8 considerations to get the most out of your oboe reeds.

The reeds are the heart of the oboes. They are the pieces that make the music sprout clean and beautiful in this instrument. However, these tools are delicate and tend to break soon after their use, especially if they are not well taken care of. Its price can vary from € 8 to € 20 since they are part of a production process done by hand and another part of the production that is backed by professional machinery.

Each reed is as unique as its oboist. There are never two equals and that is why it is very important to know how to recognize a good reed that suits you well in order to get the most out of it.

We leave you 8 considerations and tips that in Medina Reeds we find very useful to extend the life of your reeds.

1. The reeds that are clean work always better: take care of your reed and make sure to clean it well from time to time, it will help you not to lose vibration. We recommend doing it with a delicate material such as cigarette paper, wire or pipe cleaners.
2.  The greater the symmetry, the better work. Aesthetics is not everything but the most symmetrical reeds are usually the ones that generate the best sound (there are always exceptions, of course!).
3. Consider the hardness of the reed based on your level as an oboist. The reeds can be soft, medium-soft, medium, medium-hard and hard. If you are a beginner, a soft reed will work better, although its sound may be not as round as with more resistant material. Little by little you will be able to try harder reeds so that the sound will take on a more harmonic tone. In this link you can find different types of reeds depending on the level of the oboist and the hardness of the material: oboe reeds.
4.  To test the reed, we recommend submerging it with the tip down in a container with water for a couple of minutes. When blowing, it should make a “cackle” sound that allows you to feel wether it works or not correctly, perceiving the snore in the different harmonic records of the reed.
5. To keep them properly we recommend storing them in a hard case, where the tips do not spoil.
6.  The use of the reed will cause it to deteriorate. One way to keep it correctly longer is scraping. If you are a beginner, ask for help to your teacher. If you already have a good experience in reeds, the tools recommended for this task to be carried out correctly are: a specialized knife, flange, tudelero or mandrel, also an ebony easel and a block of the same material, the wire … all of them, you can find them in our toolkits.
7. Over time the reeds can also begin to lose air through the sides. In this case we recommend wrapping the lower parts of the blade, where it is joined with the thread, with a small piece of transparent film, taking care not to cover the scraping at all. And if it were necessary, also put, or change the wire of place. This will help the reed to lengthen its life.
8. Do not judge your reedlightly. If you do not like the sound, it probably does not adapt 100% to you or your style but maybe to another person that same reed works perfectly. But do not worry everything can be adapted. If you need help, we are always ready  to help you in Medina reeds. The important thing is not to get frustrated and to keep trying until you find yours.

Now you just have to find your a supplier you trust or dedicate yourself time to create your own reeds ?

Of course, remember that in Medina Reeds we can create your personalized oboe reeds.

We are here to help you and that is why we have decided to give you these useful tips.

We hope you like them!