.
I'm glad that this helps! It is an easy way to make reeds work better.
Thanks Mishel your lesson very helpfully
Hi John, - Please, Borrow away! Let me know when you have your course up. I'd love to know about it. - Michelle
I can't hear this even with the phone to my ear. Could you rerecord when you get a moment? Thanks
Thank you this really helped
Hi Michelle, When you "move" the reed to to the left or to the right, do you rotate it, leaving the bottom centered or do you move the entire reed?
As always the information is very helpful, however, the camera's focus is softer than Is comfortable to watch. I have tried moving it higher up the screen but it doesn't improve it. I do have one question about reed strength that I'd apreciate your advice on. I have recently changed from Vandoren 3 to V12 3 1/2 and am finding some of hem very stiff whilst others are fine after a few days, do you recommend softening them by using something like Tom Ridenour's reed improving tool or some other method? Alternately do you recommend that I stick to the ones that work and accept that some of the box are not worth the energy?
+Mike Crawshaw Hi Mike - we might have dealt with this today. I do recommend trying another type of reed that may be an equivalent to 3-1/4. The V21 3.5 might do it, or the Steuer 3. This is one of my oldest videos, and it is filmed on older technology. I do plan on refilming most of these with better technology. Hopefully the words are still useful.
Thank you
Well, what do you know. When I was a beginner many years ago, I was told to always have a crescent of reed above the mouthpiece. Did anyone else have that experience?
thank you!
Today I found another way to make reeds more playable. No sanding or reed scraping tools needed. Ask me how on this website and I will tell you. Its something I never read on any reed adjustment website before.
hey I have a tip for people reading this ok so if you look her ligiture (the thingy holding the reed) is metal when i first learned to play thats what I used but my freind alexis got a leather one and i tryed it and it workes alot better especially sence my band director has us all playing on the rico 4" reed wich is tougher then the ones we used in the eighth grade it has made things easier for me and i just thought it would help sooooo yeah..bye now
Annaliese leopard how’s life going?😭
"easier" instead of "more easy". otherwise, great!! tks
You must have been teaching since around the age of two?
wtf