Tone

Very short version of this page,go to... Resum�.

From 1969 to 1972, I studied with Daniel Deffayet at the" Conservatoire National Sup�rieure de Musique de Paris" and there I started to question myself on how does a reed really work. Is it all the tip of the reed that vibrates at the same depth and speed or what? No answers...........

.............. until I meet Fred Hemke.I believe it was in 1974 or so. Fred was at Quebec Conservatoire, practising multiphonics. He explained that when you play a multiphonic, different parts of the reed vibrates at different speeds..........!
Well Well! He even split a reed in 3 parts,playing a 3 sound multiphonic ! WOW!
That was a pretty good hint. But it didn't explain everything........

A few years later a friend came to my place for week during the summer, to play tennis and do a little bit of reading with me.(Clarinet and Soprano) I must confess that my friend is a " reed-a-holic". He could work on a reed for hours with a knife, sandpaper or whatsoever taking it on and off his clarinet. working .trying .and start all over again.Although this maniacal devotion, he could not answer my question either.
One morning, while this friend is still home, I pick up my soprano with a new reed and play a few sounds.My friend looks at me and declares that the reed sounds unbalanced. Probably stronger on one side. I explain that it is a neww reed and am not used to it.
The next morning I repeat the same ritual with the same reed (which was much more comfortable) and my friend asked me if I worked on the reed because that sound was balanced. I told him I didn't touch it. ( I hate knives and sandpaper).
But this served to focus on the problem from a new angle. I realised that I could balance a reed with my mouth but I didn't know how?

A few weeks later, I went back to work and started asking myself new questions. Apparently the reed vibrates more or less equally whether parts of it are stronger or not. (you know that wood fiber stuff) When you look at a reed at the opposite end, (See pic #3) it is thinner on the sides than in the middle, so if the reed vibrates freely and since the sides have less fibers the sides should vibrate faster and wider....? How can I prove that ?
Maybe I could go to the hospital and have my head scanned while playing.......? Imagine the face of the doctor......!@��%#�.
Finally , one morning spontaniously I turned the mouthpiece around and inhaled? It WORKED.
(See Pic #4) Now I had the proof. Actualy the reed vibrates much wider and freely on the sides than in the middle like an X form which confirms my theory that "more wood fibers in the middle holds back the vibration."
Now what.........
............... My analysis is that for a good tone the reed must vibrate at the same depth and speed on all its width. Then I realised that all these years I worked with these muscles (See Pic #5) balancing the reed's weakness. This anables me to produce a full rich tone. The Marcel Mule technique , and what Pierre use to say about horizontal pressure, permitted me to start excercising these muscles. When I play I have the feeling that I use only these muscles and practically no jaw pressure.
It is like if I didn't apply any verticle pressure in the middle............? Remember, these are feelings.
One other thing I observed about me and my students. After playing a few days with the same reed , I noticed that my reeds are curved upwards on the sides which tends to prove once more my theory. In the case of a student who has particular tone problems , the curve is always opposite......?
This technique is used to optimise the reed control, and not to alter your timbre. The timbre is controlled by your ears. If you wish to know more , go back to the Sound page.

Friends , now you can put your knives and sandpapers in the RECYCLE BIN.....!
Jean Bouchard

Jean Bouchard