 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: ClariTone
Date: 2006-08-03 17:43
Hello Again!!!
I was wondering, when should a return beginner like myself learn to adjust reeds??? Should I wait until I have a firm grounding in Oboe Basics (embouchure, airstream, tone) before tackling this aspect, or can I begin now???
What materials in addition to qualified instruction by my teacher, would you recommend???
Thanks!!!
Clayton
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Author: DressedToKill
Date: 2006-08-03 18:15
I think you really should get a handle on the basics first. If you're adjusting a reed, it's because you know exactly what you want out of your oboe, and what your reed needs to do, and what it *isn't* doing in its current state. I don't see how one could really know that until they've firmly grasped the basics of playing the oboe...
Your qualified instructor will tell you what you need (one hopes), but I would recommend the "Oboe Reed Book" by Jay Light.
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Author: ClariTone
Date: 2006-08-03 23:08
Is the concept of adjusting oboe reeds similair to that of adjusting clarinet reeds??? I know how to test and adjust my clarinet reeds, so maybe that will give me an edge???
What tools are needed to adjust reeds??? My old teacher had been trying to teach me, but I was too young to grasp the concept. I currently have a barber's knife (for shaving facial hair) and a reed wedge. Is there anything else???
Thanks!!!
Clayton
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Author: d-oboe
Date: 2006-08-04 00:34
It's never too early to learn to adjust reeds. After all, it's what allows the oboe to make sound!
It's all up to you. Do YOU want to make reeds? If so, go for it. However, have realistic expectations. You may indeed ruin a good number of reeds before you get the hang of adjusting. However, if you go about it intelligently, you could have success in under 10 reeds. You have to know as many eventualities as possible before doing a scraping operation. Every scrape of the reed has two outcomes, if not many more. Your job - through experimentation and research- is to find out which operations are beneficial to the reed and which are not.
Some major no-no's:
Using a dull knife. (You CAN NOT get away with this.)
Using a gritty knife. (It will tear up the tip)
Pressing down on the cane.
Scraping the centre of the reed - especially in the tip area.
Ripping off corners.
Clipping too much. (Ending up with a short stubby reed)
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Author: oboesquirell
Date: 2006-08-04 01:05
If I were you, I would wait until I know your way around the oboe and get very familiar with how the reed works and what makes it work. Wait a couple of months until you get a solid tone and you are familiar with the instrument. But if you do start now, you shouly get a reed kit, or if you don't want to do that, get a cheap rigotti reed knife from forrests or something, and get a cheap india stone to go with it. Good Luck.
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Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2006-08-04 02:44
Clayton:
I started adjusting reeds probably about the same week I started playing the oboe. I was using my clarinet reed tools (glass, sandpaper, and razor blades), until some kind reedmaker told me I had better get the following:
a flat plaque
a wood block
a reed knife and india stone
Less critical, but also nice to have:
a mandrel
razor blades for tip clipping -- get this little thing used for scraping paint off of window panes (from the hardware store -- cheap)
wet and dry sandpaper or an emery board with a fine side
And yeah, I ruined a few. Ruined two today -- majorly tore the tip on one (new), and another one (old, thank goodness) cracked. All in a day's work.
Taking a little off the corners of the tip is standard procedure. Running a balky tip (just the edge) lightly over the emery board to thin it out can also work wonders, if it's not already too shrill. And scraping just a little at a time out of the blend (but not in the center) is the way to decrease the resistance -- sometimes taking just a tiny little bit out can make all the difference.
Martin Schuring's ASU site is still the best I've seen on this topic. http://www.public.asu.edu/~schuring/Oboe/Reedguide.html
Susan
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Author: ClariTone
Date: 2006-08-04 15:35
Thanks all for responding, and Thanks for the link Susan!!!
I hope to gradually learn reed making and adjustment in the fall when I start lessons. The college oboe studio class consists of...well...me so I know I'll get some top notch individualized instruction!!!
Thanks Again!!!
Clayton
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Author: vboboe
Date: 2006-08-04 17:18
... add short (15 cm / 6") metric ruler marked in millimeters to other post's tool list, use it before and after tip-clipping any reed
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