How to adjust flat oboe reeds without any tools.
Here are a few simple ways to adjust flat oboe reeds without any reed making tools. These tricks are all manipulating the internal dimensions of the oboe reed. I speak about this more in the article oboe reed intonation introduction.
Soak new reeds in warm water for one minute. Remove from water
and shake out excess water. Let sit for another minute.
-The opening should be about the height of a Dime.
- If the reed is too open squeeze the tip closed between the thumb and index finger for 30 seconds
The reed plays Flat
1)Squeeze the tip and heart area (about 1/3 ways back from the tip)
closed for 30 seconds. Play the reed.
2)if still flat; place your thumb and forefinger on the reed just above the thread and apply a small amount of pressure. The goal is not to
close the reed, but to seal the cane against the tube. This will also help high notes speak.
3)if still flat displace the blades of the cane. Place the reed between the thumb and fore finger and push the top blade to the right, and the bottom blade to the left. Ultimately you are changing the internal dimensions of the reed to be slightly smaller, which gives the reed a higher pitch.
Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns about reeds. I will try to answer all your questions in a timely manner. AaronLakota.com
Your suggestions are awesome that our so much
I am an amateur player who has focused on the baroque oboe. Most of the reeds I make play flat. I have worked at exaggerating the tip from the heart (a rounded ridge from heart to tip), leaving a wider rail, and shortening the back. None of this has seemed to help.
Any suggestions?
Hi Peter, do you shape your cane freehand or with a shaper? How thick is the gouge you are using. Are you gouging free hand or with a machine? Tell me a little more about your setup; staples, (1 or 2 part staples) and instrument. I assume you are tuning at 415.