Hi. My name is Marty and i am 14 years old. I have played the violin for seven years and i am now starting to play the oboe. Why do oboists make their own reeds? Is it hard? When should i start doing so? If you could answer these questions it would be greatly appreciated. Thanx!

Hi Marty,

Really excellent questions.

As a beginner, you should get a teacher that will make reeds for you, and teach you how to make your own reeds.

You should start learning to make reeds now. You`ll need some tools, etc. It`ll take lots of practice to develop the skills to make good reeds. You also need to play the oboe well enough to test your reeds while you are making them.

Reeds you buy will vary in quality & playability from maker to maker, and even the same maker`s reeds may be inconsistent. Also, buying reeds is expensive, because they aren`t cheap, and need to be replaced "frequently".

My teacher made a reed for me. It played well, for me, during the lesson, and for a few days after the lesson. Then, it became difficult to play the oboe. I thought the problem was me, but at the next lesson my teacher agreed that the reed had changed. He adjusted it, and it was okay for another couple of days. One more adjustment, and it`s been playing consistently well for a couple of weeks. If you buy a reed, and it changes, you need to at least know how to adjust it, or have someone, like a teacher to do it for you.

I am a beginner, so take my advice accodingly, and look for other replies from experienced players and reed makers. I am learning to make reeds, and it`s challengng and fun.

Hope this helps, and good luck.

Hi,
I think making reeds is a great idea, it gives you an opportuinity to make reeds that fit your standards and not have to look into reed makers for reeds that are just CLOSE to your standars.
I`ve only made about 5 reeds on my own (two without a plaque because I left it at my teacher`s house my mistake). I have only been taking lessons for about 4 or so months (but playing for longer), but my teacher says that i caught on really fast.
One important thing in reed making is not to give up, and know that you can do it... and don`t rush.
It is also important to try and get an oboe teacher because if you don`t and try to use the internet instead, you don`t get everything you need. (it`s not very visual and there`s no one there to tell you what you`re doing wrong)
hope this helps you.
-AC

It`s good that you`ve chosen such a challenging and rewarding instrument such as the oboe! Welcome to the club! Anyways I wouldn`t worry about the reed situation quite yet, as your embouchure and breathing muscles probably are not accustomed to blowing/breathing, and your embouchure isn`t refined yet. What I`d suggest is to try to get a couple lessons from a professional oboist, or at least an oboist who is in music performance at a college/university. They will get you on the right track, and if you`re lucky enough to be able to take permanent lessons with them, you might get some reeds. If this isn`t possible, try ordering some handmade reeds off the internet, as these will offer at least some additional quality over machine scraped reeds.
Good luck with your playing!

D-oboe

Well, I`ve been playing the oboe for about 7 years now and didn`t start making my reeds until about 4 years into it. The reason why is because I started studying with this awesome teacher in San Diego and according to her, my emboucher was all screwed up. Get the basics down, embouchure is the most important because a great oboe embouchure can turn an average reed into a good reed no matter what. Also, with what everyone else says, stick with it, I got discouraged and you get better in time.