Author: oboi
Date: 2013-08-13 04:33
I think at some point in an oboist's life, there is that hill where you face where your finger and musical skills exceed your reed control skills. I hit that about 2 years ago. I couldn't make the reed do what I want. Sometimes I sounded nice, but other times, the reed ruled me. Because I made my own reeds, part of it was my playing (air, embouchure) skills, the other was my reeds. Now, I have much more control of my embouchure. I can accommodate. I still have reedmaking issues, and I usually run to my teacher to fix a lot of them, but I've made many good reeds and my knife skills have reached a point where I CAN adjust most reeds to make them playable. Even hopelessly messed up ones (chipped up tip, very old, very leaky). It's still an ongoing process, but I think I've gotten past that reed hell. And I could fill up a reed case with playable reeds without my teacher's help in theory. My reedmaking time has decreased significantly and the output is much greater. Yay, I can actually practice and not whittle!
There ought to be pro reeds that are suitable for you. Is there a local person who can make them for you? Or at least adjust those you bought? I can spend most of my lesson getting reeds fixed. Yeah, that's lesson time, but saves me hours tinkering myself and saves reeds that I might have otherwise thrown out.
What is your goal with the oboe? For personal enjoyment? Do you want to gig with it? If you're not needing to play specifically the oboe in an ensemble, consider the English horn. Those reeds are way less finicky. Repertoire is much less, but if it's mainly for personal enjoyment without accompanist, then any oboe music will work. You can also find gigs with it. You can also play lots of French horn music (if it doesn't go too low).
But yeah, oboe isn't much of a pick-up-and-play instrument. That's not to say one can't be a casual player who does not worry about reeds or are content with what they have. Beginners, intermediates.... But there is always a chance that the reed does not behave, and you're out of luck, and have to spend 100% of effort adjusting to it rather than, say, making it 50/50. :-P Once you get to the advanced stage when you think the reed is limiting your playing, either you find a good supplier/teacher or learn to adjust/make them. And persisting, your playing skills will overcome lots of what your reeds may throw at you.
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