 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2005-09-23 13:41
It sounds to me as if the major issue is a different style of reed than what you have been playing.
Handmade reeds don't necessarily come in "perfect" condition. I chose my reedmaker because his reeds work immediately throughout all registers, but I almost always have to adjust mine, at least a little. Most reedmakers work on the premise that it is better to do too little, in the way of refining a reed, than too much. Too little, you can always correct it by doing more. Too much, and it's a goner.
It may be, in fact, that handmade reeds have more quirks than machine made ones. But the eventual difference in tone is usually worth it.
Did you try reducing the tip opening by pinching? That usually works wonders for me.
If you want to try to adjust the reed, you need to find something really thin, rigid, narrow, and flat, like a guitar pick (which -- sshhh! -- is what my teacher uses) or a flat washer (from your tool kit or junk drawer) or the tip of a small butter or canape knife, etc., that you might use for a plaque substitute.
Find something like that. Wet the reed well. CAREFULLY insert the plaque into the tip, between the blades. (I was scared spitless the first time I had to do this.)
Now take your single-edged razor blade and scrape LIGHTLY and GENTLY with the grain, just along the corners of the tip at the top of the reed -- envision this as being just a bit of a triangle from the side to the tip of the reed, no more than 1/16 to 1/32 of an inch on any side of the triangle. Some folks call these the "ears". Some makers will actually crop these corners off.
Do the scrape above on all four corners of the reed (i.e., on both sides). Then test it. Does it play more easily?
You might still need to thin the tip a little. Insert plaque substitute, and scrape just the tiniest amount -- barely sawdust -- off the very, very edge all the way across the tip, on both sides. Try the reed. Better to take not enough than too much. If that helps, but it's not quite there, do it again.
If it's still balky, consider taking a little material away from the heart (not the center, just the sides). Again, use the plaque, scrape gently, both sides the same.
These actions will not affect the pitch of the reed much, most likely. If anything, they would tend to raise the pitch. Scraping out the windows, on the other hand, tends to lower the pitch.
I know this is frustrating. But, as you said, it's not like a sax reed -- "blow and go".
Maybe we should start a thread on reed adjusting dilemmas?
Susan
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Dutchy |
2005-09-22 23:56 |
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Dutchy |
2005-09-23 00:45 |
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ohsuzan |
2005-09-23 01:56 |
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Dutchy |
2005-09-23 02:35 |
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Arnoldstang |
2005-09-23 05:14 |
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sömeone |
2005-09-23 09:03 |
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Dutchy |
2005-09-23 12:27 |
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sömeone |
2005-09-23 13:32 |
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d-oboe |
2005-09-24 21:15 |
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oboist |
2005-09-25 23:41 |
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d-oboe |
2005-09-26 17:21 |
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Re: I just bought 2 Charles Reed reeds, & the upper register won't sound. Now what? new |
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ohsuzan |
2005-09-23 13:41 |
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winstondawg |
2005-09-23 17:47 |
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vboboe |
2005-09-24 04:22 |
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sömeone |
2005-09-24 08:43 |
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Dutchy |
2005-09-24 13:08 |
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ohsuzan |
2005-09-24 15:14 |
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Dutchy |
2005-09-24 20:08 |
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d-oboe |
2005-09-25 21:09 |
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Dutchy |
2005-09-28 16:12 |
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sylvangale |
2005-09-28 17:26 |
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oboist |
2005-09-28 18:42 |
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ohsuzan |
2005-09-28 20:34 |
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sylvangale |
2005-09-29 17:20 |
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Dutchy |
2005-09-30 23:15 |
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ohsuzan |
2005-10-01 02:37 |
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rgombine |
2005-10-01 03:58 |
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sömeone |
2005-10-01 12:16 |
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sylvangale |
2005-10-04 07:25 |
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sömeone |
2005-10-04 09:26 |
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Dutchy |
2005-10-05 02:04 |
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ohsuzan |
2005-10-05 02:27 |
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