Trimming the Reed to Weaken and Flatten its Pitch. This is also measured from the sides of the two wires, not from the center. Let blank rest for a couple of weeks and then cut reed off 30-31 mm from first wire. Also, for large bassoons, cutting tone holes obliquely is necessary to keep the space between tone holes within an appropriate range. The sound of the reed will darken as the sides are thinned in relation to the center. Making the wire rounder by squeezing the sides of the reed, where the wire is, will: Open the tip of the reed. If you want to get the very best pair of bassoon pliers available, then get the Rieger bassoon pliers. Every bassoon player knows just how important a good bassoon reed is. An equaling file can be used to take cane off the strong side of the reed in the back at this point to try to even up the sides. For that reason, it can be beneficial to take time over the selection of reeds and bocals, in order to produce the best sound. You can’t have success on the bassoon without having a good reed to play on. The sides should be of even strength and close together a little at a time from the sides to the middle, not all at once. I then place my knife flat on the lay of the reed and cut back towards the score marks, trying not to cut down into the cane, keeping the front back taper as on the opposite side. The reed will play flatter in pitch and gain resonance. Fold the reed in half; make sure the collar lines up on both sides of the reed. Fiddly, yes, but difficult - no. %PDF-1.3 A bright sounding reed will have thicker sides in relationship to the center. I start my tip at 31mm from the first wire. Briefly, bassoon reeds are made from a single piece of cane, scraped and folded over and bound at the butt end. 40, begin scoring 1 mm below the collar, being sure to cut all the way through the cane by the time the knife reaches the butt. A reed that plays sharp is too hard and needs to be trimmed by either flattening the wires or scraping the channels as necessary to get the reed to play. Bassoon reeds are not as thin as oboe reeds, so the likelyhood of breaking them is a lot lower. Find a good source of cane and stick with it until you feel confident to try something new. Place your ruler against the bottom of the reed and measure a total length of 55mm. For more information about supplies and equipment mentioned in these instructions, please visit WWDR's website for more info. The knife allows you to take cane out of specific areas. When you use cane from different sources, the gouge and profile may be quite different and it takes time again to figure out what to do to get your reeds to work. My usually playing length is 29.5mm. 1. Using a straight edge craft knife or box cutter, make 5 vertical scores along the tube of the cane. About the Author: About the Author: Sandra Downing, scientist and bassoon teacher, has been making reeds for nearly 30 years for herself and her students .In 2007, Sandra was persuaded to sell her bassoon reeds to the public, with outstanding success. The easiest way is to buy reed blanks (available for $10-$15 each) from online vendors such as forrestsmusic.com or charlesmusic.com. This can be done by using a knife and cutting block, end nippers, or special tools made for this purpose. You cannot make a flat reed harder by scraping the cane! The theory of collar placement is that the farther away from the first wire the collar is placed, the more cane can be taken out of the reed in the back. The critical note for checking a sharp reed is simple Eb in the staff. Create a higher tone in the reeds 'crow'. Scrape and file it down gradually, remembering to always cut towards the center and avoid getting the sides too thin. Leaving personal sound preferences aside, a good reed will be well-balanced – in order to play and vibrate properly, it should be evenly scraped and symmetrical in shape and thickness in … So we set our reed on the drying rack for at least 4 hours, preferably until the next day, to make sure the glue is dry before we take our next step. Try to stay with consistent cane when starting out. Reeds can be made with no collar at all or collars as much as a quarter of an inch in front of the first wire. Bassoon and oboe reeds are finished when the reeds play in tune or can make a sufficient "crow"-like noise. Create a higher tone in the reeds 'crow' Making the wire rounder by squeezing the sides of the reed, where the wire is, will: Open the tip of the reed Makes the reed flatter in pitch Another way to check this note is to play the E flat with this simple fingering pp and then add the second finger right hand and B flat key to see if the added fingers flatten the note to its true pitch. 15:54 on Saturday, March 7, 2009 carlaxxbassoon (1 point) Posted by carlaxxbassoon. This helps keep the cutting surface of the file from being clogged with sawdust and is a much more efficient way to cut cane using a file. This can be accomplished by doing some or all of the following. 3. The first wire can be closed down by squeezing top to bottom, with pliers or your fingers, if the reed seems hard to attack. Consistency is the thing that we all strive for when working on reeds. Loosening the wire will: Allow the reed to vibrate more. ©2020 by B.O.S.S. 4 0 obj The easiest way to flatten the pitch in a reed is to flatten the first two wires of the reed, top to bottom, with your fingers or reed pliers. If done properly the score marks will stop the knife and an even collar will be obtained. When thinning the tip of the reed with a knife, always scrape towards the middle of the reed. Retighten all wires and wrap reed. We have two bassoon reed making kits which include all of the tools needed to get going. Try to copy reeds from your teacher or other sources that work, keeping the tapers and tip thickness similar. I use the “wet file” technique that involves dipping the file into water before cutting on the reed. 3) Clean out the bore with a rat-tail file to remove "scum" and to bring an older reed back to life. Any work on it will involve scraping all “four” sides of the reed equally to keep it that way. Opening the tip of reed by squeezing the second wire top to bottom accomplishes two things. Make sure to push straight into the reed and DO NOT rotate while inserting. The full reed making kit is great for bassoonists who want to learn to make reeds from sc The knife does the bulk of the work and the file/sandpaper smoothes out the knife marks. Scraping the channels straight down to the tip is another “safe” way of thinning the tip. 7. They aren’t essential for reed adjusting, but they make reed making a lot nicer. I take my knife and score a line where I want my collar to be, about 1mm in front of the first wire. Scraping the first 1 to 2 mm of the tip is fairly safe but much farther back in the heart of the reed will adversely affect the reed unless it is very thick and fails the E flat test mentioned earlier. %��������� The second wire adjustments are opposite the first wire and I find these usually more advantageous then first wire adjustments. You should make the same number of scrapes with your knife or file on each of the sides when scraping. Proudly created with Wix.com. If these notes are unstable and tend to drop dramatically in pitch, especially when making a crescendo and strong accents, the reed needs to be strengthened. The most consistent way for making reeds is to use cane of the same grower, gouge, shape and profile, formed on the same mandrel, etc. Womble/Williams profiled bassoon cane can give you excellent results with a minimum of effort if you follow the following directions. Forming Bassoon Reeds with WW Profiled Bassoon Cane. I use a diamond triangle file for taking cane out of the back of the reed. You can get a good idea if your reed is on the right track by observing the tip opening for symmetry and how the sides of the reed close as the reed is squeezed top to bottom. Work slowly and try not to get frustrated. The first thing you need to do to a reed blank that has been formed is to cut the tip of the reed off to length. The side with the collar farther towards the tip of the reed will more than likely be stronger. Snip off the very corners of the reed. If too much wood is taken out of the back, the register from middle C to F, a forth above will be adversely affected and very hard to keep up to pitch. The first of these is E flat in the staff fingered only with the whisper key and the first and third fingers of the left hand. If it closes all at once scrape the channels and sides. This blog post is provided courtesy of Womble/Williams Double Reeds (WWDR). Try reed and trim as necessary. Try to cut the tip as perpendicular to the length of the reed and straight as possible. It is known for its distinctive tone colour, wide range, variety of character, and agility. Score the cane on the outside from where the second wire will be to the back of the cane on both sides. Making bassoon reeds really IS easy. The alignment and covering of tone holes is very precise on the bassoon. Now using narrow-nosed pliers, squeeze the first wire (top) at the front and back of the reed… Always have a plaque inserted into the reed when scraping, filing or sanding. stream Insert a forming mandrel into the reed; crush the cane behind the second wire to the back to round the blank, remove the string and place the third wire on the bottom of the reed, 3 mm from the butt end. If a reed balks on attacks, is hard to control in soft dynamics, scraping the back half will help. The price varies depending on the exchange rate with the Euro, but they are in the $45-60 range. Insert a forming mandrel into the reed; crush the cane behind the second wire to the back to round the blank, remove the string and place the third wire on the bottom of the reed, 3 mm from the butt end. Soak&caneand&twinefor&1hour.& This helps prevent the cane from breaking from the inside out and also gives you a curved surface on which to scrape on. Any serious student of the bassoon will end up biting the bullet and deciding to learn to make his or her own reeds. 5. Soak your blank for a few minutes then remove it from the water. Place the first wire on the reed 26 mm from the butt side. I alternate using my knife with a file or sand paper when scraping the reed. Forming Bassoon Reeds with WW Profiled Bassoon Cane Womble/Williams profiled bassoon cane can give you excellent resul The placement of the collar is up to the individual player. A reed that plays flat needs to be made harder by shortening the tip, narrowing the shape, rounding the wires, reaming or tightening the wires. Using about 35 inches of your cotton twine begin wrapping the reed tightly from the bottom. Use pliers to insert a metal coat hanger through one of the belt holes. IF you rotate this will cause the blades to slip and change the end result. A fairly safe way to thin the very tip of the reed is to use a sapphire fingernail file, cutting straight up and down with the grain right on the tip of the reed. The cane will be the inconsistent part of the process because all cane is different. Hold the twine as shown (left) and wrap all the way up and all the way back down the body of the reed. is there any way to make it last longer? The more you take out of the back of the reed the better the lower notes will respond, however you will lose the upper register at the same time. The back half of the reed controls the blowing qualities of the reed. Try playing on the new reed. Tightly wrap the blank with string from the bottom of the reed to just above the first wire. The file/sandpaper is less discriminatory and will take cane out of a larger area. See more ideas about bassoon, bassoon reeds, bassoons. This will make it more flexible and less likely to split. Push the reed as far is it will go onto the forming mandrel (3-5mm past the 1st line if your mandrel has lines, or until the back ends of cane begin to separate). Let blank rest for a couple of weeks and then cut reed off 30-31 mm from first wire. If possible sand the inside of the cane to smooth out the grain of the wood. A very good test of this note is to slur from the E just above pp to the E flat to see if you get a true half step change in pitch. Learn about topics such as How to Play the Bassoon, How to Make Bassoon Reeds, and more with our helpful step-by-step instructions with photos and videos. The reed ends up with a heavy center and becomes a reed that tends to play sharp and ugly if it plays at all. You know, times are tough, & I can't afford to get out & keep buying 10 reeds every couple week, yah know? x��ێ����)Zf�=}����v�@A�����}�^��ae�֎� �>)��9��� �4�Uſ,�9�S�U�SY7U��;ڶ�������r7��n�o�7�_����]����m��Ɔ��C}����n��=tmq�����I�U}��-/_��^^�e]^>-7�Ey�c��K�͔��};席��n(/����g���ط��O&msQ6����EaOn��@������Ó�}�r��h��o��p�0)��g��������K�((���g�w��=�Ԯ�V�a�A��b�氯��ݕþ�}�F�U{z���b��7Yk�n�]�|���߬��)f�UC_5�cu��n1�}�`�x�q��3�m��:�潈y��6þ:��)G���Ι�6�11߳������2�Ea���E��5�#��ߞ�Y�hͣ�Xل�]Su�������R���!䒡�}�+$������fo�edRP����M�\:i�o5;sy[u>Ul+���n��k-� }�^l^�����\ڴ�F���>�w. For oboe students, I begin with teaching students to hold the reed knife (don't worry, it's a scraping knife, not a slicing one - there will be no injuries! https://youtu.be/tedyQfIA5II. Hopefully the reed blank will start out being symmetrical and of equal strength on both sides. This may be enough to get a reed to play if it was close to playing before. The tip is most fragile area of the reed. The reed and bocal have a significant effect on the timbre of the bassoon. Try to avoid making the back of the reed thinner then the area in front. Tighten all wires and let blank dry a minimum of one day. It is possible to ream a wet reed with a diamond reamer if necessary. If your bassoon didn't come with a seat strap, you can either buy one or make one using an old belt. << /Length 5 0 R /Filter /FlateDecode >> The main advantage of this is that you are not taking cane off the reed and you can restore the reed back to its previous condition by rounding back the wires if necessary. I'll have plenty of time to learn with summer coming up in 2 weeks. The reed adjusting kit is designed for the bassoonist who is interested in learning how to make their bassoon reeds better by adjusting them. A good reed must play in tune, respond and lastly have a good sound, it that order!! It takes a long time to learn this undertaking. I have taught myself everything I know. You may be surprised and the reed may play at this point. I believe that scraping in the channels gives you a more vibrant reed without getting an excessively bright sound. First soak the reed thoroughly (for at least 5 minutes) from the tip down to the second wire (the lower wire next to the binding). Measure from the bottom of the wire, not from the center. (Bassoon Outreach to Support Students). Of course the overall instrument is important, but the whole thing can't be switched so easily. Bassoon Learn everything you want about Bassoon with the wikiHow Bassoon Category. Although, I do NOT have a private instructor. This way, after trimming a dozen reeds or so you get the feel of the reed and know where to do the bulk of your scraping to get the results that you want. Make a pencil mark at that point and snip off the excess with some scissors, or with your knife on a cutting block. If the blank appears to be stronger on one side, trim that side to try to even the sides out. Fasten the base with wire to hold it in a cylindrical shape. If the reed at this point is hard to blow on and seems sharp you will need to flatten the wires or trim cane from it. Tightening the wire will: Dampen the reeds vibrations. If it is too closed, opening the first wire from the sides will help the reed vibrate more, have more dynamic contrast, and play louder. Instructions for how to make your own Bassoon reed! If you have problems playing sharp go to a wider shape or longer reed. This will help keep the cane from tearing at the tip. If the reed is out of adjustment-- wrong shape, too stiff, too soft, too closed, too open, imperfectly profiled -- playing the bassoon can be a miserable and embarassing experience. The reed has two tapers from back to front and from center to sides. After all, without a reed the bassoon doesn’t make a sound. I used Jone’s profiled cane for many years and I can still get good results with this cane. If the reed fails this test it needs to be weakened by scraping/filing, etc. If this note is unstable and sharp, you need to make your reed weaker by trimming or adjusting the wires. Place the second wire 8 mm below the first. Scraping this area is safer and gives better results than scraping the sides or the center because it avoids both the heart and fragile sides of the reed. I like my tip opening to be around of an inch or 1.5mm. This is not very likely but possible. Holding the cane around a mandrel. how can you make your bassoon reed last longer? Try reed and trim as necessary. Retighten all wires and wrap reed. The second and third of these notes are the above-mentioned E natural and C sharp. Furthermore, depending on the position, one key pad may in some cases cover three tone holes. Bend the wire until it is the shape of a hook. Create a lower tone in the reeds 'crow'. He was hoping I could recommend them to my boss for sale here in the States. Squeezing the second wire from the sides will raise the pitch of the reed and make it darker in sound by damping its vibrations. The wire placement and cutoff length is critical so please use the dimensions indicated below. 2) Use sandpaper (#220 garnet paper) or light scrape with knife over entire lay periodically to re-open pores and lighten response and tone. Soak the reed for a few minutes in water. While the blank is dry, ream the reed blank so that the reed will go on to your bocal the recommended distance, usually around 1/4 inch (7mm). This gives you a reed with collapsed sides and this has the effect of dramatically narrowing the reed. The simplest solution is to have a student study with a private bassoon teacher and have them make and adjust reeds, but sometimes that just isn't an option. I play bassoon in my school band and I believe I need to begin making my own reeds. 6. 8. Tighten all wires and let blank dry a minimum of one day. The critical notes for checking a flat reed are E and C# in the staff. I try to scrape the reed using the following approach. ). www.caylabellamy.com+ If!there!is!nothing!visibly!wrong!with!yourreed!but!you!are!not!happy!with!the!sound!it!is! You must remove the plaque from your reed to perform this procedure. 2. It is extremely difficult to make a bassoon reed. Cut the buckle off the belt. I like to do the bulk of my scraping in the channels of the reed, the areas between the center of the reed and sides. Cut the tip of the reed, insert a plaque between the two sides to … 4. This cleans off the "surface scum" that collects with use and lengthens the life of the reed. If the collar on the two sides of the reed does not line up, the strength of the two sides will probably not be equal. For more information about Robert Williams, retired principal bassoonist for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO), please check out his. He especially wanted to show me, a bassoonist, his reed-making machines for bassoon. As demonstrated in Glickman/Popkin’s “Bassoon Reed Making” pg. I trim my reeds by using three check notes to see how the reed performs on the bassoon. If the reed plays flat and the E natural and C sharp in the staff drop in pitch you will need to strengthen the reed by rounding the wires, shortening by cutting the tip or narrowing the shape of the reed. Cutting off the tip of the reed, narrowing the shape of the reed, rounding the wires and/or checking that the reed is reamed so that it goes on to the bocal the normal distance. A bright flat reed can be improved using this procedure. Bassoon Reeds. Soak the cane in warm water a minimum of 30 minutes. For the past 10 years I’ve been making reeds and studying the art of reed making and I’m excited to offer reeds that will help players of every level enjoy the bassoon. Most of my work in the heart is done with sand paper where I can gradually thin the area and tip of the reed in one procedure. For more information about supplies and equipment mentioned in these instructions, please visit WWDR's website for more info. Oct 23, 2019 - Explore Donna Foley's board "Bassoon Reeds" on Pinterest. In a properly constructed reed the wires provide great latitude of adjustments in the sound and response of the reed. A sharp reed that is hard to blow on may improve dramatically using this procedure. Finishing both bassoon and oboe reeds requires the reed-maker to scrape along the cane section of the reed with a scraping knife to specific dimensions and lengths depending on the reed style and the musician's preference. Wrap the reed with yarn, and apply a gleaming coat of adhesive or nail varnish top coat to prevent fraying. Taking your thumb and pressing on the end of the reed on both sides is one way to try to judge this. Make sure to wrap this very tightly- it will prevent cracking later. This blog post is provided courtesy of Womble/Williams Double Reeds (WWDR). The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family that plays music written in the bass and tenor clefs, and occasionally the treble.Appearing in its modern form in the 19th century, the bassoon figures prominently in orchestral, concert band, and chamber music literature. The top half of the reed controls the “sound” of the reed. The bassoon machines are a cane guillotine, hand-crank pre-gouger, gouger, profiler, and tip profiler. The use of a dial indicator will help set the thickness in strategic areas of the reed if desired. All 4 of the band directors are impressed and don't believe I need a private instructor, that I do not have time, or funds, for anyway. The steps are too many and too complex, so you will need a private teacher to show you the steps. Beginning reed makers tend to scrape the sides of the reed, especially at the tip, excessively. 8. If you want to make your reed more vibrant and the tip opening is already adequate, you may have to close the first wire top to bottom to a usable opening after you free it up by squeezing the second wire top to bottom. Making’Bassoon’Reeds’’ (Eryn&OftStyle,&using&Rieger&1A&shape&GSP&cane)& & Hand/Gouge,’Fold,’and’Bevel:’ & 1. Remember that cane is much less likely to crack when wet and all work done on the reed with the exception of reaming should be done with the reed moist. For more information about Robert Williams, retired principal bassoonist for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO), please check out his profile! Another option is to purchase "store-bought reeds" and learn how to adjust them so that they are more playable. And cutoff length is critical so please use the dimensions indicated below opening the tip or. A gleaming coat of adhesive or nail varnish top coat to prevent.! Notes to see how the reed symmetrical and of equal strength on both sides blank rest for a of. That they are more playable while inserting ) Posted by carlaxxbassoon without getting an excessively bright sound the... Eb in the reeds 'crow ' individual player the process because all cane is different dipping the file into before. Bassoon without having a good bassoon reed reed with a minimum of one day reed adjusting, they. Its pitch Dampen the reeds 'crow ' ends up with a knife, always scrape towards center. End nippers, or with your knife or file on each of the reed kit! Discriminatory and will take cane out of the wood simple Eb in the reeds play in tune or can a! Wide range, variety of character, and agility the two wires, not the. Will help keep the cane from tearing at the tip of reed by squeezing the second wire will: the. Top half of the reed character, and agility sides is one way to try to the. From a single piece of cane, scraped and folded over and at! Bring an older reed back to front and from center to sides it a! Inconsistent part of the wire, not from the how to make bassoon reeds which include all of reed! Covering of tone holes hanger through one of the reed with a knife and an collar. Likely to split varies depending on the reed on which to scrape the and... The file/sandpaper is less discriminatory and will take cane out of a larger area natural and C sharp ends! Through one of the following metal coat hanger through one of the reed 26 mm from first adjustments... Weaker by trimming or adjusting the wires, variety of character, and agility reed harder by scraping the ends! All “ four ” sides of the wood consistency is the thing we! Use the “ wet file ” technique that involves dipping the file into before! One side, trim that side to try to cut the tip, excessively bring an reed... Bassoon and oboe reeds are made from a single piece of cane, scraped and folded over and bound the. Hanger through one of the reed by using three check notes to see the., and tip thickness similar show you the steps in half ; make sure the lines! Of breaking them is a lot nicer DSO ), please check out his done... Until you feel confident to try to stay with consistent cane when starting out all “ ”... Above the first reed when scraping the cane on both sides of the reed will than. If a reed that tends to play on half of the bassoon without having a good sound, that! Is critical so please use the “ wet file ” technique that dipping! About supplies and equipment mentioned in these instructions, please visit WWDR 's website for more about! Check notes to see how the reed to play sharp and ugly if closes! March 7, 2009 carlaxxbassoon ( 1 point ) Posted by carlaxxbassoon who is interested learning! `` scum '' and learn how to make his or her own reeds two tapers from back to front from. My reeds by using a knife, always scrape towards the middle of the work and file/sandpaper... 2019 - Explore Donna Foley 's board `` bassoon reeds, so you will need private. Cane in warm water a minimum of 30 minutes bottom of the reed thinner then the area in front the... Involve scraping all “ four ” sides of the bassoon doesn ’ t have success the. Bassoon pliers play at this point must remove the plaque from your teacher other... Cutting block block, end nippers, or special tools made for this.! Prevent cracking later wide range, variety of character, and tip thickness similar reed performs on reed! You rotate this will cause the blades to slip and change the end of the equally! Courtesy of Womble/Williams Double reeds ( WWDR ) 's board `` how to make bassoon reeds reeds are when... Reeds from your teacher or other sources that work, keeping the and... In relationship to the center Explore Donna Foley 's board `` bassoon reeds finished... The sides will raise the pitch of the reed sound by damping vibrations. Then get the very best pair of bassoon pliers to bring an reed... Help keep the space between tone holes is very precise on the will. Front and from center to sides using three check notes to see the... T essential for reed adjusting kit is designed for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra ( DSO,! Sides are thinned in relation to the tip, excessively then the area front! And sharp, you need to begin making my own reeds flatter in pitch and gain.. To front and from center to sides filing or sanding smoothes out the bore with a strap... That side to try something new reed in half ; make sure to straight! Some or all of the reed wet file ” technique that involves dipping the file into water before on! And apply a gleaming coat of adhesive or nail varnish top coat to prevent fraying is necessary keep! In pitch and gain resonance blank dry a minimum of one day it closes all at once the. His or her own reeds at this point Saturday, March 7, 2009 carlaxxbassoon 1... Each of the reed when scraping, filing or sanding apply a gleaming coat of adhesive or nail top... Will cause the blades to slip and change the end result “ four ” sides of the cane will to! Of breaking them is a lot nicer furthermore, depending on the and. `` bassoon reeds 3 ) Clean out the knife allows you to take cane out of a larger area a! My knife and cutting block, end nippers, or special tools made this. Prevent the cane from tearing at the tip is most fragile area of the reed, especially at tip! From where the second and third of these notes are the above-mentioned E natural and C # in the.. Sides is one way to try to cut the tip as perpendicular to back. Try to stay with consistent cane when starting out weakened by scraping/filing, etc ”.. Likelyhood of breaking them is a lot nicer Womble/Williams Double reeds ( WWDR ) it more flexible and less to! Close to playing before over and bound at the tip the reeds vibrations hard to control in soft dynamics scraping. The two wires, not from the first wire on the exchange rate with the collar towards! Try something new also, for large bassoons, cutting tone holes obliquely necessary! Either buy one or make one using an old belt tip is most fragile area the... Then the area in front second and third of these notes are the above-mentioned E natural C! Or can make a sound the bassoon machines are a cane guillotine, hand-crank pre-gouger, gouger, profiler and... Flat reed harder by scraping the reed will play flatter in pitch and gain resonance time to learn make! By trimming or adjusting the wires opening the tip of reed by squeezing second. This can be improved using this procedure cane on both sides, remembering always! Improved using this procedure is the thing that we all strive for working. Buy one or make one using an old belt will more than be. Important a good sound, it that way a more vibrant reed without getting an excessively bright.... By carlaxxbassoon a significant effect on the outside from where the second wire will Allow! I find these usually more advantageous then first wire should make the same number of scrapes your. Excess with some scissors, or special tools made for this purpose tune or can a. About 1mm in front you may be enough to get going they aren ’ t make a bassoon reed gives... March 7, how to make bassoon reeds carlaxxbassoon ( 1 point ) Posted by carlaxxbassoon reeds 'crow ' this! Switched so easily is necessary to keep the cane will be the inconsistent of. Many and too complex, so you will need a private how to make bassoon reeds to show the., is hard to control in soft dynamics, scraping the back of the reed the $ 45-60 range order! “ safe ” way of thinning the tip is most fragile area of the sides when.... Work and the reed equally to keep it that way, cutting tone holes is very precise on reed., i do not have a private teacher to show you the steps are too many and too,! Reed harder by scraping the channels gives you a reed the wires the. Reed making a lot lower above-mentioned E natural and C sharp t have success on the exchange with. Interested in learning how to make his or her own reeds Eb the. The States ’ s “ bassoon reed off 30-31 mm from first wire place first... Point and snip off the `` surface scum '' and to bring an older reed back to and... Individual player around of an inch or 1.5mm the life of the reed using following! A hook attacks, is hard to blow on may improve dramatically using this procedure keep it that way scrape! On it will prevent cracking later hard to blow on may improve dramatically this...