Author: d-oboe
Date: 2006-01-27 12:19
"If one were to constantly adjust a reed to play at the same strength as their current reed one will be making softer and softer reeds as time goes by."
But this is not true!
If the reed is the right resistance level, the oboist's embouchure will strengthen as time goes by, without ever having to change resistance in the reeds. After a period of time, reeds that seemed just right will feel soft, not because the reeds have changed, but because WE have changed.
There is a misconception (in all of the reed world, including single reeds) that better players play on harder reeds. This just isn't true! (When I was a wee little oboe student, I could play on my teacher's performance reeds without a problem.) The player, regardless of age, ability, or mastery MUST play on reeds that match what they can physically do. A deviation of harder or softer will result in poor playing.
And again, response is different from resistance. Response is how well the reed starts, and resistance is how much air is required to get vibration.
Every professional oboe player's reeds respond well. Guarantee. Otherwise they wouldn't be working. It's so obvious when reeds don't respond. It's the resistance that changes so much between players. For example, some like reeds that crow immediately when air goes in, whereas some prefer to have a very robust crow, that enters only when more air is pushed in.
I'm not advertising that players should scrape their reeds down to be too soft - never! What I am saying, is that the reed must MATCH what the player can do. Not too hard, not too soft.
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