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Re: Reeds

Author: RobinDesHautbois
Date: 2011-03-19 19:43

ohsusan's answer is right on the money and your response to her is very revealing. As you get tired and/or nervous, you must learn to anticipate and correct biting. Firm lip is ok, but biting is a no-no. The only thing that helps me prevent that (even after all these years) is to concentrate on breathing from the bottom of the abdomen... my lower back usually bellows when I do it right.... yes, it affects the (non) biting! Otherwise, keep your reed well soaked and gently keep pinching its sides near the thread to open it.

I have met many oboists who prefer closed reeds because they are easier to blow and require less air pressure => this is where I have insisted before and continue to insist that the described characteristics of a "good" reed change according to the player's physiognomy.

For me reeds need "spring". My good reeds usually start out more open then most and close after about 15 minutes of playing: though many readers here might still find them open. For me, this is necessary to accommodate the large air supply and pressure from my loud-mouth constitution.

For people like me, blade displacement is a curse, but I must say some of my best ones in the past few months do overlap about 0.5mm. Although, in theory, I consider this a flaw, I cannot deny their quality. The quality is not DUE to the "slipping" because most of my reeds go bad when they slip and play better when I correct them and keep them aligned with cellophane (fishkin and such).

To prevent reeds from getting too hard while still having that "spring", I gouge my cane thinner (approx. 0.58mm) and scrape shorter. If you don't make your reeds, ask different reed makers what they think and choose according to their answers

Robin Tropper
M.A.Sc., B.Mus., B.Ed.
http://RobinDesHautbois.blogspot.ca/music

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Loliver

2011-03-12 11:47