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Re: Bass Oboe Reeds

Author: doublereeder2
Date: 2008-03-14 23:55

Hi Maria -

I actually made 4 for myself with the cane and staples from Forrests. They were much easier to make that than I thought they would be. I bet you will have no problem :-)

Wrap them *really* long and blend them like a cross between and EH and bassoon reed; not nearly as defined as the oboe reed. I wired them like EH reeds and put a little tubing on the end of the staple to make a secure seal on the bocal.

I tried a couple reeds made by my colleagues here to get an idea of the sound and then just went for it.

I am only 5'2" and had to sit on a tall orchestra chair (the orchestra chairs by Wenger) plus a cushion so the beast would not hit the floor. I used a neckstrap since that puppy is HEAVY: 3+ lbs! I could barely reach the low C# key unless I bent my wrist at a crazy angle. And I felt like my head was in an unnatural upright to reach the reed! My wrist ached for a week but is fine now and my neck has also recovered with the help of my massage therapist.

The oddest bit about the BO embouchure is that the angle of the reed is perpendicular to the mouth. I oriented the reed to my upper lip (like the bassoons do) and loosened my grasp considerably.

When you fashion your reeds, make sure the response is good so the low B will work easily, since that is where they count on us most. I made a buzzy crow around C# that sounded like a cross between EH and bassoon -kind of rattley but not barnyardish. I also made them quite a bit easier than my oboe reeds which helped for the low Bs.

It also has to play up to an octave G for the last movement. I had to pretty much bite and blow in order for that to be in tune.

It was really a romp to play the Planets - we did 3 childrens concerts and the subscription - performed 4X in 2 days, thank you :-) I had a lot of fun.

If you want more input, feel free to email me at cecioboeATsbcglobalDOTnet

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