there is indeed a solution (beyond getting a new clarinet) ....and that is asymmetric undercutting and filling. tedious to do...but will get there.

Thanks for such a great video. Will this work also for saxophone reeds?

Keith Stein was double lip too?

Hard rubber CTE is about 10X that of wood, so I don't understand.

Genius men ❤

Very, very nice sound.

I know this is an older video, but it would be nice if you could make a new one with more explanation of the front to back balance, what to do with the middle third, and what you’re looking for when testing.

I have to play this for an exam on may and i love it. still stressed tho🥲

He goes on too long instead of getting to the point. YAWN.

Thank you very much Maestro, your teaching is very understandable and simple, while waiting for your equipment I have already done some experiments and I managed to improve my reeds a lot, it had never happened with these results!

Thank you Maestro Ridenour.

I’m very confused, does he wet the sponge with hydrogen peroxide instead of water?

Excellent explanation. I know it is nice to have a visual indicator, but I also use drones that have a nice complement of overtones to play against to check tuning aurally as well. After all, in real life you are going to have to play in tune by ear, not by watching a tuner.

Considering how much reeds can change during the early stages of break-in, I would not do any adjustment during the early break-in period unless absolutely necessary, because the reed is seriously unbalanced or very hard. You will only be playing a few minutes at a time in the early stages, so I don't see much risk of adversely affecting your embouchure. If reed is a little unbalanced side to side, just move the reed off to one or the other side until the reed starts becoming more stable, and then you can start adjusting the reed more.

I have a lyrique libertas II coming next week and I literally can't wait. It will be my third Ridenour. And no, it isn't because they "don't last" or anything. LOL. I LOVE them. I just wanted a II. I can't wait to play it.

Is it a foolish question to ask if the book contains fingerings for the French and German systems?

For a novice player, or for professionals dealing with really extreme circumstances, by all means go for maximum consistency first. However, nearly all professionals will still choose to use a wooden barrel most of the time, even the few who play a synthetic clarinet.

While studying with David Weber, who played with the double lip embouchure, I decided to switch. The compliments I receive on my sound have not stopped for the past 30 years.

Hi Tom. Can you let me know what key lubricant you use? I know you've said engine honey or smoke be gone car oil additives work well. How did you know to try these? What's in them? Do I have to worry about corrosion of the steel or nickel when selecting a lubricant?

Nice, thank you Tom.

I guess all this applies to sax too. Interesting.

I am wondering how the design was decided to require biting the lip, or more accurately-- risk damage to the lip so easily. That has been my number one challenge and turn off because I am a trombone player, where we use our lips in a much different way. The pedagogical beginnings of long tones, bringing the instrument to the face, slow scales and melodies apply perfectly across though. I am trying to establish a basic knowledge base and ability to play test for instrument repair skills and so enjoyed this video sir!

Are you planing on making a hard rubber alto clarinet?

You have to be careful with having someone else tune your instrument - your setup and particularly your reed strength will impact the stretch of the 12ths

no , regular embouchure is perfect.

My late 1950's Conn Clarinet is a superior jazz instrument, (16N)

I can get a great used R 13 for $2499

Please tell me, should the teeth or chin come forward from its natural position while playing?

Good playing, Tom. ❤

Your clar. playing is very nice! ❤🎉

BRILLIANT! Thanks 🎉🎉🎉❤

Hi, This is a great video! I'm trying to purchase one of these sanding blocks but I don't know where to find them. What keyword would you recommend to search?

Avid player when I was in school....15 years later and trying to get into the swing of things! I have been "nerding out" for 3 days on reed balancing videos, and loving it!! I wish I would've had youtube videos like this at my fingertips when I was in highschool and doing all my auditions. Now, I'm looking forward to joing a local community band and just being the best musician I can be after not playing for 15 years. I'm just thankful to be a part of something again, and it's videos like this that are inspiring me to come with my best efforts forward!

Amazing video, thks.

forget the "french , or double lip" embouchure name...just call it "Wrights embouchure" from now on

The ONLY reason double lip is used or suggested to be used today is one man Harold Wright....look at all the crummy tones double lippers like Kell, Goodman, many other had...but Wright was just soooooo good that ...well, I just wonder, if he used single lip..would he have still sounded that good? mmm..maybe

Mr, Ridenour ... What diet did you utilize to loose weight? Our health and diet affects our musical ability in terms of breath control.

Hello, I started practicing French embouchure about a month ago, the sound has become denser and more focused, but I still can’t imagine how to completely switch to French embouchure, tell me what to do in the high register, it still puts pressure on the lips and it hurts to play from up to 3 octaves. The upper lip especially cuts, maybe there is a secret?

Hello Mr. R. Old friend KenL. For me it is much easier to play a long "G" while rolling the mouthpiece left and right. I can hear the differences much easier that way. Also, if both sides are dull, you can get a better color in the sound by sanding both sides. Another KenL preference is to have the whole reed wet so the flexibility is more even. I have reeds from the 70's that still play well, but not so well on my current mouthpiece.

Donnons un bec ou une clarinette à un enfant ....Il ne mettra pratiquement jamais les dents sur le bec et quand il soufflera il y aura beaucoup de pression ...... Intéressant et à méditer ce réflexe enfantin...

what are your thoughts on crystal mouthpieces? and, are they worth the price? thank you Mr. Tom!

How about a crystal mouthpiece matching up with a hard rubber barrel as opposed to matching with a wooden clarinet? the clarinet is a hard rubber clarinet.

What a story! 👏👏👏🤣🤣

Hello Tom, How many % is the hydrogen peroxide that you use? I tried your method with 3% but unfortunately there is still mold.... Thanks in advance! All best

I only took 3 lessons from Harold Wright, but he did tell me that he didn’t like the V12’s. He said he’d always used the Traditional model.

What is the difference between this and using the ATG over the tip?

VIdéo très intéressante ...mais ??? air chaud ou air froid ...... et la différence est énorme......Pression et envoi de l'air différent ...sans parler de l'ouverture de gorge qui dans ce cas est primordiale Vaste sujet .....????

Bonsoir clarinettiste professionnel à la retraite depuis 2009 ... Souci de dents je pense que je vais essayer la double lèvre après plus de 60 années de pratique avec les dents sur le bec Un nouveau défi.....Merci à vous très intéressé .par des sensations nouvelles ....

Great video-When I was younger I would play then put the reed in my plastic reed holder until I played again which was daily-yuk-now I immediately rinse the reed-blow through the thick end of it to get some bubbles-then repeat. I then let the reed dry at room temperature-completely-THEN-I put it back in the reed holder until wetting before the next gig-this process prevents contamination and mold. This must be done every time the reed is used.

I play altosaxophone, and your videos are helping me to improve my tone! It hasn’t been easy for me. Thank you!