Author: oboedrew
Date: 2008-08-21 16:52
jrestes wrote:
> Are we really searching for a certain sound, or is it the feel?
> Can we as the player even recognize the difference?
I record myself practicing sometimes. I play for a while on several reeds, and I usually THINK I hear a huge difference in the sound of the reeds. No matter how much I strive for consistency as a reedmaker, I still feel that each reed has a somewhat unique personality. But then when I go back and listen to a recorded practice session a few days later, I usually can't tell much (if any) difference between reeds.
So I think you're onto something, jrestes. If you're implying what I think you're implying, I think I agree. I think that as players we confuse feel with sound, and I think this probably goes for oboes as well as reeds. As a player, I may FEEL like there's a substantial difference between reed A and reed B, or between oboe A and oboe B. But to a listener 50 feet away in a recital hall, the difference I thought was substantial turns out to be negligible.
So when I'm making reeds, of course I try to give them a beautiful tone, in addition to more important qualities like solid response and pitch. But then when I'm getting ready to perform or record, I just pick whichever one feels best that day.
Cheers,
Drew
www.oboedrew.com
Post Edited (2008-08-21 16:54)
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