 The Oboe BBoard
|
Author: GoodWinds ★2017
Date: 2011-12-16 02:36
hello pros,
I've been making reeds for a long time, but I've not done the 'thousands' apparently required before one is considered to be competent. I did have a superb teacher, a Bavarian guy who studied with Tabuteau.
However, recently I've noted a tendency for my new-made reeds to have a 'buzz', especially noticeable in the higher end of the range, say A'-D", which I've tried correcting in a number of ways. Mostly by fine-tuning the scrape between the tip and heart. This has increased responsiveness, but when the buzz finally disappears so does the responsiveness. I've consulted the manuals and done measurements (sorry but I've yet to invest in a micrometer...). The reeds are 68-71 mm long and the scrape basically American, the tie is not passed the end of the staple and 90% of my reeds seal well with no slipping of the blades.
SO, guys and gals who've run up against this in the Past, got any ideas of how I get past this blip in the road?
GoodWinds
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: JMarzluf
Date: 2011-12-16 05:23
[Insert standard reed-making advice disclaimer here. You know, the one where I/we tell you there are far too many variables involved in making a reed for us to be able to tell you, sight unseen, what is wrong with this one or that one. It could be the cane, the gouge, the shape, the staple, the way you tie, the way you scrape, the way you play, etc. The list is nearly endless. Now go show your reed to your teacher -- you do have a good teacher, right? -- or a trusted colleague.]
Now, having issued said disclaimer, I will tell you with 70% certainty that you probably have a thin and/or thick spot in the tip of your reed, which is vibrating at a different frequency than the other three "quadrants" of your tip (i.e. left/right/front/back). This is usually the problem for me, when I get a "foreign" sound in the upper register. You will eventually get to the point where you can hear this sort of imbalance in the crow, and will correct it before the reed even makes it onto the oboe. When in doubt, thin the sides and very tip of the tip (consistently across all quadrants), and start clipping by the tiniest increment possible until you come back up to pitch.
Note: Sometimes the standard super-bright reed-making lamp, when used to look through a reed for thick vs. thin areas, can "wash out" the tip area (which is pretty thin overall) and conceal, rather than reveal, the offending imbalance. Try pulling the reed slowly away from the light, and watch carefully as the light/dark contrast becomes more apparent.
I really hope this helps! Good luck!
Jonathan
http://www.marzlufreeds.com/
Post Edited (2011-12-16 05:24)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: GoodWinds ★2017
Date: 2011-12-16 16:10
THANKS, J.
My excellent teacher died suddenly rather long ago, so I resort to asking help from various and sundry players that I respect, if one is nearby. I don't know any good reed-makers in my current area, so I come to the Board.
Your advice 'resonates' with me: I have noticed a tendency (tsk tsk) to not scrape all the way to the plaque when making adjustments, resulting in a thinner area of tip at the wrong place; this is the likely culprit. I've already started to adjust the behavior, hopefully the reed will follow suit!!
I'll let you know how I get on, but since I'm not very fast, it might be awhile before I can report Total Success. Uh-huh.
GoodWinds
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
