How To Make Oboe Reeds Cropped

Reed Making Technique

We musicians discuss technique a lot in private lessons. Whether it is keeping your fingers close to the keys, or fine-tuning your embouchure, classical musicians constantly think about their technique. But what about when we are making reeds? The one reed-making technique mistake that I often see is too much tension in a reed maker’s (more…)

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Innoledy Gouging Machine

First off, is this gouging machine pronounced ‘Innoledy’ or ‘Innoledy’? I was told it was pronounced ‘Innoledy’. Hope that helps! This post and video will give you instructions on gouging cane with an Innoledy gouging machine. There are many different parts, and I’ve seen people assemble it differently. Just reading the directions can be daunting (more…)

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5 Reed Making Resolutions for 2021

Here are 5 reed making resolutions for 2021. Will these resolutions last until the end of the year? or at least until February? Time will tell. 5. Always keep your reed knife as sharp as possible! If your knife isn’t as sharp as possible, take the time to sharpen it before scraping your reeds. There (more…)

How To Make Oboe Reeds Cropped

Oboe Reed Diagrams

This oboe reed lesson discusses the opening of your reeds and how that affects your sound and control. These oboe reed making diagrams will help you diagnose common problems with your oboe reeds.

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Video | How to finish scraping an oboe reed (1/5)

In this video, I go through the finishing touches on a reed and explain where to scrape and why. This video will be part of a series where I demonstrate various reed adjustments and how to perfect your reeds. Each video will be a little different from the rest because each reed will require different (more…)

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Reed Making Video

This oboe reed making lesson will show you up close how to scrape an oboe reed. You will see how to scrape the different sections of an oboe reed and how to adjust an oboe reed.

How To Make Oboe Reeds Cropped

Reed Response

In terms of reed response, we often see Hard, Soft, or Medium reeds advertised, or we will say that our own reeds are too hard or too easy. In this post, I want to go through how I think about response and easiness levels in my reeds. Some people might see this topic differently than (more…)

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Interview with Tim Gocklin

A reed making interview about making reeds for playing on tour and at high altitudes and for performing chamber music.

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The Joy of Scraping

This reed making lesson entitled, ‘The Joy of Scraping’ was written by Courtney Miller; Oboe Professor, University of Iowa.

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Easy Oboe Reed Adjustments

If you do not have reed making tools available to you to fix reeds, check out these hints for making your oboe reeds work for you.

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Constantly Moving Targets and Dial Indicators

Learning to make oboe reeds is a very big endeavor to undertake and has always been extremely difficult and time consuming to learn. With this oboe reed lesson, you can become a more consistent reed maker.

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How to Avoid a Reed Rut

Sometimes you will go through periods where you are not making great oboe reeds. Check out this online oboe reed lesson to learn the major reed making missteps to improve your reed making consistency.

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One Overlooked Way to Improve Your Reed Making!

An oboe reed making lesson that will help you adjust your oboe reeds more consistently. This article will help you expose any reed making misconceptions you might have.

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Intro to Gouging Cane

A quick post on how to use an Innoledy gouging machine and a double radius gouging machine. Contact the maker of your gouging machine for more specific information.

Step by step instructions for making oboe reeds

Scraping Techniques

Here are three different scraping techniques that will help you scrape your oboe reeds more smoothly. This will help your oboe reeds vibrate and respond more easily.

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Scraping the Tip

The tip on the oboe reed is the most important part of the reed and certainly the most difficult to perfect, but this method will make it a lot easier. This online reed making lesson will help you refine your oboe reeds.

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Step by step instructions for making oboe reeds

Initial Scraping

By the end of this post, you will know how to start scraping an oboe reed. This post will take you through initials scrapes until the reed is ready to crow.

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Step by step instructions for making oboe reeds

How To Crow and Test a Reed

You will need several reliable tests to see how functional a reed is. This post will show you how to crow an oboe reed and what you can learn from the crow.

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Reed Doctor Diagram

Here you will find a list of every part of the oboe reed that you can scrape and the results (positive and negative) that come from scraping those areas of an oboe reed.

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Reed Slope Pictures/Video

These oboe reed pictures are here to help you look at the architecture of a reed and help you create smooth transitions between the three main sections of a reed.

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Reeds That Are Too Open

Oboe reeds that are too open will normally be flat and while it is largely determined by everything you do before tying a reed, here are a few strategies to help your reed making.

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Reeds That Are Too Closed

While the opening of the reed is mostly determined by the cane, gouge, and shaper tip, but this oboe reed lesson shares a few additional ideas on how to open up a reed.

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Reeds That Are Unresponsive

Oboe reeds can be unresponsive in a variety of ways. This oboe reed making lesson will help you determine why your reed is unresponsive and how to fix it.

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Reeds That Are Too Responsive or Bright

Oboe reeds need to be responsive, but there also needs to be restraint in the sound. This oboe reed making lesson will give you some tips on how to darken the tone of your oboe reeds.

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Reeds That Are Too Flat

This oboe lesson will teach you have to raise the pitch of flat oboe reeds. In general, the gouge, shaper tip, and diameter cane that you use will be the biggest factors with pitch, but here are a few scraping techniques that you can use.

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Reeds That Are Too Sharp

This online oboe lesson will help you fix oboe reeds that are too sharp. Often times, sharp oboe reeds simply need more cane removed, but this reed making lesson will show you a few other tricks.

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