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Ensure your reeds live a vibrant life with proper oboe reed care.

Oboe reeds are expensive, frail, and temperamental.  I would like to offer my own perspective most caring for oboe reeds, based on what works for me, and what I accept learned from other oboists over the years. I hope this may take some of the guesswork out getting the most life from oboe reeds  and enlighten readers on  what to practise and non do for beginners and professionals alike. My goal is non to endeavour to convince anyone that my ideas are the rule of the land, only the oboe reed care suggestions are what I share with my ain students and interested customers.  These are too the things that I feel every student should look at and understand when they begin playing the oboe. The oboe is enough of a challenge without being in the dark nigh oboe reed care and maintenance.

There is also a fleck of a personal intention in writing this article that I would like to share. As an artisan, I take keen pride in my arts and crafts and it hurts me a little to see my reeds being mistreated in any way. I think anyone who makes their own oboe reeds will naturally accept ameliorate care of their reeds than people without the understanding of what goes into making oboe reeds. I feel that a reed maker will have more than respect for oboe reeds than someone not knowing what goes into the process and follow a more than serious oboe reed intendance regiment (Just in case you are curious hither is the process "how to make oboe reeds step by stride"). I have spent thousands of hours lurched over a reed desk on a search to empathise how to brand oboe reeds. It takes THOUSANDS of hours to empathize how to make relatively consistent and good oboe reeds, I mean that sincerely.

I accept spent tens of thousands of dollars studying with great oboists and reed makers and I have a great desire to share my knowledge and skills with people who love the oboe every bit much as me. I have spent years of my life at University learning the skills I now share with my customers and oboists reading my articles and purchasing my reeds. I am not saying this to feed my ego, merely to provide you insight into how I view my craft and art course.  I am so happy to provide reeds to so many oboists. I experience that my services let people to play the oboe, something that brings me bang-up joy, I hope they feel a like joy.

oboe reeds are fragile. Treat oboe reeds with intendance.

Oboe reeds are made from a establish called Arundo Donax. The  establish grows wild all around the world, and is farmed specifically for musical instrument reeds. The establish in its harvested course is normally referred to equally "cane". The establish grows to be effectually 12 anxiety tall and resembles bamboo.

Unlike sections of the plant are used for different types of reeds. Large apartment reeds similar baritone saxophone come up from sections closer to the ground. The reeds get smaller as the cane diameter becomes smaller. Oboe reeds come from cane that has a bore of around 10-11mm.

The cane is a frail organic material in itself, but when fabricated into an instrument reed it is shaved to exist newspaper sparse. The tip of an oboe reed can be thinner than a hair! The main role of reed is to vibrate and the thinner the tip the easier the vibrations are able to move through the reed. The reed vibrates when air is moved through the opening, causing the ii blades vibrate from the changes in air pressure. The vibrating blades of the reed create the  audio. The vibrations travel through the air and are interpreted by the ear as sound. The audio is then amplified by the instrument trunk when it is placed in the oboe.

Since the reed is so sparse it can hands flake or fissure from even slight trauma. Rubbing the oboe reed on clothing, getting it tangled in hair, hitting it on a molar, or storing it improperly in a instance tin can all pb to damage. The oboist must exist conscious of the oboe reed'due south position at all times and baby-sit the reeds from the dangers around them.

You must soak your oboe reeds

Oboe reed intendance starts with soaking the reed. Reeds must be soaked before they are played on or they will scissure. A dry reed does non take the same flexibility equally a soaked reed so any force per unit area placed on a dry reed will make information technology split. The cells of the cane must become hydrated for the reed to vibrate correctly besides. I wrote a detailed post about soaking oboe reeds previously which can be found here. "a guide to soaking oboe reeds"

How do I soak an oboe reed?

The reed should exist submerged up to the thread in h2o to become soaked. It should stay in the h2o for a menstruum of 30 seconds up to several minutes depending on the age of the reed and the humidity of the environment.  Newer reeds can unremarkably  exist soaked for a shorter period of fourth dimension, older reeds may need to exist soaked longer. I wrote a longer guide "How To Soak Oboe Reeds" Here. I would suggest soaking the reed for 2-three minutes in warm water to offset if y'all are not sure of the reed maker's suggested soaking method. Yes, different reed makers may have different soaking preferences depending on their reed making process.

Sometimes a student will not have access to water or a loving cup for soaking reeds. Saliva may be used in this situation only it is non ideal. The oboist will need to place the oboe reed in their mouth up to the thread. They then must put saliva effectually the reed and in the reed for several minutes. Saliva will break down the oboe reed quicker than water, and then I advise you favor soaking oboe reeds in water.  Oboe reeds soaked in water will concluding longer than reeds soaked with saliva.

Exist certain to suck out excess h2o or saliva earlier attempting to play the reed or that moisture will exist pushed into the oboe or make a gargling audio.

Removing the oboe reed from the oboe.

I am always amazed at how many of my own students struggle with removing the oboe reed from the oboe. I watch students grab the reeds in ways I am not enlightened were possible. I get a scrap nervous seeing the reeds being grabbed by the thread and wiggled back and forth every bit if extracting a loose tooth.

The reed should not e'er be removed by grabbing the thread. The thread will loosen over time and become unraveled if the oboist consistently pulls and rotates the thread. When the thread comes unraveled it is not a defect in brand, it comes from operator mistake.  The oboist should only grab the reed past the cork. A reed will never unravel if the thread is ever avoided. I notice many of my students cannot figure out how to go a proficient hold on the cork. here is my method;

  1. Brand a fist with your thumb on the exterior of the manus (as if thumb wrestling). I apply my stiff mitt to grab the reed and my weak hand to hold the oboe (right paw on reed, left manus on oboe upper joint).
  2. Identify the cork betwixt your thumb and fist  and squeeze firmly. The fingers should be correct upward against the oboe, pushing confronting it fifty-fifty.
  3. Hold the reed all the same and turn the oboe. At that place is more leverage turning the oboe than the reed. Pull the reed out of the oboe every bit information technology is turned. The reed will come out if information technology is turning.

The cork tin exist fabricated smaller if it is very tight in the oboe. I suggest using dispensable smash files to take a footling cork off the reed. Cork grease can also be used to lubricate the cork which may allow easier removal, just be aware that it may likewise decrease the power to get a firm grip on the cork.

AN OBOE REED THAT DOES NOT Become IN Easily Will NOT COME OUT EASILY. File the cork a trivial before you put it in.

I propose students keep a small slice of foam contact paper/shelf liner in their case for very stubborn reeds.

What to do if the oboe reed starts to unravel?

Office of existence human is being imperfect, and with imperfect people comes imperfect processes.

Student:    "Aaron, I know you said non to , but I grabbed the reed by the thread to remove information technology and now it is starting to unravel".

Me: "Okay no big bargain, we caught it early, nosotros tin can fix it"

When an oboe reed shows signs that the thread is loosening at that place are a few things that can be done.

  • Put a minor amount of super glue on the thread where the reed is loosening. I suppose a glue gun or whatever other loftier forcefulness adhesive volition work just fine too.
  • wrap the oboe  reed with Teflon plumbers tape or parafilm wax. Many oboists will use one or both of these products to patch leaky reeds, so they may already be in the oboe case. Another reason your pupil should have one of these products in their oboe case.

Oboe reed storage

Excess moisture should be shaken or blown out of the oboe reed before information technology is stored.

  • Shake= shake the wrist while belongings the oboe reed. Care should exist taken  not to hit the reed on anything
  • Blow= Put your lips on the cork end of the reed and blow the excess wet from the cane. Be careful not to put more spit in the reed

Oboe reeds should exist stored in a reed case and not the vials or small containers that the reeds are packaged in. The pocket-sized vials are airtight and will cause the reed to mold. A moldy reed volition expect night or speckles on it. I would advise a case that holds iii-12 reeds to start. Most 3 reed cases will fit right into an oboe instance and not be lost. The student may do good from having two reed cases. A smaller 3 oboe reed case and a larger 12 reed case, the larger case beingness left at dwelling house while the minor example stays with the oboe.

I suggest students have AT LEAST 3 OBOE REEDS at a time in their case, So a 3 reed case should be the minimum. The larger cases will permit a student to hold onto reeds and see if they may regain some life later. Yes dead, worn out reeds can proceeds a second life. I attribute this to changing seasons. Changes in the pressure and humidity of an environment may cause  oboe reeds to vibrate differently.

The bulk of oboe reed cases volition fall into one of these categories;

  • Mandrel style holds the reed by inserting a small tube into the lesser of the reed.
  • Ribbon style holds the reed in place at the thread. It substantially hugs the reed in identify
  • In that location are now some reed cases with ribbon and mandrels. These are swell.

I sell a couple Ribbon Style oboe reed cases on my website, yous tin run into those by clicking on the links below. Even if y'all are not interested in the reed cases I sell they will give yous an idea of what the Ribbon style Oboe reeds cases part.

Wooden 3  oboe reed case

Traditional 3 oboe reed case

Rotation of oboe reeds.

Many oboists, including this one,  will rotate oboe reeds so they practice not get tired out too soon. To "rotate oboe reeds" ways one reed is not played until it is dead, but several reeds will exist played in a rotation of some sort.  Virtually professional oboists rotate reeds not only to make them terminal longer, but also because they know different reeds may act differently from twenty-four hours to day. The favorite reed of 1 24-hour interval may not piece of work the aforementioned way the next day.  A less than perfect oboe reed today may feel bully tomorrow.

I know some parents will buy a few reeds and just allow their student to have admission to one reed at a time. The thinking is that the student volition simply destroy one reed and not three. I empathize that way of thinking, it makes logical sense to me, though the student may go through more than reeds in the long run,  since the reeds will exist over-played in a brusk time period.  I advise the educatee exist given access to at least three reeds at a time. The student needs to learn to be very responsible for the care of their oboe reeds.

Sterilization of oboe reeds.

oboe reeds tin be sterilized with Hydrogen peroxide,  Alchohol or mouthwash. I usually use Hydrogen peroxide.  I don't sanitize reeds too often (except when I initially sell them) but if for some reason there is a need feel gratuitous to use 1 of the products listed. It is a good idea to sterilize oboe reeds after the player has been sick. This will ensure the oboist does not recover from their affliction only to become sick again after playing contaminated reeds. I am not truly sure how long germs stay alive in such instances, but I think it is ameliorate to exist prophylactic than have the take a chance.

At that place are some products out at that place that claim to prolong the life of oboe reeds. I take tried "the Reed Life" product and like it specially for reviving sometime English language Horn Reeds. I retrieve Forrests music sells this product. No product can replace proper oboe reed care, no matter how well information technology works.

 How Ofttimes Should I Be Purchasing New Oboe Reeds?

The answer to this will ultimately depend on the oboist but perhaps my professional person feel and opinion will be of some value.

I usually tell people to look a reed to provide around 10 hours of playing.  Your jaw may take simply dropped if you are new to this. 10 hours is the actual time spend playing, not sitting and listening to the ring director talk, non time spent looking out the window while it should be played, but bodily playing time.  A band form may be an hour-long, but the oboist may play for a half-hr of that time. They may so play another half 60 minutes total at abode.  A reed can be expected to terminal a ii-3 weeks in a situation similar this with proper oboe reed care.

An oboist practicing for 2 hours every day, playing in several college ensembles, and taking lessons may go less than a calendar week's use out of an oboe reed.

with this information here is what you lot should wait.  Equally with most things I write, these are non rules but perspective gained from my ain students, professional dialogue, and client feedback. This is assuming my oboe reed care suggestions are followed.

  • beginner-3 years = one student oboe reed every 2-iii weeks
  • 3-half dozen years= one professional oboe reed every 2-3 weeks
  • serious loftier school student= one professional oboe reed every 10-xiv days
  • college oboe major=  1 professional person oboe reed every 5-ten days

I would suggest having a conversation with your student oboist almost reed intendance if they are going through more than 3-4 oboe reeds per month.  A high-level loftier school educatee or college student may be going through 3-5 oboe reeds per month, which is okay if it is due to usage with proper oboe reed care and not fail.  A private teacher volition be able to share more information than is provided herewith your young oboist about oboe reed care and other oboe related topics.

I highly suggest all students take a private oboe instructor to help with their studies.  I empathise if that is not possible due to fiscal constraints or limits on access to a private instructor. There are many oboe teachers offering online lessons, the student will gain valuable insights by studying with a qualified oboe teacher. I offer live online video lessons on oboe performance, reed making, and performance strategies (these lessons deal with mindfulness for performers,  where we look at the listen-body-emotional connection during a performance and how to plant a friendly relationship with our thoughts and emotions). Please feel free to contact me if y'all would like a few lessons on oboe reed care or any oboe related topics.

I hope this takes some of the guesswork out of oboe reed intendance for people just coming to the oboe. The oboe is a very rewarding and cute musical instrument to play.  I hope the instrument will bring you or the oboist in your life a lot of joy.  good luck with your oboe reed care and Happy oboe-ing

Interested in purchasing oboe reeds? Find handmade oboe reeds at A.Lakota Reeds

Find high quality student oboe reeds and student bassoon reeds at MallarReeds

Summary

Oboe Reed Care; how to make your oboe reeds last longer

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Oboe Reed Intendance; how to brand your oboe reeds last longer

Description

Oboist and oboe reed maker Aaron Lakota shares his thoughts on oboe reed intendance. This information will help students and customers to understand how to take care of their oboe reeds and ensure they accept a long and vibrant life.

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Aaron Lakota

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AaronLakota.com

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