Doublereed Archive - Posting 000097.txt from 2004/10

From: "Angela Wells" <oneflute1oboe@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [DR-L] Re: Ideal woodwind theory and oboe playing
Date: Fri, 22 Oct 2004 00:48:21 -0400

Hi Keith and list,

Thanks for your thoughts! I'll clarify a few points.

>>>>>
My recollection of the conversation is somewhat different. I think
most people cited between B-flat and C, but I've heard from several
professionals who I trust, that if you make your reeds crow "C", that
you will have to do less compensation when you jump octaves, than if
your reeds crow at a lower pitch.
>>>>>

I actually remember a conversation about the pitch that you blow on the reed
when you play it as if you were playing the oboe. But crowing pitch is an
interesting factor here too. My reeds usually crow B. C crowing reeds are
usually too resistant and/or sharp for me, but I do come up with some that
work well.

>>>>>
And now we get to the political (and possibly gender, and ageist) issues...
>>>>>

Usually, these masterclasses are pretty dull. We sit there like vegetables
and silently agree/disagree and understand/not understand what he's trying
to say. He has to "choose victims" when no one volunteers to play. He begs
us to ask questions. He says that he hopes someone will disagree with him.

He honestly believes in what he is teaching. When he asked the sax student
to demonstrate on the mouthpiece alone (that all notes are blown the same),
he declared his point proved for all wind instruments. He seemed happy when
I brought up the point that oboe reeds can easily blow several pitches.
Finally, someone was participating! To him, I was another woodwind student
who needed to be saved by his gospel. In fact, I was asking for it.

Of course, I'm not inside his head. I don't know what he was really
thinking.

>>>>>
He might be more open-minded if you approach him on a 1-1 basis
outside of class.
>>>>>

I might, with the book.

>>>>>
Talking about pluralism, there is an ENORMOUS varieity of oboe reed making
styles. I bought some reeds from Fred Capps once, and wish I were rich
enough to buy them on a regular basis. His reeds are pretty easy to blow,
but EXTREMELY STABLE. I couldn't get them to play quite as loudly
as the reeds that I normally use, but I could play them more softly
(so there was as much of a potential dynamic range, but just not the
same dynamic range). Those reeds required very, very little lip
pressure and sounded fabulous. (They also seemed to require having
more reed in your mouth).
>>>>>

I continuously try to work my reeds in the direction you describe. I won't
put up with excessive lip or air resistance, and I won't accept anything
that I deem unstable. I don't even notice that I roll in for high notes,
etc... but it's there when I watch the mirror closely. I must try one of
those reeds. Where do you get them?

>>>>>
I've also played a little flute, and have been told by more than one
teacher (separated by 1000 miles and 25 years) that you make can octave
jumps happen by pushing your lower jaw *forward*, decreasing the amount
of over-bite, but that *is* an embrochure change.
>>>>>

In my flute lessons, we're working on certain kinds of very deliberate
embouchure movement. This was just another factor why bells went off in my
head during the masterclass.

>>>>>
So, we'll have to be a little more specific in
delineating exactly what theory were talking about:

A.) It is possible to play double reed instruments with *no* changes
in air or embrouchure, or

B.) It is desireable to reduce the amount of compensatory changes we make.

I think the Fletcher citation shows A.) to be demonstrably false.
>>>>>

I'm really dying to know if anyone goes with A.), but whatever everyone has
to say about B.) is good too.

>>>>>
I've probably pontificated enough . . .
>>>>>

Thank you for your pontifications...

~Angela

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