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Doublereed Archive - Posting 000096.txt from 2004/10
From: David Lurie <david.lurie@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [DR-L] Re: Ideal woodwind theory and oboe playing
Date: Thu, 21 Oct 2004 20:45:25 -0400
At 11:03 AM 10/21/2004, you wrote:
>Hi everyone,
>
>I remember reading on this list a while back something about what pitch
>one should be blowing on the reed while playing the oboe. If I remember
>correctly, most of us agreed that somewhere around Bb is good. So, playing
>the reed without the oboe, Bb would be the sounding pitch, and the feeling
>of playing Bb on the reed should be transferred to playing the whole oboe.
I have heard this said several times already. So I checked it out myself,
and I find that the pitch sounding by just playing the reed only, IOW with
a regular embouchure not a crow, is not Bb but C. My reeds also crow a C
when blown fully inserted in the mouth. I would like to know more about the
Bb pitch. Does everyone get that? And of course what difference does it make?
>I also have a hazy recollection of someone saying that they give students
>exercises to play on the reed alone, sliding between Ab and C as well as
>moving between these notes in steps. The purpose of these excersises was
>to develop some kind of technique for rolling the reed in and out of the
>embouchure.
My method of playing calls for "rolling" the reed slightly (very slightly)
inward when playing in the upper register. The purpose for this is because
to provide adequate support up there it is necessary to blow a bit harder
so I deliberately make the reeds ever so slightly flat and roll (not bite)
them in. In this way I can blow hard to provide support, but not go sharp,
which would be a tendency otherwise.
>Please do tell me if I've dreamed this all up. Also, if anyone disagrees
>or has any corrections to make, please do.
>
>My problem is that I've been attending required weekly "woodwind
>masterclasses" at school which are usually given by a saxophone player.
>Everyone but the flutes are thrown in together. This particular saxophone
>professor has a wealth of knowlege about musical phrasing, but confuses us
>double reeds when he talks about technique.
Well, the sax us SUCH a very different instrument, and that there are so
many different schools of oboe playing, that I think very little would
apply to the oboe. But on the other hand, the sax being a wind instrument,
there may indeed be some factors that would apply. I don;t know so you
would have to be much more specific about what he says.
>He had a sax student blow through only the mouthpiece and neck of the
>saxophone, demonstrating that the air and embouchure are independent of
>what note you're playing. Air and embouchure remain constant while you
>move your fingers.
I aim for that too, but find it is impossible for me to achieve it.
However, when making reeds, I always aim for that goal.
>I learned in woodwind pedagogy that this is true for single reed
>instruments. However, this professor maintains that it's true for all wind
>instruments.
>
>I challenged him. I showed how several pitches can be blown on an oboe
>reed, and demonstrated how we use this for intonation purposes as well as
>for extreme registers. He tried to prove me wrong and managed to confuse
>me thoroughly.
My only comment is that you should stick to your guns, and not let him
confuse you, or rather get confused by what he says. He himself may be very
confused, or is saying things that are confusing. Can you remember exactly
what he is saying?
>It seems that his point is true to a certain extent when applied to the
>oboe. We tend to overcompensate, and do too many wacky things with our air
>and embouchure while our fingers flail about. But I still feel that
>embouchure compensation is needed. I know that I have to sacrifice a
>certain amount of stability in my reeds to get them to where they're not
>hard as brick, sharp, and thin sounding.
As I said before, I make certain adjustments for my upper register, so
we're together here. Rolling the embouchure in, as opposed to biting, for
me is a necessity if I am not to play sharp up there and still get a well
supported sound.
David Lurie
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