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Re: consistent tone

Author: RobinDesHautbois
Date: 2011-04-25 16:54

This is a fantastic question, and I eagerly await other people's answers!

I'll only mention this, my experience, but keep in mind that consistent tone has always been one of my own complaints, even in my best days.

#1: warm-up the reed!
I don't know about single reeds, but the doubles have a "play-life". I warm them up even before doing long tones. Reed exercises are often prescribed, but I often do scales... anything to get the reed going.

#2: embouchure and breathing
Absolutely follow the advice on articulation by HautboisJJ. I find my sound and tuning improving like mad when I pay attention to accumulating the air pressure in my mouth: which usually includes dropping the tongue and opening the throat.
http://robindeshautbois.blogspot.com/2011/01/wake-up-from-dream.html
=> this is something that requires exercises to go from doing it loudly and slowly and end-up keeping the same effect softly and quickly.

#3: in-performance
Reeds do change when not being played on. I used to like to dunk the reed in the water dish, then rest it on the stand without shaking the excess. I put it back in the instrument a few bars before and keep it warm in my mouth.

Robin Tropper
M.A.Sc., B.Mus., B.Ed.
http://RobinDesHautbois.blogspot.ca/music

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