Author: Wes
Date: 2011-10-29 07:04
Everyone is different in the oboe business and you will have to find what works for you.
The reed should crow a C at the thread and at the tip without squeezing. Reeds that do not do that are useless to me as I'm not willing to squeeze too-soft reeds up to pitch. The crow on the thread may also be a C but it should have some low frequencies in it. If the crows are above a C, it will be hard to keep the pitch down to 440, assuming that your oboe was tuned to that at the oboe factory, like Lorees.
Try stretching the lower lip across the teeth and bringing in the sides of the lips to form an O. I try to play with the least amount of the reed in the mouth and use air pressure, even in pianissimo, to keep the sound going.
While there are some private makers that sell ok reeds, I have never found a purchased reed that really worked good. As a minimum, students need to learn to fix their reeds because even the best reeds change. After about 30 years of playing or so, it becomes easier.
Again, a teacher can do wonders for your playing. Good luck!
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