What is the best way to break in reeds, for clarinet???

Question:My and my clarinet buddy are sitting here learning about reeds. Since both of us are quite good, we feel we should know this after 3 years of playing.

So, I've heard you can let them soak, or just suck on them forever.. but what's an easy quick way? or a very effective way?

ans what's the best way to care for reeds to keep them in the best shape?
Thank you very much,
Cammy and Lauren- the un-smart complete band geeks! -sigh-

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: My and my clarinet buddy are sitting here learning about reeds. Since both of us are quite good, we feel we should know this after 3 years of playing.

So, I've heard you can let them soak, or just suck on them forever.. but what's an easy quick way? or a very effective way?

ans what's the best way to care for reeds to keep them in the best shape?
Thank you very much,
Cammy and Lauren- the un-smart complete band geeks! -sigh-

I don't advise soaking them until you know what you're doing with reed shaping. Too much moisture will warp them!

I've seen lots of questions about reed shaping, so let me give you a quick overview:

Basic reed shaping:
1) Take 400 grit sandpaper and sand the back of your reed carefully WITH the grain of the reed. The grain is vertical. Be careful not to let it slide around as it could chip the tip of the reed. Sand until the back is smooth--you'll be able to feel the difference.

2) Place the reed on the mouthpiece like you're about to play it. Make sure it's aligned. Now, tilt the clarinet to the right so the mouthpiece will enter your mouth at 40 degree angle. You'll still have the reed facing you, but it will basically enter sideways, allowing you to produce sound using only one side of the reed dominantly.
Play it in that position and do it on BOTH sides. Which one sounds worse? It could have an airy sound or it could be difficult to play. When sanding the back, it sometimes can put the front at an uneven level, and some reeds are generally uneven. Whichever side sounded worse, take your sandpaper and GENTLY scrape the front side that sounded bad. Be VERY careful with this and go WITH the grain of the wood.
Repeat until they both sound fairly equal.

3) Once you've completed this, play-test the reed. Do a few scales, sight-read a few things until the reed is sufficiently wet. You can tell by touch if you are unable to tell by response.

4) If balancing the reed makes no difference even after the first try, the reed is either dead or is too hard for you to play.

Why do we balance reeds? So they seal well after playing, you can obtain a quality sound, and--you can even tell dead reeds much quicker after they've been balanced.

My favorite reeds: Gonzales, Rico Grand Concert, Rico Reserve

There are a lot of methods but I soak in water for 5 minutes! and then wipe dry and put on your Clarinet and play for a few minutes. Repeat for a few days and then balance the reed. Reeds need to be broken in over a few days/weeks. They will last longer! You may want to break in a few at a time!

Old reeds can also be 'reborn' so to speak. Buy a reed clipper and clip a TINY bit off the top. You can also sand the bottom part ( Above the ligature) Google 'Clarinet reeds' and you should get some ideas! Or ask your clarinet teacher they can SHOW you!

More clarinet buddies, gotta love it. =]

You can either put them in warm water and let them soak, or suck on them (kinda gross, yes?) Basically what you guys said. Filing them helps a little, but it also changes the sound so don't do that unless you really know what you're doing.

As far as keeping them in good shape...the obvious. Dry them off a little before you put them up, don't use the same reed for months without getting a new one (some kid in my class had mold growing on his), don't leave them laying around where somebody could break it.

I would suggest playing on that reed for say 10 minutes each day for 4-7 days. It should be nicely broken in by then.