# Does an oboist need to carve his own reeds?



## nefigah

If so, how come?


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## david johnson

reed making is the best way to assure get what you want.
the oboists i know are most always adjusting a reed to make it play better for them.

dj


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## phoenixshade

This question sounds like a set-up for a one liner... OK, what's the punch line?

I imagine there are a host of reasons why an oboist would carve their own reeds— embouchure and the like will cause the same reeds to produce a different sound under a different performer. My brother used to play jazz clarinet, and he was constantly shaving his own reeds to get just the right sound. Interestingly, his best friend— a saxophone player who "dabbled" in clarinet— couldn't play high notes with my brother's reeds.

Just like fingerprints, everyone's facial muscles have subtle differences.


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## nefigah

phoenixshade said:


> This question sounds like a set-up for a one liner... OK, what's the punch line?


An oboist and a conductor walk into a bar...

Thanks, you two, for the explanations. I guess I was under the impression one purchased reeds for a clarinet, but carved one's own for the oboe, and I was curious why the difference. But perhaps I'm mistaken.


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## phoenixshade

nefigah said:


> Thanks, you two, for the explanations. I guess I was under the impression one purchased reeds for a clarinet, but carved one's own for the oboe, and I was curious why the difference. But perhaps I'm mistaken.


Yes, one does purchase reeds for a clarinet (and for the oboe too, for that matter)... but my brother still preferred to "fine tune" them by shaving them a bit. Mind you, I'm no expert, so I'd have to ask him exactly what he did an why.


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## lakshwadeep

Making your own reeds is basically the ultimate quality control. However, the great teacher and performer Fernand Gillet never made his own reeds throughout his live. Instead, he ordered a large number every year from the same maker. I think even Mr. Gillet did some adjustment of the reeds. It's also that oboe reeds are more complex than a clarinet/saxophone reed, meaning that it is difficult to mechanize their production. Also, the best (meaning handmade) oboe reeds are often only available through waiting lists.


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## Saturnus

Mr. Gillet was never famous for having a good tone, on the contrary, the old French oboe school he stood for is almost extinct today because of its poor tone quality. 
Professional oboe players either carve their own reeds or go to a professional reed maker - a good reed costs about 100$ and lasts for a month at best.


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## lakshwadeep

Saturnus, can you give a link showing the French school and Gillet were so bad that they have lost all influence? Or, is your argument just making a mountain out of a molehill? Gillet was one of the first champions of vibrato, and Tabuteau, a Frenchman, is one of the founders of the American school.


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## Sanctus Petrus

nefigah said:


> If so, how come?


Definitely yes.
Even if they have a bad one, the will not whine about it.
If they still do you can tell them it is their own fault.


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## Aksel

Most oboists I know do it because it's cheaper to make your own. And because they know what they want. But I'm not an expert in these matters either.


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## Oboeverity

It's a no from me... I'm able to adjust and scrape, but I do t have the patience or the time, now I have a young family. I believe Leon Goosens had a reed maker.


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## OboeKnight

If you are a serious oboist planning to play professionally you really need to make your own reeds. Everyone has different preferences and reeds change drastically with different instruments. So there is not one way to make a reed that is going to work for everyone's individual set up. I have played on reeds that I can not get a good sound out of that play beautifully for others. Also, if you play a lot, you need to have a constant supply of reeds. They change constantly so you need to make adjustments to them. It is an extremely time consuming process, so unless playing is your job, I'd imagine it would be very difficult to keep up with. I am currently studying oboe performance, so I definitely spend pleeeenntyy of time with my reeds haha.


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## CHERCHERY

Hi. I'm a new member here. I'm have already few months on playing flute but my first choice is actually an oboe. My question is where can I buy oboe cane? I want to make my own reed but I don't have the materials yet but I have the instrument. I always changing reeds every month. Pls. help. I'm from Philippines


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## Pugg

CHERCHERY said:


> Hi. I'm a new member here. I'm have already few months on playing flute but my first choice is actually an oboe. My question is where can I buy oboe cane? I want to make my own reed but I don't have the materials yet but I have the instrument. I always changing reeds every month. Pls. help. I'm from Philippines


On line perhaps?


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## Argendonax

Some oboist prefer to carve their own reeds because it is hard to manufacture reeds of the right quality due to variability of the cane. Also every artist has his own personal preference for the reeds. The product needs a lot of customization and therefore, it is irrelevant to mass produce. Due to this reason, some artist carve their reeds.
However, making the reeds is not a child's play as carving it requires lot of professionalism. You need to pick the right seller to buy the right reeds. I buy Argendonax oboe reeds because they are very good and help me generate the right tone. 
Pick up the reeds from the right seller and you will save the hard part of carving the reeds.


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## Heck148

Saturnus said:


> Professional oboe players either carve their own reeds or go to a professional reed maker - a good reed costs about 100$ and lasts for a month at best.


professional oboists and bassoonists most always make their own reeds. many will make reeds for sale to students and amateur players, but believe me, they are NOT making any $100 per reed!!....We'd all retire at age 35!!


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## Heck148

CHERCHERY said:


> Hi. I'm a new member here. I'm have already few months on playing flute but my first choice is actually an oboe. My question is where can I buy oboe cane? I want to make my own reed but I don't have the materials yet but I have the instrument. I always changing reeds every month. Pls. help. I'm from Philippines


There are many, many 2ble reed shops in business, that have many sources of cane...the *International Double Reed Society* has full listings of advertisers, suppliers, shops in all of its regularly published journals:

https://www.idrs.org/


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## Heck148

professional oboists and bassoonists most all make their own reeds....it is an art form in itself, one that is constantly evolving, improving over one's entire professional career....it is such a personal, individual skill, so closely related to your artistic performance standards and practices that it's hard for me to imagine having someone else do it for you....

There are so many parameters, so many criteria - pitch, tone, response, range, articulation, tone in particular keys or ranges ,etc, etc...I won't beat the topic to death - but, for example - you would probably not be using the same reed to play the opening to Tchaikovsky 6 [low register],, that you would use to play the opening of 'Le Sacre du Printemps" [high register]..the tone requirements needed for a Shostakovich symphony are going to be different from those required in a Mozart of Haydn symphony...

you always need several good reeds working, then more good ones that are "playing in" [developing], and more that are still raw, recently manufactured blanks....it's a continuous process. consistency in manufacture is paramount - produce each reed with identical dimensions and measurements...however, even that will not produce entirely consistent results, because there is considerable variation in the quality of the individual pieces of cane.


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## Tikoo Tuba

I think the oboist could grow the cane as a house plant .


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## Larkenfield

nefigah said:


> If so, how come?


Most beginning oboists, if they are one, do not make their own reeds. They buy commercial reeds and get familiar with them, otherwise they would never know the difference between a reed they bought and a reed they made. It's an art that requires you to have sufficient experience with the instrument in order to know how to do it well. But if the musician stays with the instrument long enough, it's well worthwhile to make your own reeds to your own specifications with your choice of reed. Most woodwind players will tweak their reeds, including clarinet and sax players, with sandpaper or clippers or whatever to make them softer or harder or more playable. The more you play an instrument, the more you want control over it soundwise, and making your own reeds gives you the greatest opportunity. Expect to ruin a few as you're making them, because oboe reeds are much more difficult to make than reeds for the sax or clarinet. But if someone is just starting out on the instrument, I would never worry about it in the beginning and stick with buying commercial reeds. I believe it's just too advanced for a beginning student to make their own until after a few years of study.


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## TMHeimer

All the oboists I've known make their own reeds. I knew a clarinet player or two who do also, but I'm not sure why.


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## Heck148

most all professional 2ble reed players [Oboe, English horn, Bassoon, contrabassoon] make their own reeds....it's an art, related specifically to that musician's particular demands regarding tone, response, range, make of instrument etc, etc - all aspects of playing that particular instrument...
it's a lifelong process, that one is always refining and adjusting....a few musicians may find a particular reed maker who makes reeds that work well for them - the shape, profile, blade dimension, thickness etc are ideal for them, but these are, far and away, the exception. Some players love making reeds, others abhor it....but it's a a necessary part of the art....there are two basic stages - the original formation of the reed blank...which is unfinished, raw, and nowhere near playing level...then the refinement, adjustment, to get it to performance level....even if someone makes them for you, endless adjustment and refinement is necessary...

there are so many variables in reed making, that it takes time to develop a consistency....one of my teachers, Dave Van Hoesen [Eastman School] told his students make 100 reeds, all the same, before you change anything....IOW - gain a consistency....then, when you make a change, it should be quite noticeable...otherwise, there are so many variables, you have no idea whether the change you made had any real effect....also, the basic quality of the cane has a a huge effect on the eventual outcome

re the oboe sound, French v. American- Marcel Tabuteau is generally credited with making the change - coming from France, he originally played on the short-scraped reeds....but on arrival in America, he wanted to change to a huskier, more resonant tone....he developed the long-scrape, and this became standard....He taught SO MANY of America's most prominent oboists over many, many years, and they, of course, perpetuated the practice....


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## mbhaub

Try a Legere synthetic oboe reed. They're expensive ($150) but might be ok. I keep one of their bassoon reeds in my case as a backup, just in case. It actually plays pretty well with absolutely no adjustments; not that you can do much anyway. Doesn't have the volume I sometimes want, and ppp low entrances are scary. The principle in the Berlin Phil no less has used one.


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## Heck148

mbhaub said:


> Try a Legere synthetic oboe reed. They're expensive ($150) but might be ok. I keep one of their bassoon reeds in my case as a backup, just in case. It actually plays pretty well with absolutely no adjustments; not that you can do much anyway. Doesn't have the volume I sometimes want, and ppp low entrances are scary. The principle in the Berlin Phil no less has used one.


Never tried the Legere reeds...they're so expensive!! Damiano (BPO principal) uses them?? Interesting...he does not have a very big sound...of course- BPO has co-principals, iirc.


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## arpeggio

Learned a trick to using Legere from Bill Terry who used to play clarinet with the US Navy band. One should alternate between several reeds. If a reed loses its edge, rest if for a month or so.

I use Legere on the bass clarinet and the bassoon. Over time I have built up my collection of bassoon reeds to five. One of my bassoon reeds went bad on me. I could not get a good clean attack on the e and f above middle c. I did not use it for a few months and it is now perfect.


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## TMHeimer

I can't think of an oboist I've played with who didn't make their own. Actually, a fellow clarinetist back in college made his own clarinet reeds, something I haven seen since (1976). He also has his PhD in performance, I don't.


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