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Extra, Extra, REED all about it!
- Kaylyn Shearer
- May 25, 2018
- 2 min read
Have you ever wondered why, when you scrape the same way every time, your reeds don't consistently turn out the way you want them to? Answer: because they are all supposed to be different! Let's rewind for a minute and examine the beginning of our reeds. Oboe cane comes from the "Giant Cane," scientifically names arundo donax. A living plant! Anything living needs air, nourishment, and attention. Why do our reeds differ from that cycle? Hint: they don't!
When can is harvested, naturally it dies. It's no longer a living plant, but that doesn't mean it's entirely different! It's still a porous, bendable, changing entity that forms its own unique needs. Also, this is when we meet our future reeds.
When examining a tube, it's really hard to tell if you can get a good reed out of it! One person says brown marks curse you, another says they're good luck! One says slight curves don't matter, another says to toss the tube out! The main point here is that each tube is different, and unless it is somehow in the shape of an L or torn to shreds, TAKE THE CHANCE! Split it, plane it, gouge it. You may be surprised at the cane you get from a dysfunctional tube!
One you have a gouged piece, it's important to realize how to proceed. When you shape your pieces, some of them may have been executed perfectly but develop slight irregularities. Let's examine these.
"I had an amazing shape on this piece, but it just will not close when I'm wrapping it!"
Answer: Try wrapping it a bit shorter! Some of you may be reading and be saying "Blasphemy!," but give it a try. Maybe it's what the reed needs!
***One taboo to avoid it overlapping the opposite direction! If you wrap right handed, don't overlap on the right! The thread will push against the overlap making your chances of the reed closing all the way up slim to none! Lefty's, the same, but reversed!
"I'm scraping where I normally start the tip, but it's just not working!"
Answer: Don't start the tip higher, but maybe you'll end up with a shorter reed this time. You may have to spend more time adjusting and clipping the tip. A shorter tipped reed can be an AMAZING reed, IF the piece of cane has led you in that direction!
The important point of this blog is to realize that no matter who you study with, no matter what the norm is, you have freedom to work with the reed, not just work on it! Try different things, see what works, what doesn't, and if you have a gut feeling to scrape here, or clip, or adjust this or that...go for it!
The reed is happiest when you elevate it to its best form!