9/15/2023 0 Comments Reeds do it best![]() ![]() I also use a diamond stone to regain the edge of the knife when it gets too rounded to sharpen) Sharpening stone (Your knife must be sharp at all times! A combination of a fine india oil stone (needs mineral or honing oil) or a hard arkansas stone works well for me.Block or billot (with a flat surface and non-skid material on the bottom).Flat plaques (convex plaques force the sides of the reed apart which may cause instability in the reed).Hollow-ground knife (Vitry or Landwell knives are good, and many other brands work well).While scraping, support the reed with a finger and the plaque, and use forward strokes with the knife-the knife should not be pushed into the cane, but instead scrape along the surface. ![]() For information on how to sharpen a knife, see here. Remember to always use a sharp reed knife as it scrapes more accurately with out squishing the cane. If you feel comfortable with using a reed knife, below are the tools you will need. More Advanced Fixing with Reedmaking Tools If the reed leaks farther up, and your mouth does not cover it -throw it out!Ģ) Try soaking the reed longer in hotter water. Plumber’s Teflon tape works even better, and does not need to be moistened. If the back does not feel like it can squish without cracking the reed, there is probably too much cane on it, and it will need to be scraped with a knife.ġ) If the reed leaks near the thread, you can apply fish skin by wetting it and wrapping just once around if possible. You will know if you have done too much, and if so: see #1 above. It is always better to take too little off than too much.ġ) Squish the back of a soaked reed. It may also lower the pitch of a sharp reed. This should scrape off any residue, as well as loosen the reed a little. This is particularly effective with older reeds that have collected “foreign matter” inside.ģ) Using 600 wet/dry sandpaper, lightly sand the whole reed. Do not push through in the opposite direction, cane first. Wet the pipe cleaner and push through tube first. Be careful not to pinch too hard, or you may crack it! This is very temporary, but can sometimes get you through a rehearsal or concert.Ģ) Clean the reed out with a pipe cleaner. ![]() If your reed is too closed, or is too sharp:ġ) Open the tip of a soaked reed with your fingers. Also, when they begin to play on reeds that do not need this kind of control, they are unable to stop biting, and have very small, sharp tones.ģ) Some reeds sound great, but because the machine is unable to scrape in a precise manner, and cannot keep the "rails" of bark that come up the sides of the reeds and hold it open, the reed closes down too much almost instantly. Exerting this kind of control is tiring, however, and most students cannot keep it up consistently, and tend to play out of tune with inconsistent attacks. Consequently, students try to control them by biting and end up having a pinched, sharp, soft sound.Ģ) If the reed is too hard (generally reeds rated "medium-hard" to "hard"), students will often bite to close the reed enough to make a sound (as when air escapes from a balloon, the opening has to be squeezed together to vibrate). Sometimes machine-made reeds can be good, but generally have one of three problems:ġ) Most commonly, the reeds rated "soft" to "medium" are very responsive, and will play every low note easily, but they are very often not focused, or pitched, and are too vibrant to allow the high register to come out easily. The best quality for the money is to purchase hand-finished reeds, generally from oboe stores (see Oboe Reeds, Repair, and Supplies). Handmade are usually the best, but often the most expensive. There are three types of oboe reeds: handmade, hand-finished and fully machine-made. ![]() Common Problems with Store-bought Oboe Reeds ![]()
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