Author: johnt
Date: 2012-05-30 18:00
A trick I taught myself in swabbing the top joint with a silk swab: put the weighted end of the swab through the tube until the weighted end just comes through the reed ferrule, then grasp the joint by its tenon (cork) end & curl your pinky finger around the outside of the corked tenon. S-l-o-w-l-y pull the swab through…your closed pinky will stop any knot that may have worked its way into the swab. For the mid-joint & bell I use a second slightly larger swab (linen) from Mark Chudnow. I do this after practice sessions & during concert intermissions.
Of course, during measure rests in a concert it's not often practical to "break" the oboe to perform the above; then I would agree heartily with Susan, that a "with tail" swab is definitely the cat's pajamas. The great benefit of the silk swab, as my maestro, Bob Hubbard, has explained to me many times is that it tends to wick out moisture from the circumference of the top tube bore just below the bottom of the reed ferrule where those pesky condensation-catching octave holes lurk, owing to the shape of the swab. Never getting it stuck is a great virtue…which strict attention to detail during the process should prevent.
Best,
john
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