Author: vboboe
Date: 2008-06-19 02:42
Well, although many factors do indeed affect pitch, let's eliminate some of the most common reasons first, try these diagnostics, and i'm naturally assuming you've got American style reed scrape
is reed actually moist enough to play?
dry-ish reeds are 'stiff' and will react as if they're too woody, and reeds too woody usually play sharper in pitch. when weather's hot and dry (mere 6 weeks here!) i have to really hydrate my reeds well before playing, experiment with more time in water rather than less
<<The crow is at a high C low C# ...>
I second Drew's diagnostic, too much wood on somewhere
you're so close now, any more adjustments will be quite meagre because you're already in the C ball-park, so proceed with care -- dusting strokes only
General guideline is -- too much wood plays sharper, and thinner wood plays flatter -- you already know this and have taken more wood off the back because you're just listening to the crow
recommend you try selective pitch-testing of different parts of reed next
Check the tip first, then the heart, you're already concerned the back's thin enough already
Is the tip responsive enough and when blown at the very edge feel moderately free and plays around an A to flat Bb, but not as flat as G?
If tip is B or higher, that's a bit too much wood left on the tip itself and needs loosening up just a little bit more. If too loose already, clip 0.5mm to tighten the tip a fraction
If the tip is B or higher
Are the very edges of the tip sides (down sides directly above rails in the heart) quite translucent like the tip edge?
Are the tip corners (triangular zone around 65mm between edge & blend) thinned enough to semi-translucency, or are they showing quite a bit of shadow when held up to strong light? Thin & blend that out
Before attempting these 'dusting' adjustments, and they will only be slight to bring the pitch down to free up the tip, sharpen reed knife
If your tip is already fully responsive and blowing freely, next diagnostic
-- tone-test the heart only, a steady playing tone on the reed with lips centred right in the heart, and test its pitch, if the heart's C# or higher, need to thin it enough until it blows at right pitch for you in oboe, no matter how woody you'd prefer to have it
-- first adjustment, remove any brown outer bark from heart's spine & rails, tone test again -- is that enough, or is heart still playing sharp?
If not enough, lightly thin two windows in the heart between rails & spine starting about middle of heart above the catch -- one single shaving at a time each heart window, tone-test until you're there, tidy each quarter so it fan blends to the spine point and rails in the heart to focus the tone, this makes a W shape in the heart, with thicker wood underlining it above the catch
When the heart's toning at C pitch, then check the crow again
... and another common reason, how old is the reed in playing hours?
older reeds play progressively sharper in pitch
hope this helps
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