The end.

I am sorry for the lack of user generated photos in this post.  Nick couldn't be there at the last meeting with Mary, and Kathy fails...  That being said... here's what we got...

Finishing a Bassoon Reed

1) Flatten the wires.  Flatten wires 1 and 2 so they are pointing down

 Flatten Wire 4 so it is pointing up.

2) Use your "tip-cutter" 

to cut the tip.

It is not that expensive and it is good to have.

It acts as a mini guillotine to open the end of the reed.  

You need it because it takes a lot of force and you might crack the reed if you just use your weapon of choice... the razor blade...

3) Next you use a tip profiler.  

Put the end of the reed on the metal rod.  Carefully slide the metal plate into the opening of the reed.  From there it is very similar to the profiler we used before.  Just press down and scrape like we did during the first profiling step.  

4) Now you file with a filer.  This just looks like a nail file, but is probably more expensive.  Put a plastic plaque into the opening.  File each side of the heart, each edge, and then vey lightly down the heart (just once on that last part).  You really need to dig into the reed because this is the step when you take off enough cane to make it playable.  

5) LAST STEP!  BLENDING!  Take your thumb and put it on the reed.  Scrape around the thumb out towards the corners into the reed so there is effectively a thumb nail shape on the reed.  Continually put the reed into the light and make scrapes to make sure each of the sections is blended.  

6) Test with a crow and make personal adjustments as necessary.

Thank you all for joining us in our reed-making adventure.  We hope you learned a lot.  We certainly did.

Tha-tha-tha- that's all folks!

The Final Scrape!

This was our final meeting with Danny...
*Tear Tear*
*Sniffle Sniffle*

We talked about the final scrape and making the oboe both playable and tailored to each individual.  This is the stuff of legends folks... also the stuff you might use to adjust and fix reeds when your students' reeds are less than great...

We are finally at the point where the adjustments can be made based on how the reed plays on and off of the oboe.  It is during this step that you start adjusting the reed to your personal needs. 

STEP 1: When in doubt... soak the reed in warm water--we were in doubt, so that is step 1.

After this, there are no real steps.  Just make scrapes to adjust the reed's density and consistency.

Continue to make sure your sections are blended, but clearly defined somehow at the same time.

Clip the reed if it is too soft--if you go too far, you can mess it up, but you can always use it as a junk reed if you need one in a pinch *Cough Cough... Woodwind tech reed*

If it feels too hard in your mouth you can shave it off with a plaque and a knife.

You can use the SQUEEZE TEST to see what is keeping the reed too open if it feels too open.

1) Squeeze just the tip.

2) Squeeze the heart.

3) Squeeze the windows.

4) Take off cane to create correct opening shape.

Keep the knife out while you practice so you can continue to make adjustments.

 That is pretty much it.  For clarifications find an oboe player.

A trip to the Indian Sub-Continent... Turban Time!

After forming, it is time to add another wire (the 4th wire) and then wrap.  Some people do not use the 4th wire, but they are weird and we shall not speak more of them here.  The 4th wire helps to prevent future leaks and since we are rather poor reed makers, this is an extremely important step and we take all the possible precautions!

Once you have added (or not added if you are really silly) the 4th wire, you can make sure the wires are in the correct locations on the reed.  It is always good to double check your measurements as the reed changes over time and things get jostled throughout the process.  

NEW AND IMPROVED REED MEASUREMENTS!  

For a limited time only, get these new reed measurements, straight from the mouth of Mary as you read this post!  Don't mess around with those pesky old measurements!  Get the new ones that are right and not wrong like that other lever... I mean set of measurements:

                                      1) Measure 29 mm from the bottom for the collar mark.

                                      2) Measure 28 mm from the bottom of each end of the reed for the first wire. 

                                      3) Measure 18 mm from the bottom for the second wire.

                                      4) Measure 6-7 mm from the bottom for the third wire.  

                                      5) Put the fourth wire as close to the bottom as you can get it.

THREADING!  Just like knitting your mom a sweater... except... nothing like that...

More like weaving your neighbor a turban... kind of like that...  Here are the steps:

1) Cut about 5-6 feet of thread (about the length across both arms and your chest)

2) Cut the 3rd wire's excess wire so that it still wraps around, but barely sticks out.

3) Wrap one end around the bottom of the 3rd wire.

4) Make a figure eight from the 3rd wire up to the first, around, and back down to the 3rd.

5) Wrap around the 3rd wire again.

6) Then wrap in a sin(x) curve manner around the third wire, using the wire as the x-axis.

(For those of you less mathematically inclined, this is a wave that goes above and below the wire.)

7) Continue going above and below the wire until the thread completely covers the 3rd wire.

8) Then wrap straight around and up until you get to the 2nd wire.

9) At this point, get back out your handy-dandy NOTEBOOK!  I mean... PLIERS!

10) Bend the 1st wire down so you can slip the end of the thread through the loop,

11) Then pull hard at the other end so that the loop pulls the knot created behind the wrapping.

12) Cut off excess thread.  

13) It should look something like this... except better...

14) The last stage of wrapping is securing the thread with Duco Cement.  It is pretty messy so be sure to have a Handy-Dandy Paper-Towel ready for excess, but really you just need to put cement on the entirety of the wrapping and then set it to dry for at least 2 hours.

Form the reed, form, form the reed... PART DEUX

Here are pictures from OUR reed forming experience.  Since Mary only showed us last time, this lesson was just us actually forming our own reeds.