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Re: why not make your own reeds?

Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2005-09-07 12:57

In the best of all possible worlds, I agree with you. And I do wish I could make my own (I can adjust reeds pretty reliably, just don't make them).

But . . .

Having got quite a late start in the oboe playing biz (in my case, at nearly 60), I considered how my time with the instrument might best be spent. *Everyone* says it "takes years" to perfect one's reedmaking; and there's the rub: I don't HAVE the years to give. It seemed more fruitful for me to find a good reedmaker (which I have done) and use my time to develop a degree of accomplishment on the instrument (which I am doing).

There is a school of thought, certainly, which encourages younger players to simply concentrate on learning the instrument rather than learning reedmaking. This presumes that later on, they will take up reedmaking. Perhaps many of our board posters fall into this category of oboist.

And finally, I understand that even some very fine oboists have had someone else make their reeds. It seems to me that I read that even Gillet did this -- can't find that reference now. But Leon Goosens and Heinz Holliger, to name two, generally did not make their own reeds, according to Burgess and Haynes.

So, as they say, different strokes (pun intended) for different folks.

Susan

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Author

Date

why not make your own reeds? new

kroboe

2005-09-07 08:47

Re: why not make your own reeds? new

ohsuzan

2005-09-07 12:57