Author: d-oboe
Date: 2005-09-29 02:53
Dutchy's thread about her reeds prompted me to think just about what might be the issue....
I remember back in the days, I learned of the "trinity" of reed playing: Reed, embouchure, air. If one of those isn't functioning, then the entire trinity is broken. So what if the air isn't right? Reed and embouchure are worthless! What is the embouchure is chomping down on a helpless reed? Air gets trapped, reed gets strangled, embouchure gets tired...sound goes nowhere! Anyways....
So here's some of the major descriptors of reeds that I have seen and played...
-- Hard and unresponsive -- this is just a dang hard reed. Too much wood all over, none of the notes start reliably and it's difficult to hold them in place. Crow feels like blowing into a rock!!!
--Soft and unresponsive-- this is so frequent in student reeds. It comes from a combination of a thin heart and thicker tip. In essence the reed has problems starting (thick tip) AND it doesn't have any substance because the heart is too thin. This is also characteristic of old worn out reeds. Wimpy crow.
--Soft and responsive, unstable-- The reed speaks well, is good for small ensemble playing, but is wobbly/ saggy on high notes. Has problems on crescendi - the pitch goes up or down.
Soft and responsive, stable-- this is an excellent chamber reed. Everything is controllable, and the embouchure doesn't have to compensate for wobbly pitch. Not as good for large ensemble, as the tone gets swamped.
--Hard and responsive, unstable -- yes....hard AND responsive. This is a good example of a fresh reed ready to be broken in during a nice loud band rehearsal. The response is reliable given the dynamics being played, and the hardness (resistance) gives the reed life, and enough power to cut through the strings/rest of the band. Wouldn't recommend for dress rehearsals/concerts, as the intonation can be a little off, but can usually be compensated by the embouchure.
--Hard, responsive, and stable - -The orchestra reed. Similar to the perfect chamber reed, except has a little more substance to the crow. A little rattle in the crow is ok here.
How do you play all these crazy reeds? Well first thing is adjusting - everything has to be sacrificed for response and pitch....even stability can be sacrificed to a point. Change a hard/soft unresponsive reed that it responds and has basic pitch. And then the playing - the air is the backbone of the tone, so it has to be there and it has to fill the reed and oboe completely. The embouchure acts as a secondary to the air; whatever weight the air is giving, say 5 lbs, the embouchure matches, so as to focus and hold that 5 pounds of air pressure. Too little air, and the embouchure has nothing to "lean" against. This leads the player to excess biting, which kills the tone. The objective is to *focus* the tone. That is acheived by bringing the sides of the mouth together (puckering). The more unfocused the reed, the more embouchure strength is needed to get the jaw off of the reed, and for the corners to pull in, and focus that tone.
D
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