My Name`s Mike, and I`ve been playing Bassoon for 2 and a half years now. I have never heard of a plastic bassoon reed...And are all bassoon players flute players too?! I played flute before I went to Bari Sax, then to Flute. Anyways, I am wondering if anyone here knows how to make their own reed. I want to learn so I dont have to pay twelve bucks for a reed each month.

Hi, i am a bassoon player of 2 years going on 3 and i was looking a some reeds online and i didnt know if the ones i was looking at were any good. If you have ever used or played a iardinelli reed i would really apriciate your opinion on thier quality.

thanks

Actually, I started out on Tenor Sax. then I played both Flute and Tenor, then I played Clarinet on the side, Now I`m, an upcoming Bassoonist. Its rare to start on Bassoon, A 5-6th grader would fall down everytime before s/he could play a note from the freak-stretch fingerings and the weight load.

They actualy make smaller bassoons just for that purpose. they make them smaller, with less fingerings and a shorter range because it would just confuse a 5th grade to try and learn all the fingers there are on a fully functional bassoon. I couldnt find it but i know almost for a fact that fox makes one, because i saw one oon the net about a year back. They also make ones for people with smaller hands, they put extentions on the keys and covers over the holes with extendors for the smaller people.

I`ve been playing bassoon for 5 years now, after starting out with the piano, then bassoon, then violin, then bari sax, then trombone then tuba. And I know what I`m talking about when I Talk about music. But lately my music director started purchasing these reeds with a green string on them and, well.... they play really flat. I`ve got some of the old reeds I used to use, but I`m going through a slump. Meaning everytime I shave a reed it comes out horrible. Any tips? I dont want to ruin my last few reeds, and I have a concert coming up as a solo bassonist!

Honestly i wouldnt buy the ones that your band director gets. most of the they are machine made and kinda cheep. I found that bot LaVoz and Lesher reeds are really good. But if you dont want to get any new ones i would try shaving, i think its the sides and ths middle a little bit, but just be really carful with it, go really slow with it and take just little bits off at a time. if you take off too much all you have to do is clip the end off just a bit. hope that helps.

p.s. you can also clip the very corners off the the reed when you get it to prevent cracking, if you didnt know.

I know what a panic it can be when your very favorite reed is your last good one and then it starts to let you down! I wouldn`t necessarily say all bought reeds are no good. As some previous posters have said, you have to know a little bit about how to shave these down to fit your own needs, because no "store boughten" reed is going to suit everyone. I have played on some great Jones reeds, and my very favorite reed is an old Meason, which gives a beautiful tone and isn`t too hard. I also buy reeds from someone who makes them. If you can find someone like that, you`re way ahead.

Someone asked about Giardelli reeds. I have seen them on the net but nowhere else, so don`t know anything about them. They seem to be a mid-priced reed - with a green string, I notice. Again, the main thing seems to be that there is great difference between reeds even of the same make. Also, bassoonists differ. One likes a softer reed, one not, etc. So more than the brand, I think, is whether you can shave the reed a bit and get it to perform for you. Too bad, but it`s a gamble when you buy them. In the U.S., I would start around the $10-$12 range (in Canada, a bit higher) and leave those really expensive ones until you get a bit more experience. Otherwise, you`ll just be wasting money. Don`t do plastic, though! `Nuff said!

Thanks for that! But, I do have another question. Does anyone know of any stores(online of off) that sell bassoon cleaning kits? Mine kinda.....broke and my band director doesnt seem to care, ( I guess because I`m getting a better bassoon next year, but thats not the point) plus I`m being scolded because my sound isnt good. He says I need to clean it more. I guess he may be kinda goofy

You can get bassoon swabs on line. Just google "bassoon swab" and you will get loads of people wanting to sell you one.

If you have a swab already and the cloth just came off it, you can get your Mom to sew another piece of silk the same size onto your old string for an emergency swab. If you have the old brush type cleaners you shouldn`t be using those anyway - they scratch the insides of the horn. People didn`t used to know that and so many older bassoons have these type swabs. Toss yours and get the new type with a piece of cloth on a string, and a weight on the other end.

The other thing is to keep the bocal clean. Run hot water through it every once in awhile. You can also get some of those real soft pipe cleaners to clean them if you want. If moisture runs out the finger holes when you`re playing, you might want to keep a pipe cleaner to carefully swab these holes out during play. I usually just lean down and blow mine out. Not so great during a concert, tho!

try forrest reeds....they are cheap and play well(www.forrestmusic.com)

DO NOT BUY PLASTIC reeds. They don`t make such a nice sound and they don`t get the high notes so well. I buy Brittania reeds which are cheap and basic but I know how to scrape them. It`s really easy if your teacher gives you some tips. I couldn`t live without pliers and a knife. I also soak my reed in a film canister of water for a bit before i play it, this softens it and makes it easier to play.

theres such thing as plastic reeds :|??

Jaspie

I`m 42, have been playing playing basson since I was 11 (gosh, that`s 31 years!), and have a music ed degree. Don`t buy plastic reeds! (And not cleaning your instrument well, for as short a time as you`ve not been cleaning, will not affect your sounds. It`s just not good for the instrument not to be swabbed.)

Anyway, when you go to buy reeds, don`t just take the one they hand you. Get them out of their boxes (carefully) and look at them from the tip end. Make sure the two blades are symmetric (that the curve matches from edge to edge, and that both blades have as close to the same curve as possible). This ensures the thickness to thinness scraping is even.

Hold it up to the light (a bright one if one is availalable). The shadow you see through the reed should be curved getting lighter to the end and out to the tips. Imagine if you put your thumb on the blade, the shadow should follow the curve of the end of your thumb.

Then look in the tube up through the throat. It should be mostly round ... not flat nor perfectly round. Although if you soak your reed well and CAREFULLY squeeze at the wires, you can adjust that, so it`s not as big a deal as the scraping of the reed.

Then, be patient. Soak your reed thoroughly. You can speed up the break-in process if you soak it in warm water that has a little milk in it for the first few times. (Gross, I know, but my college prof told me this.) Reeds have about a 2 week break-in time, assuming you play on it every day. So as soon as your reed starts to show signs of dying, get a new one and start breaking it in.

Good luck. If you can find someone in your area that has reed making tools and skill, maybe they can help with adjustments. I help a little beginning in my neighborhood, even though I`m not teaching at all. We bassoonists must stick together!

I played my way all through high school and college (bassoon performance major), and do a fair amount of gig work now as well as regular ensemble and large-group playing. I`m not a full-time pro, but no slouch. I have been playing plastic reeds in addition to cane for 20 years, and I have to say they have improved dramatically in recent times.

One thing that`s not considered much is that a plastic reed can - and should - be adjusted for pitch and sound, or for different sound or playability in the upper or lower range, just like a cane reed. It`s not a "play out of the box" situation, but then, neither would you expect to buy a commercial cane reed be expect it to have an ideal sound without adjustment. Reeds can be adjusted at the wire, or by shaving, with the added benefit that cracks or overshaves can be repaired with super glue - try that with a cane reed! There`s a definite embouchure adjustment between plastic and cane, but it`s not impossible or even difficult to figure out with a little experimentation.

I know there are some bad reeds out there, plastic or wood, but I think that most of the distaste for plastic reeds that people express is irrational prejudice, based on hearing mid school kids or doublers, although admittedly there are not a lot of experienced players who are willing to put in the time to learn the nuances of plastic. I have done blind tests with skilled listeners who could not tell the difference between my sound playing on cane versus plastic. Between the durability (with proper rotation, I have had reeds last literally for years) and the stability (never affected by changes in humidity, temperature, or altitude), there is a lot to be said for at least mixing in plastic reeds into your repertoire.

Typically, a good reed will last only abt 30 playing hours, so don`t be surprised when it dies. When I make mine, they will sometimes crack within two days of my making them. It`s just how it goes. I would suggest finding some handmade reeds from your teacher or someoen who is a professional reed maker (odd, they DO have them!) Then, when you start making your own reeds, you`ll know what you want. I started on reeds from forrests, and five years later, I`m still having to correct my reedmaking skills dramatically every few months.