Selecting oboe reeds

Choosing oboe reeds can be quite a tricky task! Nowadays, there are many options for young players both locally in your hometown music store and now... ta da! Reed shopping online.

When I was a middle and high school oboist, there just weren't too many choices:

1. Buy whatever looked good at the local music store

2. Beg a teacher to make you a handmade reed

I have some helpful tips on what to look for when you are embarking on the search to find the most suitable reed possible whether it be for the beginning 6th grade oboist or the adult amateur musician.

If it is possible, HANDMADE reeds are the first choice.

Handmade reeds (not just hand-finished- yes there is a difference) are going to entail many important things. Firstly, the person that is making and selling them has probably been to college, and perhaps also grad school for OBOE. Sounds unbelievable, I know.

Collegiate level oboe courses teach the skills necessary to make oboe reeds completely from scratch starting with the main ingredient:

Arundo Donax= TUBE CANE!

Believe it or not, these pieces of "Bamboo" are the source of your oboe reeds, one way or another. Professional reed makers go through a number of steps in processing cane in this raw form, separating "good" cane from "bad".

The cane then goes through a number of processes (If you want a step-by-step analysis, feel free to email me or check out my website: www.caitlinpawl.com for info on private oboe and reedmaking lessons if you are in the greater Las Vegas area!)

It finally comes out looking like this:

At which point we can wrap it onto a staple:

My favorites are the Chudnow Sierra (2nd and 3rd from the Left).

And we end up with something like this:

An oboe reed "blank". Notice, that it is still essentially "bark" on the surface, it has not been scraped with a knife yet.

Another type of reed making is what most of you are probably accustomed to is the machine made, mass produced oboe reed. These reeds are composed of profiled cane that which is prepared by a machine rather than mostly by hand, and machine wrapped, often with little to NO hand finishing whatsoever.

These reeds have become popular due to the fact that they are quickly made, get an easy response for most young players- that is; they do not have much resistance at all. Lastly, they are CHEAP, many costing $10 or less.

Doesn't sound all bad, huh? TRUST ME though.... it is.

Oboe cane spent the better part of its life as a living, growing, plant. It is sensitive to temperature, moisture, and weather.

When it is basically "shucked" through a profiling machine, taking off a great amount of cane at one time, it is a huge shock to the reed.

Handmade reeds are made over the course of many processes and scraped, dried, and re-scraped over a period of usually 3-5 days allowing the cane to "settle" into the idea of being an oboe reed.

It may not seems like it, but this makes a BIG difference in the outcome of the reed's response, tone quality, and longevity.

You have all heard the phrase "You gotta spend money to make money" Right?

Well.....

Its true.

Look for something like this:

If you can find a reed in a store that has the SPINE (thicker line of continuous cane down the middle of the reed) intact, with a strong, defined tip, that is a great starting point for a reed.

Some possibilities are:

Marlin Lesher Reeds (Machine made but hand finished) often neon pink\purple or neon green\blue

Stuart Dunkel Artist Reeds (Machine made but hand finished) orange in color

If you are in the market for professionally made, handmade oboe reeds, go to:

www.reedreviews.net

For a list of various reedmakers and their websites with selling information as well as helpful reviews.

As always, if you have questions about the information posted here, or want to learn more, drop me a line! :)

Oboe TIP of the day...

Playing the oboe is A LOT like singing...

I know, I know... everyone likes to think of their instrument as being closest to the human voice, but in so many ways playing the oboe really IS singing.

That being said, just as singers do, we can experiment with Vowel Sounds.

Just like witches, there are good ones and bad ones for us to play around with.

Good

Soft A (Ahhh or Awww) You know, what we say at the Dr.'s with the popsicle stick.

O (Ohh) and also Oooo

These sounds open up the inside of our mouths, creating more resonance and a fuller, rounder sound

Bad

Hard A (Ehhh)

Hard E (Eeee)

These sounds spread our mouth horizontally, closing down the area in which resonance is created

Turn on the tuner, and experiment on a B-Flat with each sound to find one that you like best out of the GOOD examples.

Oboe Tip of The Day

My TIP of the Day!

High Schoolers:
When preparing a piece for solo and ensemble, college auditions, or honor band auditions, decipher what key it is in, for example D major. Next, fix your tuner to produce a D.
You can do this by holding down the calibration button (on a Korg) for a second until it produces the tone, then press it up until you get to D.

Play your etude, or piece through with the tonic pitch, D playing the entire time, try to stay within the pitch guidelines of the key signature, this will really open your ears!


Middle Schoolers:
Peg-A-Pitch!

Turn your tuner on, and try to land a trusty B-flat head on (you'll know this has happened when you hit the middle of the tuner and the light is only GREEN (again on a Korg tuner).

Don't be discouraged if this takes some work! That is the point of the exercise, realizing exactly how you need to adjust your air support and embouchure support in order to play in tune.

If you are sharp, first check the opening of your reed... if it is too closed, gently open it by squeezing it gently apart toward the bottom of the reed by the string.

If you are flat, push more air from your diaphragm, really SUPPORT!

Try for 3 B-flats in a row at A=440.

Oboe-To-Go

In order to reach a broader range of students (is that even possible, given the fact that I technically have a couple hundred oboe students?)

I should say, in order to cater to a broader range of student needs, I have decided to start something new. What could be better than a private instructor willing to travel to your home, or meet your child after school- at their school for lessons on a weekly basis- without additional FEES.

My job with the school district takes me all over the four corners of the Vegas Valley as it is, so I figure- Why not throw a few more stops in along my merry way?

I have to get things all set up and ready, but I'm thinking something like special Oboe-To-Go packages including things like a free reed for a months worth (4) lessons when purchased as a package on the first of each month. Contests for students, entering them to win a free mini reedmaking lesson and studio masterclasses... all sounds like fun!

The most attractive thing about all of this... Vegas is a difficult city to navigate, especially for parents, and even more so for working parents, limiting the accessibility of private music lessons for some families.

Don't worry, you order and I'll be there!

2010... year of the OBOE!

After a pause during the holiday season... I'm back.

Tons going on, and tons HAS gone on since my last post.

On December 5, I judged the CCSD High School Honor Band auditions, which was among other things, an eye opening experience. It really gave me an idea of the capabilities of some of the studies in the district, but more importantly it showed me that my services are desperately needed here... which really got me going with all kinds of ideas on ways to help.
The strangest thing about all of this is that no one is asking for help. I get requests from the same schools, on a rotating basis... I even have two regulars that I go to on an almost weekly basis. The majority of these are middle schools, I have only been in contact with a small hand full of high school directors.

One of the most consistent issues on the December 5 Honor Band audition:

• Students not knowing Fingerings past high C
• Students not knowing Scales, or not being conscious of Key Signatures
• Sight Reading, Sight Reading, Sight Reading!!!! ( I chose the opening of Mvt.2 from Brahms Symphony No.2 for it's simple, yet varied rhythms including a triplet and the challenge of a grace note )
• Most students had problems with Intonation, the majority being Flat in pitch

These deficiencies all center around basics:

Embouchure formation
Tonguing
Breath Support
Reed Selection
Instruments in need of service ( I came across my first absolutely-will-not-play-a-single-note oboe this week at a middle school )

I feel as though many directors themselves shy away from the oboe, because of its many "complications" and "specific needs"... perhaps not even putting students on the instrument because of their own insecurities. I have had countless directors admit this to me, which I can understand, but cannot be sympathetic. To these directors I say... forge ahead and face these oboistic challenges head on!

Or let me do it!!!

I think what will clarify a lot of oboe related topics, and provide some consistency within the district would be for me to give a presentation at some gathering of all of these teachers... I am practically BEGGING them to let me give a presentation on how to start an oboe student, how to choose GOOD reeds for your students, and how to taking care of instruments and reeds, saving you time and $$$.

At one middle school this week, a director asked me if his beginning oboes would be able to develop a good sound over time, and if would start to come along soon after my visit.
I explained to him that it would come quite quickly if they would not be allowed to play on reeds cracked down the middle, because this problem was causing them to play nearly a half step FLAT.

Of course it is my job to solve these types of problems for students and directors, however, if I would be allowed to make a presentation with some of the documents I have written made available to directors... it would help everyone SO much!

The Right Consistency...

Yesterday, after months of waiting, my INNODLEDY oboe gouger finally arrived. It was supposed to to be a graduation present from Tyler (my husband) all the way back in May... then we found out that there was a pretty long wait list!
Anyway, it got here in an adorable little Burberry-esque case and Tyler helped me (and my non-mechanical mind) set it up. It is so awesome! I am so thrilled to be able to literally churn out consistent cane- I am betting it is going to help ease the pain of reedmaking, if only a small bit.
I was down to my last blank from my KGE cane and now I can go to my pound of tube cane that has been waiting forever to be processed!
Oboe nerdy-ness has officially ensued :)

Making it Happen...

Well, I am currently delving into my third week working as the oboe parapro for the school district. So far I have to say- it has been great!
Teaching is something that I really love doing. I had such great oboe teachings all my life, I just feel like it is natural to want to help others by sharing with them what my teachers have taught me. It feels great to be out in the world actually using everything that I spent all those years in school learning- especially because I'm helping people.
And boy do a lot of these schools really need help. It is really evident that the oboe just must be the bain of many band directors' existence, because all of them have admitted to feeling incompetent on it and all of their students are really REALLY struggling.
I think one of the biggest problems I have encountered so far would have to be reeds. Oh Reeds, Reeds, REEDS. What I want people to understand about reeds... is that just like any good investment, you get what you give.

If you buy a $5 machine made oboe reed, it is going to sound and act just like a $5 machine made oboe reed. If you buy a $13 handmade reed, and really learn how to take care of your reeds, you are going to have a longer lasting, better sounding and playing reed that is going to help you get a lot more out of your time with the oboe.
Simple Reed Savers ($$ Savers in the end) include:

1. Soaking the reed in water, not spit. Our saliva contains food particles and digestive enzymes that will break down the cane used to make an oboe reed faster than you can say Loree. Not to mention, it is just gross. A simple water container such as a well cleaned pill bottle or film canister is sufficient.

2. Invest a few dollars in a good reed case. This can be as cheap as the $3 reedgard or expensive as a french ribbon-style case like this. These types of cases keep the reeds safe and secure, and most importantly protect the tip of the reed, the most delicate part.

Most student reeds come in plastic tubes or coffins which are fine for retail purposes (short term) but can really REALLY damage reeds, usually ruining them.

3. If possible, buy your reeds from a oboist. Hopefully your private oboe instructor. Oboists are trained to make handcrafted reeds from beginning to end. That is; starting with a piece of tube cane, splitting and gouging, shaping, tying the reed onto a staple and finally, hand scraping it to perfection. The end result being a playing, flexible, responsive, and STABLE oboe reed that will last far longer than one made my a machine.

These are just a few tips, but basically what I want young oboists, their parents, and their ensemble directors to understand is that the oboe is more of an investment than other instruments. Not simply because of the cash you have to dole out for the reeds and the expensive horn, but a time investment as well.

Often times, there are not many oboes in a middle school program, and maybe there isn't an oboe instructor in your area. If this is the case, find music to listen to for the oboe. It is everywhere, chances are if you have watched a movie these days, you have heard an oboe and maybe not even have known it!!!

The oboe is so special because it so closely resembles singing, therefore, it is possible to have a personal sound just like an individual voice. Because of this, it is imperative to have a model as a student. So go out and start listening to some music, you may be suprised to find how present the oboe is out there!

Private instruction may be more affordable than you realize, so talk to local music stores or your band director about where to find a teacher. Playing a musical instrument is truly something that you can do for a lifetime, unlike athletics it is something that your body (hopefully!!) will always be capable of.