Author: sömeone
Date: 2005-09-29 08:09
Bravo!! Good post ol'D! (haven't had one of these since don't know when.)
It's true that reeds can't really be categorised due to the unlimited possibilities in its shape and form, but that was a very very good general explanation on what we often see on a reed. A good reed is a reed that is not impossible to control, that's my definition. Since the 'trinity' concept is so important we should not ever think that a reed should do all the compensating right?
Just a few more things to add in here which i had learned in the past few years as an oboist. Maurice Bourgue once said that :
- The embouchure is in the stomach.
- The reed is the join, but not the start.
- To be right at the mouth, first be right in the breath.
This obviously shows us that air must be the first priority in every oboists search for not only technical facility, but also good musicianship. Good use of air and support practically improves everything else. The embouchure does not need to work hard, body can play in a relax manner, and the mind is set free to play better music than rather just noise from an oboe, not to mention ease the learning of teachniques such as vibrato and altissimo playing.
I have heard tons of concepts about breathing, including trevor wye's idea ( Place your hand on your abdomen; when breathing in, your abdomen should move out; when breathing out, it should move back in. You should become thinner when breathing out, and fatter when breathing in. ) among some , but one concept which i learnt months ago from a trombone player of the Concertgebouw, was that physical movement is not the most important, whereas how you want the air to flow, being the most important.
The idea here is to think of the natural breathing posture of your body. Breath in as much as you can, but do not let the air stay in your body for more than a beat allows. The inhale and exhale should be done so as it is a simultaneous action (just like how we all breath naturally!). Try a strong hissing action for breathing, this will tell you which part of your body is functioning, but do not let the physical movement judge your ability of breathing. The exhale should be just like what trevor wye said, but again focus on the air flow instead of which part of your body reacts, being focused and balance.
And also, the 'pulling concept' is relatively important. Think of the air as pulled out from your instrument, do not think of yourself pushing the air out of your body but the other way around. In this way, you can play in a more relax matter, and let the air flow naturally. In this way air can be focussed not only through the help of the embouchure, but from the backbone of the tone, why the air of course! ( credits to Joost Christian Flach who gave me this during one of his masterclasses, a former student of the legend
Hans de Vries, now the co-principal oboist of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra. )
Why do i like to emphasize air so much more than everything else then? That is because everyone has the right to get good reeds, but i never had the chance to get tutored ( no forums nor teachers then! ) and of course there wasn't any way of getting good reeds! I bought La Voz and played those for quite a long time, and when at last did found the chance to let professionals examine the reeds, i found out that they were not only inconsistent, but also not well made at all! (which often showed the qualities that you mentioned previously D-oboe. ) And in the years that followed in contrary with popular belief (among my students now.), i was never at one moment taught to rely on good reeds (also due to the fact that i don't know how to adjust and make reeds.), but instead to put more time into music, AND the other 2 factors in the 'trinity' of oboe tone.
There is another thing about reeds. There is this preference of sound categorised by different schools of playing, orchestral tradition, nationality, personal preference etc. American reeds if well made respond very well, and often much more better than any other style ever designed, but with a catch. They only sound 'American'. Due to globalisation different cultures are now mixing together and when 50 years ago you can often
identify a player through tone now its unlikely you will be able to.
And reeds are getting a facelift like never before. And that is why to say that a reed is perfect in a certain condition is not naive but rather too traditional.
I play a reed made by a professional who learned his tools of trade from a Russian school player, a Dutch school player, and an American school player, which are all distinctively different! And he admits of adding something sort of his personal preference to the making of the reed. I have tried different styles of reeds (not all of course, but at least american, dutch, italian to name a few.) and i find all of them good, each having their own characteristics (sound, flexibility, pros and cons.). But there is going to be only one which i prefer for myself, and i will learn the physical differences between them so to speak to be able to play them. For example, the Dutch school teaches embouchure in a rather different way from the American school, but we can't argue that only one school is correct! Just listen to John De Lancie and Gordon Hunt, they do not play the same instruments and reeds, and they came from a different school of playing, but is one of them bad? No of course!
Encourage yourself to seek YOUR tone and music, from an early stage! I started late compared to a lot of people but i didnt let one idea lock me in and stop me from exploring further. That's my piece of advise.
Howard (yes, that's my real name.... )
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