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Re: Making reeds

Author: Cuisleannach
Date: 2006-04-08 07:30

I've always approached reed-making pedagogy by having students adjust ready-made reeds. Starting out by making reeds from scratch is really hard because there are so many variables to consider at the same time. I usually start out by doctoring my students reeds for them, explaining what I'm doing as I go along. Then I have them do it. Then I do funny things to reed and make them whittle me a playable piece of cane. I'll take a reed that is far harder than what they'll need and have them take it down. I'll use a reed clipper to take a sizeable chunk out of a reed and have them return it to playing condition. In both of these situation they are given the basic profile and are asked to personalize their own reed. Only then do I turn them loose on a reed blank or on tube cane.

My reed-making tool-kit

9" X 9" piece of thick glass with bevelled edges
a few 1" X 3" pieces of thick glass with bevelled edges

(The above can be made-to-order by a local glass shop

320, 400, 600 grit sandpaper...I rarely use the 320, the 400 and 600 should be wet-or-dry (black surface) garnet sandpaper

Knife with a bevelled blade (necessary)
knife with double hollow-ground blade (optional...really good for fine scraping and becoming dull at the slightest provocation)

Sharpening stone......better off with a large stone

Take a look around for some books on the subject, but experience in this case is the best teacher.

-Randy

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