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Oboe D’Amore Reeds

If you can make oboe reeds then making oboe d’amore reeds should come naturally. They each require a different staple and a different shaper tip (though my gouge measurements for oboe and oboe d’amore are very similar). An oboe d’amore staple will be 25 mm (or close to that) and you will tie the reed…...

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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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Make a Reed in 5 Minutes

In this video I make a reed in 5 minutes. Now, should you make all your reeds in 5 minutes too? No, but learning to make a quick reed can be a helpful skill. This video is merely just a demonstration of scraping an oboe reed. If you are looking for more reed making instructions, (more…)

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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.

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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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Video | How to finish scraping an oboe reed (2/5)

In this video, I go through the finishing touches on a reed and explain where to scrape and why. This video is the second 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 (more…)

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Video | How to finish scraping an oboe reed (3/5)

In this video, I go through the finishing touches on a reed and explain where to scrape and why. This video is the second 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 (more…)

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Finishing Five Oboe Reeds

Finishing five oboe reeds These videos turned into a five part series where I took out five roughly-scraped reeds from my case and demonstrated how to finish scraping each oboe reed. You can see my Day 1 scraping process here, and premium members can see a more detailed version of that here, but these five videos each (more…)

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Video | How to finish scraping an oboe reed (4/5)

This is the fourth reed in a group of five where I demonstrate how to put the finishing touches on a reed to make it usable. This reed was different than the previous three in that there is a critical error with it! As you’ll see, the windows were scraped too high on the reed (more…)

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

This is the last reed in the group about scraping an oboe reed! It was probably the easiest one to finish. This reed had dried out a little bit because it was sitting out while I finished the other four, and that affected the crow and response when I was testing it, but overall it (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.

Step by step instructions for making oboe reeds

Bass Oboe Reed

Here is how I made a bass oboe reed that was used in a performance of The Planets by Gustav Holst. Scraping This was the only time I have ever played a bass oboe so I made a reed specifically for this one performance. The solo in the ‘Saturn’ movement is in the low register…...

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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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Reed Doctor Intro

The reed doctor posts will teach you how to adjust your oboe reeds. It will help you diagnose common reed making problems and show you where to scrape or how to adjust your oboe reed.

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Leaky Reeds, Duck-Billed Tips, and Loose Sides

You never want to play on a reed that leaks, has a duck billed shaped tip, or loose sides. Here are a few strategies to adjust your oboe reeds to avoid those problems.

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Step by step instructions for making oboe reeds

Step By Step Reed Making Introduction

This post will tell you where to look for the information that you need to know. Also provides a general step by step instruction for how to make reeds.

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Step by step instructions for making oboe reeds

List of Supplies

On this post you will see a list of vendors who sell reed making equipment. You will also see pictures, descriptions, and some personal thoughts on what reed making tools you need to make oboe reeds.

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Step by step instructions for making oboe reeds

Cane Selection

This post has a few tips on buying cane and shares some thought on how to select cane. You will see supplementary pictures and a video.

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Step by step instructions for making oboe reeds

How To Prepare Cane to be Gouged

After you have selected your cane, you will need to prepare it for your gouging machine. This includes removing some excess cane and chopping it down to size.

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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.

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Shaping and Tying Reeds

Shaping and tying reeds is one of the most crucial steps. The shape of the cane and the resulting length at which you tie the reed can make a huge difference in response, flexibility, and intonation.

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Step by step instructions for making oboe reeds

Scraping Diagrams

Helpful diagrams to show you how and where to scrape your oboe reed! Use these as a reference to know where and how to scrape a reed.

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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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