 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: DrewSorensenMusic
Date: 2012-04-12 16:55
I'm just about to start my first show on oboe, Les Miserables ( the school edition). Everything mercifully written under high D. The point is somewhat related to this question:
How and how many reeds do you make and cycle so you always have a good reed in performance?
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Author: mjfoboe
Date: 2012-04-12 16:57
A minimal of three ..... I prefer 4.
Mark
You never no the playing conditions ..........
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Author: JMarzluf
Date: 2012-04-12 21:27
When I'm playing every day, I start (shape/tie/scrape) two reeds for myself each morning (more if I'm making reeds for others). My personal reed case holds twelve reeds. The oldest pair of reeds in the case is approximately six days old, and their staples will be recycled the following day (unless they're truly exceptional!). I prefer newer reeds, so I usually end up playing concerts on reeds I made the same day or the day before, with the other eight-or-so "old" reeds serving as back ups.
Jonathan
http://www.marzlufreeds.com/
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Author: mjfoboe
Date: 2012-04-12 23:29
Very interesting.
I find my newer reeds to be not as warm as reeds that are a few days old or week old; but then again I probably play much less than you.
Mark
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Author: oboi
Date: 2012-04-13 05:12
I usually have at least 3. I usually play on old reeds since they are the most reliable. These are the ones that have worked no matter what I do to them or how many times I've rescraped them. It is very reassuring to have a reed that "just won't die" even if it isn't the best sounding or harder to play. Most of my new reeds are very tempermental. I may scrape for hours and have them sound nice and by next day I can't get a peep out of them. So, while I do make reeds up to the concert, I hardly trust them and have others in the case.
Also, most of my good reeds are the reeds that didn't work out too well at the beginning. The ones that are playable right away usually end up dying pretty quickly or after a day or two, turn out to be very bad and thin-sounding. The ones I have to scrape like mad and at first I want to chuck out tend to end up being my best. Probably harder cane, so that's why it needed lots of scraping.
There was one reed that I think I had for a whole year and it got better and better with age. The tip even became all frayed and bent and it still sounded pretty good.
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Author: GoodWinds ★2017
Date: 2012-04-13 15:13
I'm glad I'm not the only one out there who plays on 'older' reeds.
Some things do get better with age (and I hope I'm one of them!)
GoodWinds
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Author: oboeandy
Date: 2012-04-13 23:56
I generally play on older reeds, as well. My process of completing a new reed is spread out over almost an entire week. I find that reeds made slowly will generally be of higher quality and last longer. I'll also admit that it's a good day if I truly feel that my case is housing three excellent reeds that are each up to whatever musical task is ahead of me. Maybe I'm finicky, but there's generally one real concert contender and a larger number (5-6) on the "B team." Whenever I try to speed up my process and/or generate more reeds per week, I find that my results get worse and yield diminishing returns.
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Author: WoodwindOz
Date: 2012-04-14 03:03
I'll always keep at least three good playing reeds to one side...but there will always be a favourite in there!
I have one of the large 20-reed wooden cases. I keep my 'current' reeds to one side, then have reeds in varying degrees of working-ness. At the moment next to my three playing reeds, I have about 6 reeds that could be polished up in a couple of minutes if need be, about 5 reeds that still need cane taking off because they are two hard, and a coupe of reeds that are unstable and I am waiting to see if the change in seasons will have any (positive) effect on them!
Slightly off topic, but I have a lot of staples (most recycled from the reeds I used to buy, some bought), probably about 50. All the reeds that have been scraped plus a couple of blanks have staples that have been alphabetised to keep track of which one is which. Of course, there are only 26 letters in the alphabet.
Stupid question: how does everyone else keep track of which reed/staple is which? And for whichever system you use, what do you use when you have run out of letters but still have more staples? I guess I start going into double digits?? :P
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Author: DrewSorensenMusic
Date: 2012-04-14 12:45
I'm glad most play on older reeds. In truth, I feel like my reeds get beter with age, but I've been making them very slowly, as I keep changing the way I scrape, and it is taking time. I'm still having trouble with pp in the low register.
As far as a numbering system goes, double letters: AA, AB...BA, BB...ZZ should give you 676 possibilities if my math is right (26x26?).
I'm starting oboe late in my career, so I don't have a savings of old staples. I will have to purchase my own. I"m toying with the idea of getting 46mm staples instead of 47mm. I'm a pit musician, my oboe will be played cold frequently (Very scared of cracking here), and in general brass players in pits are just sharp anyway (at least the amature ones), let alone flute players. Of course, clarinet players are the opposite, and I just finished "A Chorus Line" where I swear the clarinet and flute player had a half step difference between them. Drove me insane. (My position was Alto sax, Flute, Piccolo, Clarinet for that show).
Long story just a little bit longer, any feelings on 46mm vs 47 mm staples?
Drew S.
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Author: GoodWinds ★2017
Date: 2012-04-14 17:38
"how does everyone else keep track of which reed/staple is which?"
Like you, I 'park' my reeds in an order of their degree of function/usefulness.
I have my 'unfinished's, my 'too hard yet', my 'unstable but let's hope they get better' (and sometimes they DO!!!).
So, first and foremost, I tell them apart by which 'slot' they occupy in the reed box.
I have another box for 'just wrapped' reeds (blanks). THESE get classified by the type/shape of cane and the length of the staple, and I use different thread colours. For example (and this is not to offer any suggestion/recommendation, by the way), my Glotin-V shaped cane on 46mm staple=maroon, Glotin-V on 47mm staple=brown; Rigotti narrow=teal, and the other misc shapes (that I buy on discount from here and there)=peach. I keep a little paper in the box listing which colour goes with which.
It's only natural that my best reeds tend to end up being the same colour, which helps me to purchase consistently in future.
Sometimes I'll mark the cork with a permanent marker, to set something apart. It can be an arrow (pointing up if the reed tends to play sharp) or a dot, or in the case of a Really Questionable Reed a dash -- .
As I have memory problems this is of real help to me.
GoodWinds
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Author: ptarmiganfeather
Date: 2012-04-14 20:57
I have six playable reeds in use at one time. Three of which are my favorites, the other three in some sort of scraping continuum. They go in order from good to questionable from left to right.
Since I reuse store bought reed staples I thought to tie a nice size 11 bead on to the thread with some reed wire would be a good marking system later on when I have more playable reeds with all matching thread. It could be used to mark staples too. I also bought a big spool of variegated thread, and that makes good reed id pretty easy.
I have a diy reed box which holds 36 reeds. The reeds go on top, with a strip of interlocking kid room foam that holds the blanks/staples/dead reeds very securely in place. The good reed scheme will be the same for that box too, if it ever fills up.
Post Edited (2012-04-14 21:04)
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Author: jhoyla
Date: 2012-04-15 12:11
Box of six, three performable, three workable.
NEVER scrape your best reed (soooooo tempting ..) Scrape your second-best reed. If it gets better than your best reed, well - the rule still applies. 
J.
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Author: GoodWinds ★2017
Date: 2012-04-15 14:31
I really like that advice! 'Never scrape your best reed!'
Smart.
GoodWinds
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Author: mjfoboe
Date: 2012-04-16 12:24
well,
I had a concert yesterday. I had two very good old reeds and one was quite good. I also had 4 good new reeds .... at the concert hall though the new reeds still needed minute adjustments .... and the old reed just played beautifully!
Mark
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Author: GoodWinds ★2017
Date: 2012-04-16 16:21
I find that my older reeds may sound beautiful but eventually will lack
'longevity' -- during longer performances they will start to 'sag'.
In ANY case, it's a good idea to keep the reed production line going so that one isn't lacking at concert time.
GoodWinds
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Author: huboboe
Date: 2012-04-17 00:34
I agree with the majority - never less than three good reeds, best to have more in case you step on your reed case...
A funny thing about reeds: I've several times had a wonderful reed and set it aside for the performance, played lesser reeds during rehearsals and found, come performance time, that the wonderful reed wasn't worth beans. Our chops adjust to the reed we are playing, so it's wise to stay in touch with the reeds you expect to play.
Robert Hubbard
WestwindDoubleReed.com
1-888-579-6020
bob@westwinddoublereed.com
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Author: iz
Date: 2012-12-26 11:17
I always like to have at least four available, but at performances I have two on the stand because the one that I am currently playing might close up or decide to not work. So I always have another soaked and on the stand ready to play because I can't even begin to count the number of times I have had to switch reeds in the middle of a piece.
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Author: concertmaster3
Date: 2012-12-26 13:17
I have a 3 reed case that I keep full of "concert" reeds, and 2 twelve reed cases that I keep English horn and d'amore reeds, blanks and in-progress reeds. I try to have about 5 reeds a few scrapes away from being ready, so that I can replace them as the need arises. I also play my reeds for about a month (sometimes more) before they start to get tubby and die out on me. When I notice one getting to that point, I scrape one that's going to be ready soon, and get it into playing level and let it sub into the rotation.
The more I think about it, it sounds like a sports team reference...haha
Ron Ford
Woodwind Specialist
Performer/Teacher/Arranger
http://www.RonFordMusic.com
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Author: Wes
Date: 2012-12-27 05:42
Chick Lehrer, a very good oboe player and professor in the Los Angeles area, seemed to like quite new reeds a lot.
I like older reeds because the raised grain is gone that is often present on new reeds and the tip is finally thin enough to play softly on them, even at the bottom of the oboe. The cane seems to get thicker as one works on them, even though one is trying to thin the tip. Sharp knives are necessary. The raised grain that I see on new reeds acts like a stiffener and I remove it when I see it.
While I've tried 46mm staples, I've had little luck with them, as I've never really had good stable reeds with them. If the pitch is low with a 47mm staple, there are other ways of bringing it up, in my opinion. Of course, no two reed makers seem to do the same thing. Good luck!
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Author: cjwright
Date: 2012-12-28 04:35
Basically, I like to have as many as possible!
But in all seriousness, I rarely have a reed in my case that I wouldn't play a concert on. Not that they're all fantastic, but you just end up learning to play on what you have and focus on making reeds that will function enough to get the job done rather than "the perfect reed". I guess it might be different if you only play one concert every two months vs. one concert every week or two.
I do usually keep many different kinds of reeds in my case, namely because since I play in so many different venues, I never know what the acoustics will be like and therefore need to have reeds of all different sizes and sounds. A beautiful round reed in this church might sound dead and puny in this gigantic hall, while the reed that works in the gigantic hall might sound shrill and harsh in another hall.
One last thing to think about; I know John Mack and Joe Robinson used to do this, and one of my former teachers Jan Eberle of Mich State preached this: Learn to make a reed in 10 minutes and play on it for a concert. JM and JR used to show up to the venue with 5 blanks, and scrape 5 reeds from them and just play on the best of the 5. The theory is that your reeds are constantly changing as is the temperature, weather, humidity, etc, and so the most consistent reed you can play on is the newest one you just made. Obviously I don't think works for everyone, and you have to be a pretty prolific and consistent reed maker to do this, but it's worth considering.
Blog, An Oboe In Paradise
Solo Oboe, Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra
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Author: GoodWinds ★2017
Date: 2012-12-28 20:07
You're a Professional so this is realistic for you, Cooper.
I should like to have enough mentoring so as to make a performable reed in 10 minutes, that would be terrific.
But alas, I am a poor hobbyist who makes great reeds but more like 'once in a blue moon'. I tinker, and I'm a wee bit embarrassed but certainly not ashamed to admit it.
Maybe some day I shall reach the upper heights of reed-making and turn out five of five great reeds; in the meantime, I'll be content with 2 or three of five, and enjoy the leisurely pace... and the occasional pro-made reed so I can keep learning!
GoodWinds
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Author: mjfoboe
Date: 2012-12-28 22:36
Cooper,
I wish I could live with reeds as you do.
I prefer not tot play on reeds that are not up to my comfort level; although, at times I have done so).
I am fortunate, in that, as a serious amateur - I don't have the pressure of continuous concerts.
However, in the busy concert season when holiday concerts, chamber music overlap ... I do feel great pressure to have many suitable reeds and I scrape 5 -8 a week.
Mark
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Author: cjwright
Date: 2012-12-29 01:07
Quote:
You're a Professional so this is realistic for you, Cooper.
I should like to have enough mentoring so as to make a performable reed in 10 minutes, that would be terrific.
Ha, don't get me wrong. Just because I was told to make a reed in 10 minutes and play on it, doesn't mean I do! Heck, even my current teacher makes a reed over a period of days. I will say a reed is always the loudest the day it's been made, but otherwise, I will break a reed in gradually.
Quote:
I wish I could live with reeds as you do.
I prefer not tot play on reeds that are not up to my comfort level; although, at times I have done so).
It's not as glamorous as it sounds. Trust me.
The point I was trying to make was that sometimes we have the reed we need, but more often than not we don't, so we learn to do our best and be satisfied with it.
On my website I mention the pressures of reedmaking and how burdensome they are. I remember feeling helpless and frustrated at 2am in the morning still trying to make another reed for the next day. Looking back at it now, I wish I had figured out another way (cover with embouchure, work toward stability, break reeds in slower) than driving myself insane.
Blog, An Oboe In Paradise
Solo Oboe, Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra
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