Author: RobinDesHautbois
Date: 2011-01-02 13:09
Hey Craig,
John mack was completely right to use the word requirement. This is more easily heard of single reed players. With the doubles - or amateurs on any instrument - the dollar price is scary and when making reeds, the time and emotional investment gang-up with the rest to make us want to keep inadequate reeds.
Like you said about short reeds: I have quite a few that play no unstable notes whatsoever on the Lorée. But Lorée is renowned for its instability.... I really can't understand why it is still the most played oboe.... Anyway, 25 years together, I'm not getting rid of mine.
I was surpised to read HautboisJJ speak of overlapping as I think he does European scrape, which usually dissuades this. He is completely right about air, though. I have been able to verify this recently as I have been playing more. If I don't start with long-tones or any other work on the sound, my mouth gets tired more quickly, I tend to bite and both sound quality and tuning go hay-wire. When I do take the time to warm-up my mouth, all works much better.
And... never forget the effects of WEATHER! It has gotten warm here last week (all snow melted or packed into ice) and I changed the filter of my power-humidifyer. So the reeds are playing much better than the week before.
1981 cane? WOW! and I thouht my stuff was old (1994). I do think old cane is better. As for long reeds, I think a shorter scrape (even if Philly style) MIGHT act like a shorter reed. Anyway, I have some really bad staples that I want to shorten from the top (make them bigger) to try something: short staple + long cane. Hopefully I'll have time soon.
Robin Tropper
M.A.Sc., B.Mus., B.Ed.
http://RobinDesHautbois.blogspot.ca/music
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