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Re: Tips?

Author: Dutchy
Date: 2009-11-23 22:18

Hon, you sound like a duck because you're using a synthetic reed. Plastic reeds are, hands down, perfectly appalling.

This is me.

Is that you?
Uh huh. I thought so.

Srsly, dump the plastic reed.

There is really no such thing as "good cheap reeds". It's just a fact of life that oboe reeds are going to be way more expensive than clarinet reeds, and the sooner your parents grasp that, the better. [grin]

You will need to learn how to order reeds online using a credit card. Ordering reeds over the Internet has been a lifesaver for many of us. I live in Central Illinois and if I relied on my local music dealer for reeds, I'd have quit oboe a long time ago.

You can get reeds from Fox and from Nielsen Woodwinds that cost the same as Emerald but are tons better.

Fox Products.
Nielsens.

They are both highly reputable dealers and your mom need have no fear about giving them her credit card number.

I see that Fox's website says their reed page is offline, but you can call their 800 number with orders. You can also sometimes get their reeds from other dealers.

From Nielsens you want their Red, which is a Student reed. But their other colors are all very good reeds, too.

To make reeds last longer, always rinse your mouth out before you play, since food residue and sugary saliva can break down the fibers, and also make sure you rinse your reed off with plain water when you're done playing, as the acids in your saliva can also break down the cellulose in the reeds.

You do not need to use a special reed case. I made myself a whole bunch of reed cases out of Hannah Montana and High School Musical tin pencil boxes. I lined them with cardstock with fabric glued on it, and stapled lengths of seam binding to make holders for the reeds.

Just make sure you never put your reeds away wet into one of the little plastic tubes they sometimes come in, because they need air to circulate so they can dry out.

ETA: are you saying that you've been using plastic reeds for the entire 2 years you've been playing? You started oboe in 7th grade and now you're in 9th grade? Good lord. [eek] You've never heard yourself sound NOT like a duck? Honey, get on the Internet and get yourself some reeds from Nielsens, they will get them to you with lightspeed. You'll have a serious oboe epiphany.

I'd get 1 Soft if they offer it, and 1 medium-soft, because if you're used to a very-very soft plastic reed, your embouchure is bound to be just nowhere up to the task of playing on a real reed.

Post Edited (2009-11-23 22:21)

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