Woodwind.OrgThe Oboe BBoardThe C4 standard

 
  BBoard              
 
 New Topic  |  Go to Top  |  Go to Topic  |  Search  |  Help/Rules  |  Smileys/Notes  |  Log In   Previous Message  |  Next Message 
 Re: cane cracking
Author: vboboe 
Date:   2009-01-28 18:03

<<some of my old finished reeds ... have very wide openings ... is that "aperture gape"?>>

Yes, when the two arches form an opening bigger than 2mm, dry, it's 'gaping', but that in itself is not necessarily a bad thing, dry and new, unless it won't flatten out to 'optimum aperture' when moistened, usually the recommendation is to hold and press moist reed along centre line with fingers, but i prefer to do that 'munching into shape' in warm moist mouth (not with teeth! use lips & tongue only)

my theory here is my fingers aren't the same shape as my embouchure and that's where the reed has to be played

<<and the sides have come apart ... open down to about one and a half cm (15mm) ... can they still be used, or they should just go into the bin>>

Depends, these reeds are dry, yes? Well, each reed has its own quirks, some open topsides will work, others will never be satisfactory, use your own judgement on an individual basis for each reed

-- very generally speaking, it's not unusual for the sides to open up and still be OK, particularly with a brand new and young reed that's not yet fully blown in, so don't reject them just for that; and again, they should close readily once moistened and you've applied embouchure pressure

When you've blown in those reeds adequately, more than likely the sides won't open up in drying after that, because the reed is re-shaped to the embouchure you use to play them

you seem perfectly A-OK with the tubes and cane you have, unless your reed-teacher thinks otherwise

all reed threads will snap if pulled too hard, the trick is to use the right amount of tension without overdoing it for the thread being used, stick to the thread that matches comfortable tension for you

If you don't want to waste the spools of that easily snapped thread, you could still use it if you cut off double length, fold over, and pull through beeswax several times to coat & stick both strands together before tying as usual

Reeds, med-soft -- be aware that med-soft will collapse within maybe 10-12 mins of steady playing, so a good solution is to rotate 3 reeds every 5 mins or so (halfway time to imminent collapse)

But as you've explained, just getting enough reeds in the first place is your main challenge :-|

Medium reeds could be dusted down a bit more by your teacher to make them work for you, then they'd be med-soft too :-)

 Reply To Message  |  Avail. Forums  |  Flat View   Newer Topic  |  Older Topic 

 Topics Author  Date
 cane cracking  new
myoboe 2009-01-13 15:22 
 Re: cane cracking  new
jhoyla 2009-01-13 18:20 
 Re: cane cracking  new
lbarton 2009-01-13 22:52 
 Re: cane cracking  new
JRJINSA 2009-01-14 03:48 
 Re: cane cracking  new
vboboe 2009-01-14 08:10 
 Re: cane cracking  new
myoboe 2009-01-26 11:42 
 Re: cane cracking  new
EaubeauHorn 2009-01-14 18:36 
 Re: cane cracking  new
GoodWinds 2009-01-25 20:10 
 Re: cane cracking  new
sylvangale 2009-01-25 22:05 
 Re: cane cracking  new
vboboe 2009-01-26 18:07 
 Re: cane cracking  new
myoboe 2009-01-27 14:20 
 Re: cane cracking  new
vboboe 2009-01-27 18:29 
 Re: cane cracking  new
myoboe 2009-01-28 15:10 
 Re: cane cracking  new
vboboe 2009-01-28 18:03 
 Re: cane cracking  new
jhoyla 2009-01-26 22:11 


 Avail. Forums  |  Need a Login? Register Here 
 User Login
 User Name:
 Password:
 Remember my login:
   
 Forgot Your Password?
Enter your email address or user name below and a new password will be sent to the email address associated with your profile.
Search Woodwind.Org

Sheet Music Plus Featured Sale

The Clarinet Pages
For Sale
Put your ads for items you'd like to sell here. Free! Please, no more than two at a time - ads removed after two weeks.

 
     Copyright © Woodwind.Org, Inc. All Rights Reserved    Privacy Policy    Contact charette@woodwind.org