Author: oboi
Date: 2016-08-04 09:20
I pinch my reeds down when they feel too open when I play. It's sort of an as-you-play sorta thing, always fussing with the reed. I also make sure I don't oversoak when I have a reed that is already quite open when dry.
You do not want to turn blue and feel like dying when playing the oboe. Trust me.... I went through a bout of that while learning the baroque oboe (playing a bad instrument and also my inability to make good reeds) and it was painful (physically and musically). Looking back, what a pointless affair.....
You have to develop your embouchure to get the reed vibrating. The "harder" (which is many factors, not only density) the reed, the harder it is to get it vibrating. Therefore, beginners start with "soft" reeds. I can easily make a reed ultra soft by scraping it like mad. However, it will sound thin, flappy, buzzy and all those unsavoury sounds. A reed that is more structurally robust with have more of a body, fuller sound, and not just vibrate at the tip. Think of it like a blade of grass. It's very thin but just flaps uncontrollably when you try to blow through it. You don't need to be oboist to do it. But does that sound good? No.
I'm at the point where I am purposely making reeds "harder", because I am unhappy with my sound. Some people might stop there, and there are professionals that play on very free-blowing reeds. I find my sound lacking and I like the sound of my harder reeds.... even though I then miss notes or feel more tired when playing. But if I stick to that and train myself to play on the harder reeds, I will have no problem playing them eventually. Ultimately, it's a very personal choice. The key is having a good embouchure (everyone's different, but there's certainly bad technique) and having a good reed that fits your embouchure.
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