Creating your own oboe reeds can be a personal and fulfilling experience. It not only allows you to customize the sound but also helps you to develop a deeper understanding of your instrument. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to make oboe reeds from scratch.

1.Gather materials: To make an oboe reed, you’ll need the following materials:

– Gouged, shaped, and profiled cane

– Brass or nickel-silver tube staple

– Reed thread

– Beeswax

– Reed knife

– Cutting block

– Mandrel

– Plaque

– Ruler

– Pencil

– #400-600 grit sandpaper

2.Soak the cane: Begin by soaking the gouged, shaped, and profiled cane in water for about 20-30 minutes.

3.Prepare the staple: Apply a small amount of beeswax on the bottom end of the staple and insert it into the mandrel.

4.Fold the cane: Remove the cane from the water, dry it slightly, and fold it carefully on its spine so that both sides align evenly.

5.Secure to the staple: Insert the soaked and folded cane onto the staple just enough so that it covers about 2-3 millimeters (mm).

6.Tie-on: With one hand holding the cane onto the staple, use your other hand to wrap thread tightly around it. This will secure the cane to the staple.

7.Adjust overlap: Use your reed knife to adjust any uneven overlap by scraping gently on either side until even.

8.Cut tip: On your cutting block, measure and mark a distance of about 58-62 mm from where you tied on the reed earlier with a pencil. Proceed to cut the excess cane at that point with your reed knife at a slight angle.

9.Create shape: Scrape away cane around the tip of the reed to form a heart shape. You should focus on scraping from the center of each side of the heart towards the tip without damaging or making the tips too thin.

10.Blend heart to edges: As you continue to scrape, proceed to blend from heart downwards towards the edges of your oboe reed ensuring a gradual change in thickness.

11.Establish spine: Scraping from the center of each side of the heart, gently taper both heart sides down towards the spine area, where it should remain slightly thicker than oboe reed’s edges.

12.Open tip: Using your plaque and mandrel, gently and carefully separate oboe reed’s tips.

13.Fine adjustments: The finishing process involves fine-tuning your newly made reed by playing on it and making minute adjustments with your reed knife and sandpaper until you achieve your desired sound quality.

14.Completed reed: Be sure to store your newly created reed in a proper reed case to protect and preserve its delicate structure. Remember that practice makes perfect when crafting oboe reeds, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t get it right on the first try.

Now that you have successfully made an oboe reed, enjoy honing your playing skills with an instrument that is truly customized for you!