Bb clarinet reed. Hard to blow and make sound.?

Question

I bought a pack of Bb vandoren 3 1/2 reeds. what should i do to break them in? i been practicing scales on for a while now and i'm seeing barely any improvement.

Answer 1

If your reeds are still too hard to blow on, I would try soaking them in water for a few minutes before you play.  Then, as you get more use to it, they will be more broken in without you having to use so much air or strain your muscles in your face / lips.

Thanks for reading!

Answer 2

don't use 3 1/2 reeds. they are very hard for me to use as well. i use size 3 reeds. they work the best for me. i don't have to blow any harder than usual. when i use size 3 1/2 reeds, it's impossible for me to play on the upper register! it's pretty frustrating.

i use rico reeds, but i hear very good things about vandoren!

PS: if someone tells you that you should use thicker reeds because-

a)it's cooler

b)because you are older now, and when you get older, you should move up in size

c)you aren't a good player unless you can move up on reed sizes

they are stupid and deserve to be whacked!

just kidding, but seriously. you play whichever reed is best for you to play. who knows, maybe you just need to adjust to the 3.5 reed, but i know for myself, 3's are the best!

Answer 3

soak them in water for the first couple of days

and only play on them 20 minutes a day tops at first!

you could also file them

& there's a lot more you can do. apparently some guy wrote a whole book about reeds! but that is basically what I do

If a week has gone by and it's still way too hard, you probably need to play on a 3. It's very, very unlikely you'll need a 2.5 or 2. Most people I know play on 3.5's and 3's.

Another thing to remember is

hard reeds- lower them

soft reeds- raise them up

hope this helps (:

by the way, you want to play on a slightly harder reed than normal when the temperature is cool because it raises the pitch. Softer reeds and cooler temperatures will cause your pitch to go flat, so a combination of the two is not good! But that doesn't mean go up a whole reed size. Just one that is not as "broken in" as you would usually have it for a performance.

Answer 4

Just Keep Them In Your Mouth For A While. And When You Put It On Make Sure Your Putting It On Right Like Line It Up Right An dYou Have To Make Sure You Have The Right Mouth Posture And Blow Really Hard.  

Answer 5

they don't really need to be "broken in," after a couple of uses they should be good to use.  If you are a beginner, you may need to go to a 2 or 2 1/2 reed.  they are easier to play on.