Author: kdrew922
Date: 2008-03-06 01:14
Some excellent questions.
1. Let the pinkies hover just above the clusters of keys they work. If a specific key is being used more often than the others, then the pinky can hover just above that key. For example, if you're playing up and down Bb Major scales rapidly, your right pinky should hover just above the Eb key and your left pinky should hover just above the left-hand F key. Granted, "just above" is ambiguous. The height of the fingers varies from player to player. Some keep their fingers quite close to the keys, reasoning that less finger motion means more efficient technique. Others let their fingers fly a bit farther away from the keys, reasoning that excessively inhibiting the motion of the fingers creates tension in the hands.
2. Oboists opinions vary on what constitutes "under length." In my corner of the world, most reeds are 68-70 mm. But I have seen very fine reeds ranging from 66 mm to 72 mm, occasionally even as low as 64 or as high as 74. In any case, the length of the reed is only one of many factors influencing pitch. A very short reed can be flat, and a very long reed can be sharp. And the pitch of the crow can sometimes have little to do with the playing pitch of the reed. I've seen reeds that crow high and play flat, or that crow low and play sharp. Best solution is to buy a tuner and practice with it religiously. Reed measurements and crows and such are means to an end, ways to ensure one makes good reeds more consistently. But there are exceptions to every rule. So, if you can play the reed in tune, don't worry about its length or crow.
3. If your reed is moving farther into your mouth as you play, it's either because you are moving your head forward and your mouth farther down on the reed, or you are pulling your oboe toward you and pushing the reed farther into your mouth, or a combination of the two. Play in front of a mirror to determine which is the case, and then be conscientious of the problem as you practice so that you eliminate the habit.
4. It is possible that your reeds are too closed or don't have enough resistance. In either case, they may not be able to handle the quantity of air required for louder dynamics. If you're using machine-made reeds, this is very likely the case.
5. It is not really possible to "add" a heart or spine, at least not in the sense that one can add windows or a tip. The heart and spine are the result of not having taken off cane in certain locations in the first place... at least, not as much cane in those locations as in others. Most machine-made reeds are cut too thin throughout the heart, and the tip is then left far too thick. So, if you scrape more out of the tip and windows, you may leave a heart and spine that are thicker by comparison to these thinner sections, but the heart and spine will still be too thin, and the reed will consequently be flat. Most machine-made reeds are irreparable for precisely this reason. For only a few dollars more you can buy hand-made reeds which will not have this problem.
Hope this is somewhat helpful.
Cheers,
Drew
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