 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2021-10-09 18:18
I have a probably naïve question about double reed players and their reeds. I had for most of my life assumed that most serious double reed players made their own. But I've always wondered at what point in their training they learn how, since all of the oboists and bassoonists I've ever taught in student bands or orchestras bought their reeds from commercial sources or from pro oboists or bassoonists who made a side-line of making reeds for sale.
Recently, I've run across a couple of adult pro players who also buy their reeds. What I thought was a given, that pros make their own reeds and that serious students at some point learn to make their own as well, turns out maybe not to be so universal. It makes me wonder what the incidence in the world of professional oboists and bassoonists is of players who do and don't make their own reeds.
I ask this as a clarinetist who has never made a reed from scratch. Commercial clarinet reeds just don't cost that much. But double reeds, even lousy ones, are much more expensive and, I assume, subject to the same changes in the cane as clarinet reeds once they're in use.
Karl
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Author: oboist2
Date: 2021-10-10 00:15
My first teacher made all my reeds, and because we lived far apart for most of the time I learned from him, and he was a busy professional, we did not get around to reed making. He did teach me how to tie on though. When he left the country, I asked my new teacher for some reeds. He gave me one, and said "This is the last reed I am supplying you - from now on, you make your own" We had 2 or three reed making lessons, and then it was sink or swim. My first reeds were playable but were very hard to blow and I struggled with low notes, but over the course of the year, I got quite good at it, but I used a lot of cane. I only bought gouged and shaped Glotin cane in those days, and spent a lot of time making them, with no reference books or further instruction. In my later years, I purchased an oboe d'amore and a cor Anglais, but have rheumatoid arthritis and I struggled to make reeds for those instruments, so I buy the cor and d'amore reeds, but still make my own. Once my students are at a reasonable playing standard, I encourage them to learn to make their own, but up to that point offer them mine.
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Author: Hotboy
Date: 2021-10-13 22:25
I made my own reeds for 25 years, then when my available time became short due to a regular job combined with pro gigs, I decided to buy pro-level reeds because time was worth more than money at that point.
Recently, I retired from pro gigs and have more time, so I started making my own reeds again.
Dane
Bay Area, California
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Author: EaubeauHorn
Date: 2021-11-03 20:14
Some of us never figure it out. I've never been dumb at anything else before (like, being an engineer or being a pro violinist) but I came to a screeching halt with making reeds. Can't buy ones that work either because of the climate and altitude I live in. So I don't play much, because when trying to "adjust" a bought reed ($$$) I invariably ruin them to unplayability. I'm surely not a pro on oboe, but could have been had it been my primary when young.
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Author: Hotboy
Date: 2021-11-03 23:45
EaubeauHorn wrote:
> Can't buy ones that work either because of the climate and
> altitude I live in.
Beatrice, when I had a gig at 5K altitude a few years ago, I bought some high-altitude reeds at https://kharawolf.com/buy-oboe-reeds/. They worked very well, even though I made them better with my own adjustments after arriving at the venue.
It appears that Khara isn't making reeds anymore, but there are several links to other makers that you might try to see if they work better for you.
If there's an oboe teacher near you, a few lessons on adjusting reeds could help you avoid destroying reeds.
Dane
Bay Area, California
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Author: EaubeauHorn
Date: 2021-11-18 02:47
I've had MANY lessons on reed making and adjusting. Like I said, I've never been dumb at anything before, but I am at this. I don't even seem to be able to sharpen a knife competently, which is likely a huge part of the problem.
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Author: belle
Date: 2022-03-04 16:47
Hotboy wrote:
> I had a gig at 5K altitude a few years ago, I bought some high-altitude reeds
Interesting. What characteristics do they have? Not that I live at high altitude. Quite the opposite at sea level and sub tropical actually. But I'm interested to know what characteristics are different and how I could adjust my own reeds to make them play better for me in my climate.
Difficult though because sub tropical climate actually means that I'm in dry, cold air conditioning half the time.
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Author: EaubeauHorn
Date: 2022-03-06 00:27
The higher you go (e.g., the less air pressure) the lighter the reed has to be. Something that plays beautifully at sea level and humidity will be like trying to play a 2 X 4 at altitude and dryness. It won't crow except with extreme pressure, forget the lower octave in the crow, and you have to bite it to play it. And I do mean bite it, with teeth under your lips.
It is so dry here that reeds actually will dry out WHILE I am playing. I'm not kidding.
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