 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: plclemo
Date: 2012-01-24 12:23
Is it OK to soak reeds 24/7? or do they go "bad" faster if you do that? If so, then HOW LONG do you soak them before you need to use them?
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2012-01-24 12:35
I soak them for around five minutes in hot water before crowing and playing them, then leave them in the reed case to dry out after playing.
They will get waterlogged if you leave them soaking for too long - 24 hours is way too long, let alone all week.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: GoodWinds ★2017
Date: 2012-01-24 16:43
Soak them until you get a good crow, anywhere from 1 to 5+ minutes.
It depends on the weather (humidity), density of the cane fiber, and the age of the reed.
GoodWinds
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Author: Dutchy
Date: 2012-01-24 22:05
Mine need about 5 minutes of soaking. If I forget, and leave one in the little cup soaking, and go downstairs to do something for an hour or two, when I come back, it's very stuffy and foggy and won't play right. If the two halves of a reed are waterlogged, they can't vibrate against each other as they're designed to do, and so you get a very stuffy sound, instead of a good distinct "reedy" sound.
Also, leaving a reed wet 24/7 would encourage bad bacterial growth, i.e. "slime". Which you probably don't want. :D
You wouldn't leave your toothbrush soaking in water 24/7 for the same reason--the bacteria that live in your mouth will happily colonize anything (producing "slime") that you put in your mouth, which includes toothbrushes and oboe reeds. You let these things dry out in between uses in order to discourage the bacterial growth.
ETA: If you are in a situation where you're going to need to get out of the car, walk into a room, whip out your oboe, and begin playing, with no time to soak the reed, what you do is, dip the reed into water beforehand at home, and then very carefully put it back into its reed case. It will retain a drop or two of water in between the blades of the reed and will be playable.
Post Edited (2012-01-24 22:20)
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Author: GoodWinds ★2017
Date: 2012-01-24 23:22
I'm calling that the 'dip-and-lay' method. It works well, also in a concert situation where you have a piece you're not playing (tacet) in between others. Just give the reed a little shake (or suck the water out) and you should be 'good to go'.
GoodWinds
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Author: Jeltsin
Date: 2012-01-25 06:27
I soak them for 5 minutes, but a little longer for new reeds.
When I am going to play somewhere (not at home) I soak the reeds I am going to use for about 15 minutes before I leave home.
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Author: JRC
Date: 2012-01-25 12:10
If a reed is good but too closed, try soaking it for few hours (over soaking). It will open up. I sometimes over soak it over night, depends on how closed the reed. Then dry it out completely. Then use it as usual. It often open it up a little. This is the only time I over soak a reed.
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Author: oboeagogo
Date: 2012-01-25 14:12
Soaking reeds is personal to each oboist. What I have to submit is what works for me and my reed set-up. I am a big believer in an oboe reed playing its best when it has been well-soaked. When I am playing a gig/rehearsal, before leaving home I will run tap water on the outside and through the bottom of the tube to the tip (taking care not to wet the cork) and then shake out the excess water placing the reeds back in the case until I reach my destination. I will then do a quick dip and shake the excess and the reeds are ready to go. If at home, I will dip the reeds and shake out any excess water and place them back in my reed case for about 20 minutes, set up my rehearsal space, and then do another quick dip and the reeds are ready to go.
A few things to consider;
1) It's best practice not to set the reed on its tip in a cup of water. The tip is the most delicate part of the reed effecting tone, response, etc. and we all have spent a good portion of our oboe lives taking great care to learn to make a tip without tearing a corner.
2) If a reed is too closed, only wet the outside of the reed. If the reed is too open, only run water through the bottom of the tube to the tip. The blades will move toward the water to help open or close the reed. It is best to use water as close to body temperature as possible.
3) Playing a reed that has not been sufficiently soaked will damage and weaken the fibers, shortening the life of the reed. The fibers must be moist to be pliable and vibrate best. Soaking the reed too much will cause the reed to become hard and unwieldy.
4) FRESH water is the BEST way to soak a reed. Soaking the reed in your mouth will also shorten the life of the reed because it is actually being digested by enzymes in your saliva. The same enzymes that are responsible in helping to digest the food you eat. If you are in a bind and have to soak without a ready supply of water, place the reed in your mouth with the thread between your lips allowing the reed to "hover" inside without touching your cheeks or tongue. Gently blow warm air for several minutes to humidify the reed without bathing it in saliva. Not best practice but works in a pinch without effecting the overall playability of the reed.
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Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2012-01-25 15:34
Welcome to the Board, oboeagogo! LOVE your screen name (wish I had thought of it first!). My automobile license plate is "Oboe2Go"!
And on the subject of this thread, I find that it is possible to oversoak a reed. More than once, unfortunately, I have done just what Dutchy says -- put a reed in to soak and gone off to do something else for a minute, and then gotten distracted, only to return hours (once, 24 hours) later to a piece of soggy flotsam that never again worked well.
The five-minute rule is good.
Susan
Post Edited (2012-01-25 15:37)
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Author: plclemo
Date: 2012-01-25 18:32
I really, really appreciate all the advice you guys (and ladies) have given me. I will now only soak them for a max of 15 min, preferably 5 (as long as I don't forget about them). Thanks again!
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