Author: DrewSorensenMusic
Date: 2012-04-06 18:32
So this a technique that I've discovered this past week, and I'm amazed how much it has changed my reedmaking. The basic gist of it is, instead of having the scrape of your reed one continuous curve, to have certain areas step up or down to the next section of cane. This is most apparent in the American scrape at the end of the windows and the start of the heart. There is usually quite a noticable step in between the two sections. I, however, however have found two other places where steps are useful in my scrape:
Location #1: I use a step from the heart to the blend. The heart is the higher part of the step, so it is a step down into the blend, which then tapers to the tip. I feel this helps the notes above high C to speak, and adds a bit more body to the notes above G above the staff.
Location #2: I use a step at the rearmost part of the rails, the location where the scrape starts to extend away to the center of the reed. The step is a downward step from the back into the start of the rails. I feel (and I just discovered this today) this will help the notes below G in the staff to speak without honking.
A note, the greater the step, the more resonant that particular section becomes, so use sparingly. Just enough to get the note speaking clearly, without creating a offensive/raucous reed.
Maybe you all have know about this, but this is a new discovery for me. I'm proud.
Drew S.
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